----- Original Message ----- From: "Marlon K. Schafer (509) 982-2181" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 7:37 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] USF tax changes?
> I had a call the other day from someone at the Congressional Budget Office. > It *looks* like there is a move afoot to expand USF to broadband. > > I believe this would only be a good thing for the market. > > Out here the telco gets $109 per month per phone line. And they require a > phone line for DSL service. > > So $15 per phone line. > $30 per dsl. > $109 per line in usf funds. > > Nearly $160 per month per sub. And I get $35. Oh joy! > > Now if I could get $109 too! At nearly 300 subs today.... Man could I put > in a nice network! And afford to go where others aren't going yet. > > And the value of a wisp would REALLY shoot through the roof. But Marlon... If you "raise" us to "thier" level, you're going to see your services taxed at state and federal level, you're going to SWAMPED with paperwork, and you won't be able to do sqat without 25 forms in triplicate. And that includes, going to the bathroom. You're going to end up subjecting us to the same regulatory climate that "they" live in. And that will be the end of the WISP business, where only the monopoly-type telcos with the huge capitalization and lotsa lawyers on staff will be able to do "wireless". Would I like to get 150 / mo per sub, and have to bill only 41 bucks to do it? Darn right. Heck, if I got 109 / mo for each sub, I'd bill $1/ mo and sign people like there was no tomorrow... Given the choice of being regulated and getting the money and not being regulated and doing without it... I choose without. I don't think the alternative is viable. > > I'm not a big fan of government meddling but one of two things has to happen > here. Either they drop usf (most rural telcos would fold so this is > unlikely) or expand it to include us and cable and sat. Like it or not, > government funding was used for electrification, phones, roads etc. If the > competition is going to get subsidized, we should to. I say drop it, and re-write the laws governing VOIP and POTS service, so that "anyone" can do it, just like "anyone" can be a WISP. It's going to mean that "gauranteed" phone service would be a thing of the past... And I don't see any reason it should be "gauranteed". Just like it shouldn't be "gauranteed" your cell will work or your satellite dish will work, or your pager will work, or there's a theater in town. For that matter, anyone that remote can now get satellite phones... Heck, it isn't even guaranteed there'll be a decent place to eat lunch in town... ( especially not Odessa, hehehehe ). North East Oregon Fastnet, LLC 509-593-4061 personal correspondence to: mark at neofast dot net sales inquiries to: purchasing at neofast dot net Fast Internet, NO WIRES! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - > > WISPA needs to support this move. In a big way. > Marlon > (509) 982-2181 Equipment sales > (408) 907-6910 (Vonage) Consulting services > 42846865 (icq) And I run my own wisp! > 64.146.146.12 (net meeting) > www.odessaoffice.com/wireless > www.odessaoffice.com/marlon/cam > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Blair Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> > Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 6:08 PM > Subject: [WISPA] USF tax changes? > > > > Does WISPA have a stand on this? > > > > http://techrepublic.com.com/2100-1035-5959140.html?tag=nl.e550 > > > > As one who has built my network without any public money, I have no > > interest in collecting special taxes. I have more than enough paperwork > > now... > > > > I also don't want my competitors to get government money to build their > > networks. But locally, I have found out that they are getting government > > grants to expand into my area. Having seen their install rates, monthly > > fees and tower provisioning costs, they would not be making any money if > > they did not have the government footing the bill. > > > > -- > > > > Blair Davis > > West Michigan Wireless ISP > > 269-686-8648 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > -- > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
