Good point. (Except, as pointed out by others, USF isn't based on credit or federal subsidy, its a program funded by Americans, mandated by the feds).
Yes, business models reliant on credit clearly are models in risk in the nearby future. However, I'd argue because of that, that businesses capable of operating on credit today would be wise to utilize that credit option while its here to use. Cash is starting to be a more charished asset in short supply. Who knows how long credit lines will be in tact? I'm aware of numerous companies and individuals that have had $30-40,000 empty credit lines dropped to Zero over night, after the recent Fannie/Freddie bailout fiascos going public. It will be interesting to see how this all effects the financial market, even from just implications of the fear effect. It could go either way. It could make lenders tougher, or it could have lenders looking for more lucrative investments (wireless) other than realestate. Although, it will probably just make lending options tougher, considering the average borrower often relies on real estate to secure its borrowing. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, October 10, 2008 2:44 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Done loving this thread > Business plans based upon credit or federal subsidy seem to be a risky > proposition right now. > > We want nothing to do with USF funds, period. > > Our business model and expense/debt/overhead is prepared to weather just > about anything except federal nastiness. > > > > > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > <insert witty tagline here> > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Chuck McCown - 3" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 1:09 PM > Subject: [WISPA] Done loving this thread > > >> True, AT&T and the department of defense were best buddies. I remember >> HVAC >> systems in the TD-2 microwave systems that kept heaters and >> airconditioners >> running all year long so they could simply mix the air to get the temp >> they >> wanted. Gold plated system. But it was a good system. Part of the >> justification for divestiture and deregulation was that the majority of >> America (using AT&T) had bought and paid for the system several times >> over >> so it really was a quazi public property. So they did a reverse >> privatization. And now we all have the system we have. I like it better >> than back in the old Ma Bell days. If Western Electric didn't make it, >> you >> didn't need it. >> >> So it got broke up and competition was supposed to flourish etc etc. >> They >> are still experimenting. Part of the problem is that the S in USF is >> still >> defined as POTS on copper. Our company is personally sponsoring a bill >> in >> our legislature that expands that to broadband. >> >> Look for an FCC ruling in November that may change the rules for all of >> us. >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Blake Bowers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> >> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 12:26 PM >> Subject: Re: [WISPA] gotta love USF!!!! >> >> >>>I am an avid AT&T long lines historian. >>> >>> AT&T made lots of federal money. Cost plus. Thats >>> how most of it worked. I own some of the big AT&T >>> junctions that included fall out shelters, blast doors, etc, >>> as well as many repeater sites. >>> >>> Those sites were built on tarrifs, that called for their >>> construction in that manner. Cost plus. Where AT&T >>> really made their money is buying lots of what went into >>> those sites from their subsidiaries. Cost plus. >>> >>> >>> 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: "jp" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 1:19 PM >>> Subject: Re: [WISPA] gotta love USF!!!! >>> >>> >>>>I don't know about local stuff, but what I read about the history of >>>> AT&T Longlines is that it must have been heavily government funded for >>>> federal defense and communications interests. Here is one example >>>> >>>> http://long-lines.net/places-routes/Lyons_NE/index.html >>>> >>>> They must have been either richer than the feds or federally funded to >>>> be able to build their infrastructure to the high standards needed to >>>> survive nuclear war. If you think someone is milking the government a >>>> little with a small community homeland security radio project, AT&T had >>>> the whole milk processing plant metaphorically speaking. >>>> >>>> If the feds didn't build it, surely they rebuilt it to their standards >>>> with fat contracts to a monopoly provider. >>>> >>>> I have personally built and tested many analog phones for the federal >>>> government that sold for $1000 each in some cases; the company I was >>>> working for that had this contract had bid against AT&T to get it. If >>>> the phones cost that much, I can't imagine that the services cost. >>>> >>>> Now RUS