Hmmm.. What I have been trying to get across here is that since everyone and their dog is dashing to DC with buckets to beg at the taxpayer's blood draw, we as an industry could stand out by saying "the broadband industry does not need bailing out or any federal money". In fact, we should be lobbying to end it.
The whole thing started at the begining of this where I responded saying that lobbying to fiddle with defintionss to make federal money available at the trough was a terrible idea. Ok, so is there ANY industry NOT attempting to get fedeal money right now? Ok, you wanna get some attention? Fine. Go to DC and say "Hey, you, WE DO NOT NEED OR WANT YOUR MONEY! Oh, and yeah, we're a thriving industry with thousands of financially viable players, accomplsing the goals that the big guys say can't be done. However, there ARE things you can do to ensure this trend bucking industry remains healthy and broadband can be delivered nationwide... Without wasting taxpayer dollars, without subsidy of the people showing up asking for money. And here is what you can do: ..." I seem to recall there were several responses on this list alone, most of which were definitely not in the "give me money" category. Participate in the NBS, fine. The qeustion is, will they listen to us? Maybe. Probably not. I tried to to explain that standing out from the crowd is our only likely means of having an impact, and what better way to stand out, than to show up as an industry trade group opposed to having Washington spend money. First, ALL of the special interest groups equate "broadband" with the big guys. They do not think in terms of 1, 4, 10 or 20 people companies as "effective broadband". Nothing they do will be geared toward our industry. The new administration will never consider or create any initiative designed to promote small business. To them, "small business" doesn't even exist, they don't even know the phrase. They think solely in terms of centralized planning and control. This why if we're to be effective, what we say and how we say it has to be a game changer. It HAS to be bold. As radical as I am. Playing the game in DC will result in use vanishing under the rug. And if we survive after that, it'll be a miracle. What has to be, is that someone has to exhibit a rare quality known as leadership. Not a parroting of the boilerplate "economic benefits of broadband" blather. They invented that noise, you think they're impressed when we repeat it back to them? No, it has to be a bold, stark contrast to what's being said by everyone else. Admittedly, it's a "hail mary", but what else do we have? How would you say this? What would the message be? maybe something like this: We're a small, but very rapidly growing industry, both in numbers served and in numbers of ventures. We're not hobbled by the credit crunch, we don't rely on billions of dollars in loans or the now dried up venture capital markets. We don't rely in subsidy or grants or loans, and our business models work perfectly fine without them. The FCC has recently allocated spectrum to be available to used, which is mostly available in the areas not reached by telecoms and cable operators and now we will shortly have the tools to make ubiquitous broadband a reality. However, some things stand in our way. One is the threat of regulatory overhead that can decimate small, self capitalized businesses and tax treatment that taxes our growth. Another is service mandates that interfere with the technological basis for delivery, such as some versions of network neutrality that attempt to prevent certain applications from overwhelming networks. Right now, to spur confidence, so that operators and those considering startup will not pull back from healthy investment in growth, we, being thousands of small businesses, need confidence that regulation, tax policy, or anti-competitive government actions like subsidy or so c alled partnerships will not sweep the market rug out from under our feet, causing both business and personal ruin. Unlike other particpants in other sectors, like automotive and financial, we have a personal stake in our businesses. We are dedicated to their success. There is no downside to these on the part of regulators or Congress, nor to consumers, who are having to wait for broadband to be deployed in areas that are financially unattractive to the high capital investment models that don't work in today's economy, like fiber in rural areas. Rather than subsidy or loans, which saddle business with debt, we need cooperative federal and state policies. We need the use of public lands for sites that don't require environmental studies that cost more than our whole businesses. We need the ability to use public rights of way and to not have our trade restrained by local authorities who seek to ban our equipment deployments, or control how networks operate, with uninformed policies about equipment operation. ++++++++ Does that stimulate the thought process of how we can use SENSIBLE ideas to promote entirely workable reasonable governmental policy, that benefit us and yet does not pit us AGAINST the bigger players? We honor our duties as citizens against runamok government and as taxpayers, but we can benefit our industry? And it's a timely and prescient sell in our current economic and political environment? Our strength today, was our 'weakness' just a year ago. Our size and how we organically financie ourselves is now our strength. Our responsibility and our personal commitment is now suddely a corporate virtue, sought out, not ignored. Seriously, I cannont imagine why at least a dozen of you are not posting this already. This is obvious stuff. This should be our everyday thought, even our own self view. Oh, wait. I forgot. It's too radical for normal people. cripes. