I remember once when a big corporation, to remain nameless, offered to buy me for a nice chunk of change then after we signed the NDA and they looked at my numbers they never called me or returned our calls again. Mind you are the largest ISP in my town so it wasn't for lack of numbers. They simply wanted to know how much business was in my town so they could justify whether they would come here and take us out. The Form 477 is just another way for corporations to see how strong your market is so they can have you essentially research for them the feasibility for them to come spend three million (just a vague reference not a real number - you'll see if you read the rant) to run you out of business.
I'm done on the form 477 comment but in a "tell us how you really feel" rambling (as Marlon would say) here is what I think of our competition: <rant>The new corporate motto is, 'Why buy an existing customer base for a million when we can come to their market and spend three million in advertising or free/under cost services to force them out.' It's not naievety by the government either they know that corporations are basically greedy and corrupt but they donate well to political figures so if they have to do anything they can to please their stockholders more power to them. Letters to the FTC, or Justice department asking for investigations of these many unethical acts are all unanswered during a Republican Adminstration. We're all old enough to remember when Republicans were the friend of small business, doesn't seem that long ago. Oh sure they have small business loans out there but now you have to hire their buddies as Consultants for 1/4 of the loan value in order to fill out the overly difficult forms. Government is just as unethical so how are they going to set the example for American corporations. Service or community responsibilty is a luxury from them not like us who use it as our foundations. That is why those two traits are the only thing that keep small business alive for those few customers who want to pay less at the cost of being on hold for 1/2 hour for service they don't get anyway. Look at Charter Cable, Paul Allen needed a write-off for his huge profits on Microsft, got it by writing off investors losses as his own so he didn't have to acutally spend that money! Or Clearwire which is Craig McCaws write-off dupped Intel and Microsoft into bailing his failing venture out. Neither give a damn about their customers other then they pay their bill so the stockholders don't sue them for making their stock (in Charter's case) go from $30 to a buck or so. I can't believe I'm admitting it but I think Bill Gates is much more of a 'True American' then either of those other scum I mentioned. At least he uses his write-off for good. Even if Windows is a crappy program, it did bring the world into the computer age so good for him which made them customers of ours, well until Allen or McCaw steals them to the tune of another billion dollar or more loss. </end rant> Forbes Mercy President - Washington Broadband, Inc. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm glad this is being taken to court. One of the reasons many WISPs don't file still (even though legally required to), is because they are afraid that the information will be shared with someone that will result in a negative effect, whether its the tax collector or competitors. Proving that this information can or can not be kept confidential will take a load off the mind of parties that are obligated to file. Hopefully, the FCC will be victorious and not need to disclose the information. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Harnish" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'WISPA General List'" <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 11:37 AM Subject: [WISPA] Form 477 Confidentiality Challenged in Court It looks as though the confidentiality of Form 477 information is being challenged in court. Anyone with further insight that has comments, they are appreciated. Our office received this document via email today. PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202 / 418-2830 TTY 202 / 418-2555 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp fcc gov DA 06-2534 December 15, 2006 Public Notice To Service Providers Who Filed FCC Form 477s With The Commission And Sought Confidential Treatment Of The Information Submitted This Public Notice notifies all filers who sought confidential treatment of their Form 477 information that the public release of this information is being sought. The following litigation is pending in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia: Center for Public Integrity v. Federal Communications Commission, Civil Action No. 06-1644 (RMC). Plaintiff initiated this action under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. ยง 552, as amended, seeking release of all FCC Form 477s filed with the Commission. The Wireline Competition Bureau previously denied plaintiff's FOIA request for these records, pursuant to FOIA exemption 4, because it found that the requested records contain commercially sensitive, competitive information and that release would cause harm to the entities that submitted the requested information. The plaintiff has filed for de novo review of its request by the U.S. District Court. The Commission's brief in this proceeding is due to be filed with the court on January 8, 2007. For further information, contact Michael A. Krasnow, Office of General Counsel, (202) 418- 7924. - FCC - Rick Harnish President OnlyInternet Broadband & Wireless, Inc. 260-827-2482 Founding Member of WISPA -- WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
-- WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
