My big problem with the USF fund is that it was designed to help recover the cost to serve rural communities. If this is the case then why does my rural community not have the same services as the metro ones.
I live in an Embarq served area. They offer Metro E types of service in most all of their metro areas but it is not available in my rural area. Now I know the first response is that requires fiber, well my building has fiber in it for over 3 years now. It sits dark not being used. They wont sell me any service that uses it without an enormous price tag. Now if USF is subsidizing them then every community, regardless of size, should have access to the same types of service for the same cost right? Jory Privett ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom DeReggi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 1:01 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] gotta love USF!!!! > 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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