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ <insert witty tagline here> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom DeReggi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:13 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Article > What I'm having a hard time understanding is why we can't just have both? > > I fully agree WISPs can;t rely on regulators, and we must survive by our > own > control. > But I see no reason that simultaneously we can;t also influence > polititions > for our mutual benefit. > > Tom DeReggi > RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc > IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> > Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 6:15 PM > Subject: Re: [WISPA] Article > > >> It's a long and quite off topic discussion to hash this out. >> >> But to suggest that "not trusting government" is the equivalent of being >> an >> advocate to anarchy is absurd. >> >> The MOST corrupt and self serving institution in this country is >> Congress. >> After you've figured that out, it begins to make sense why our founding >> fathers said that "eternal vigilance is the price of liberty". It's >> also >> the price of just continuing to exist. >> >> Nowhere, at no time have I advocated anarchy, or anything remotely >> similar >> to it. But, that's the repeated meme, probably just to squelch the >> conversation. But I have noticed a very serious trend. It seems that >> people mistake a cordial working relationship with "security of ideas or >> status quo" in DC. There's no such thing. Assurances of future events >> or >> favors or policies is absolutely NOT something you can put any faith in. >> Those change like the wind. Those very people you think might be >> influenced to be on your side, are just as likely to write a rule and >> enforce it which kills the whole industry, if it can earn them a headline >> that makes them look good. >> >> Does that make them "evil". No, it makes them politicians, operating in >> both a political culture and a society that has accepted this behavior as >> normal. >> >> To use this pollyanna type of attitude that does anything but recognize >> the >> serious danger that government poses to the welfare of the people is to >> be >> foolish. What may influence them today, can completely vanish with the >> headlines of tomorrow's newspaper, and efforts to influence policymakers >> or >> work out some kind "tit for tat" or quid pro quo can vanish faster than >> dry >> ice in a blast furnace. We must never allow our future to be dependent >> upon the whims of regulators. >> >> What is needed, is to get in writing, to get codified, the means by which >> we >> can exist unmolested, and then after that point, to then seek to convince >> them that certian policies can do good and others do not. My complaint >> is >> that I see nobody defending our ability to exist, while at the same time, >> trading on "goodwill" to get favors and money. That's a terrible >> mistake, >> in my estimation. A fundamental and near fatal flaw which can do nothing >> but harm us in the long run. The attitudinal change in DC that's about >> to >> occur, is that they not only have the right, but the OBLIGATION to choose >> who exists and who does not. Who wins, who loses, and the primary >> motivation is now to take from industry to give to the people in exchange >> for votes. If you don't think that can destroy us, I dunno what you >> think >> can. >> >> Seriously, every industry has descended on Washington DC with their >> buckets >> in hand, lined up behind the spigots. Our secret here, is not to be an >> "also ran" but stand out. We don't need handouts. We're citizens first, >> taxpayers second, and businesses third. Be responsible adults, stand out >> like a beacon already. Advocate for industry subsidy and whatnot to >> END. >> Be a voice of reason in today's mad rush to insanity... >> >> Please. >> >> Our nation's future depends on being men and women of character and >> integrity and being responsible, and differentiate ourselves from the big >> guys with the big buckets demanding money. Contrast us to them. We >> can. >> They can't. Exploit their wanting money. If there was EVER a time an >> industry could make an impact, by showing up and saying " We're here to >> build up the country, don't need subsidies and handouts, and these guys >> are >> advocating for it, we are not, and don't think they should either", this >> is >> it. "We're here and doing what needs to be done. We just need some >> hurdles >> cleared" is far more a worthy goal, and likely to stand out, than to be >> centered in the policywonking that's aimed at "getting a slice of the >> pie". >> >> Is this political? I suppose it is in some way. But no more or less >> than >> the "argue a position to possibly benefit from loans and grants" that's >> been >> repeated here. >> >> OH, but I forgot. That's too extreme for "normal" people. >> >> Thank God those "extreme" people had some guts way back when. I just >> wish >> to honor them and the enduring ideas they left for us. They're not out >> of >> date yet. >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