is financing Crossroads, a mostly redundant and unnecesary >>>> cellular network meant to benefit the ILECs who are not verizon. >>>> >>>> On Thu, Oct 09, 2008 at 10:11:27AM -0600, Chuck McCown wrote: >>>>> The phone system was not developed by tax dollars. >>>>> It was developed by guys like Art Brothers who hand built miles of >>>>> open >>>>> wire >>>>> pole lines by himself. >>>>> He later got loans from the REA (later to become the RUS) to improve >>>>> his >>>>> system. A program that serves as a profit center for the us >>>>> government. >>>>> You all should be thanking the RUS for making your income tax bill >>>>> lower >>>>> through money that flows from that program to the general fund. >>>>> >>>>> Do you really think Ma Bell was not profitable and had to be supported >>>>> by >>>>> taxes? >>>>> When I think of blue chip stock, I think of the old AT&T. >>>>> >>>>> How was the phone system developed by tax dollars? 120 years ago >>>>> there >>>>> was >>>>> a boom in telecommunications with in some cases multiple LECs in the >>>>> same >>>>> city. Government regulation stepped in to create the monopoly and to >>>>> tax >>>>> it. But they did not build the bell system or any of the >>>>> independents. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>> From: "RickG" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> >>>>> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 10:04 AM >>>>> Subject: Re: [WISPA] gotta love USF!!!! >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> > Chuck, so your definition of a "tax" is if you are forced to pay? >>>>> > Keeping in mind that the phone system was developed as a public >>>>> > utility by tax dollars that we all were forced to pay. IMO, that >>>>> > means >>>>> > that we should be able use it without being encumbered by fees other >>>>> > than what are necessary to support the system is was designed for. >>>>> > Am >>>>> > I really off base here? >>>>> > -RickG >>>>> > >>>>> > On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 11:55 AM, Chuck McCown <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>> > wrote: >>>>> >> Use magic jack, ham radio, smoke signals, skype or the post office. >>>>> >> Your telephone bill comes from a commercial enterprise. >>>>> >> You do not have to participate. >>>>> >> Therefore you are not forced to pay into our charity program. >>>>> >> That is not a tax. >>>>> >> >>>>> >> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>> >> From: "RickG" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>> >> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> >>>>> >> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 9:52 AM >>>>> >> Subject: Re: [WISPA] gotta love USF!!!! >>>>> >> >>>>> >> >>>>> >>> Tacking a fee on my telephone bill is a form of taxation. -RickG >>>>> >>> >>>>> >>> On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 11:34 AM, Chuck McCown <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>> >>> wrote: >>>>> >>>> The current USF audits by USAC are turning up collusion between >>>>> >>>> school >>>>> >>>> districts (the principle is the brother of the local ISP) and >>>>> >>>> provider >>>>> >>>> of >>>>> >>>> goods and services of E-rate funded projects. The audits have >>>>> >>>> not >>>>> >>>> shown >>>>> >>>> any >>>>> >>>> telephone company to be misusing this money. >>>>> >>>> >>>>> >>>> And I want to repeat, this is not taxpayer money. Most of this >>>>> >>>> money >>>>> >>>> is >>>>> >>>> from a charge tacked onto the bills of the RBOC customers. It is >>>>> >>>> revenue >>>>> >>>> pooling and re-distribution. >>>>> >>>> >>>>> >>>> So, lets back off the "misuse by telephone company" tone of this >>>>> >>>> discussion. >>>>> >>>> If we want to point fingers, you will find the fingers are >>>>> >>>> pointing >>>>> >>>> at >>>>> >>>> the >>>>> >>>> local networking and ISP companies. That is the major source of >>>>> >>>> the >>>>> >>>> misuse. >>>>> >>>> The second is cell phone companies claiming to be providing pots >>>>> >>>> service >>>>> >>>> to >>>>> >>>> rural customers via tellular units. Western Wireless built a >>>>> >>>> business >>>>> >>>> plan >>>>> >>>> around tapping the USF for all it could get. >>>>> >>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>>> >>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> >>>> 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! 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/ >>>> >>>> -- >>>> /* >>>> Jason Philbrook | Midcoast Internet Solutions - Wireless and DSL >>>> KB1IOJ | Broadband Internet Access, Dialup, and Hosting >>>> http://f64.nu/ | for Midcoast Maine http://www.midcoast.com/ >>>> */ >>>> >>>> >>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>> 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! 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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