Personally, I feel you cant always have your cake and eat it to. Some people move to the booneys for a reason. If those 30 people really choose to live that far out, do they really need broadband? I can give an example of myself, where I owned a half mil property where I had wanted to live, but it couldn't get broadband. So I lived 10 miles down the road in the city that had broadband, even though it meant sweezing into a much smaller townhome, and duplicate costs. Did I ask the government to write me a check for a half mil to get a government funded Fiber line run to my little underserved town? No, I invested a Half mil myself to bring broadband to my little town, and now I live happily on my preferred property with Broadband. (But it cost my life savings to do it). And was my town of 300-1000 any less important than other towns of 30-50, that got a free ride?
My point is two fold.... 1) If its important enough, someone will find a way to pay for it themselves. 2) If its not important enough, someone will make due with their other options. But at no time was there a possibility to waste money on something that had a cost far greater than the value received for the services rendered. I do not believe that the needs of a few, is greater than the needs of many, when someone can chose where they live. There are many people that wish they had the luxury to live in an isolated place miles away from the hussle and bussle, but they make choices based on what is most important to them. I believe there are both clear Pro and Cons on whether USF is good or bad. But most of all, I think the economic development case benefit for the situation has to be proven to justify the expendature, and should not merely be a gift to a few needy. And I definately question it, when the monies, makes it hard for new businesses to complete in areas where it has been proven that the public is finanically secure enough that they are capable to pay new private businesses for the service. The core underlying principle for USF is good, which is to help subsidze an operation to have long term stabilty, but why is that same mentality not shared with other companies that serve underserved clientel in less rural areas? Why is ones' Census population stat the criteria to define who is worthy of subsidy, if they are also in need? The day the government recognizes the other potential markets for needy Americans, which are not quite as stringenty defined as Rural, I will be much more acceptive of USF subsidees. In the mean time, I can just say, the providers that qualify, you were smart to seize the opportunity that was available to you. But that doesn't mean it was fair legislation that enabled it. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband ----- Original Message ----- From: "Blake Bowers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 10:17 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] gotta love USF!!!! > Its sort of like the grants I get for my Fire Department. > > I don't think it is the federal governments place to fund > the fire service BUT as long as those grant programs > are out there, it would be a disservice to my patrons > for me NOT to take advantage of them. > > As long as the USF money is there, then the application > that Chuck mentioned is a damned good application. I > agree with you also though, it is often misused. > > Brians statement, > >>> If you are running a hundred miles of fiber for 30 people you are not >>> right in the head....... > > was just misinformed babble. > > If the USF funds are there, or any such program, so that we can get > those 30 folks out there in the middle of nowhere reliable service, than I > feel like it would be a disservice not to pursue those funds, and to > provide > that service. > > If it weren't for programs like that, much of the rural world would > still not have telephone service, or electric for that matter. > > > > Don't take your organs to heaven, > heaven knows we need them down here! > Be an organ donor, sign your donor card today. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Marlon K. Schafer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 9:57 AM > Subject: Re: [WISPA] gotta love USF!!!! > > >> Just because the government will pay for it in no way makes it a good >> idea >> :-). >> >> Chuck is good at working the system as it exists for his industry. I >> can't >> fault him (too much) for that. I wish I were in a similar situation. >> >> My frustration isn't that USF exists as much as it is that USF is being >> used >> to give my competitor a government backed competitive advantage. A huge >> one >> at that. >> marlon >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Blake Bowers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> >> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 7:33 AM >> Subject: Re: [WISPA] gotta love USF!!!! >> >> >>> Chucks business knowledge has proven to be right on so far, >>> I suspect you don't have a clue about the situation and therefore >>> posted mindless babble.... >>> >>> >>> Don't take your organs to heaven, >>> heaven knows we need them down here! >>> Be an organ donor, sign your donor card today. >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Brian Rohrbacher" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 9:23 AM >>> Subject: Re: [WISPA] gotta love USF!!!! >>> >>> >>>> If you are running a hundred miles of fiber for 30 people you are not >>>> right in the head....... >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Chuck McCown - 3 wrote: >>>> It is a cost recovery mechanism. I got audited by USAC this year to >>>> prove >>>> that the USF we receive is to cover the costs of providing the service. >>>> But >>>> think how expensive it is to run a hundred miles of fiber and put in a >>>> class >>>> 5 switch to serve 30 or 50 customers. >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >>> http://signup.wispa.org/ >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] >>> >>> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >>> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >>> >>> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >> http://signup.wispa.org/ >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] >> >> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >> >> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! 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