I think this as a real possibility. The municipal WIFI projects of the past were nothing compared to this. The mom and pop WISPS were the ones who made WIFI a reality in almost all the markets where it exists. But if we look to the past with other services of this type, it was always big companies coming in and reaping the benefits from the market that was created by the smaller ones. The cable television industry for example. In my town, we had one guy who setup the system, nurtured it and had it grow and he made a good living on it. Everyone even knew him by name, Max. It was like that in all the small towns around. Now we have just a handful of players in the Cable industry, all big and all faceless. Now that they see that a buck can be made because the demand is finally there, they can manipulate this Broadband Stimulus plan to their benefit and drive us out. The future just may be a handful of wireless providers all with the names of ATT, Verizon, etc. We all know that everything will be IP based eventually, TV, Radio, Phone even the utility meters and they know it too. Why should they invest their cash in building a market when we can do it for them and once it's about ripe, they can just walk in and pick it? We need to do what we can to protect our little piece of the pie somehow. Trouble is, most small business owners are too busy and too concerned with the day to day operations of surviving, which is just how it has to be, instead of getting organized with others and building their own lobbying group.
Just thoughts. Added, we also had the local company that provided electricity and telephone. Most were small players until they were bought up or taken over. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Frank Muto Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 9:23 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] just attended broadband stimulus seminar and WOW..... WISPA has amble opportunity to gain additional membership, however I am pondering the potential of consolidation or even losses of WISP's due to the broadband stimulus programs going to competitive (lobbyist backed) providers. Could these programs have the potential of hindering Wireless broadband competition from WISP's from the xLEC carriers? Can the smaller WISP's compete against the bigger players who have the money and lawyers to get the stimulus money easier? I have already seen on the lists that regional LEC's with licensed spectrum and no experience are applying for the loans and grants. Besides the legislative issues facing the WISP, could this be a harbinger for the Wireless (WISP) broadband industry? That besides the obstacles in providing Wi-Fi, the WISP now has another worry of being leveraged out of their business, potentially to an inferior competitor. Thoughts? Frank Muto Secure Email Plus WISPA Vendor Member ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy Trimmell" <[email protected]> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 9:01 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] just attended broadband stimulus seminar and WOW..... >I think you're definitely right here. > > Andy Trimmell > PDSWireless > Quick and Simple Internet Access > > Mooresville, Indiana > 877-4-PDSNET ext 211 > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Robert West > Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 8:58 AM > To: 'WISPA General List' > Subject: Re: [WISPA] just attended broadband stimulus seminar and > WOW..... > > I hear ya brother! We were at the same seminar and left when it was > clear > that we didn't want any part of this. We decided to just keep doing > what > we're doing and they can stay out of it. We're doing just fine without > them. > > Bob- > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Kurt Fankhauser > Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 8:52 AM > To: 'WISPA General List' > Subject: [WISPA] just attended broadband stimulus seminar and WOW..... > > Yesterday there was a broadband stimulus seminar in Columbus, OH > featuring > Senator Sherrod Brown, ConnectOhio.org, USDA Rural Development. I went > with > an open mind and left not wanting anything to do with this "free money" > to > be had. > > > > The government is trying to get as much control out of the ISP's that > take > this money as they possibly can. The reporting requirements for ISP's > that > take this money is a huge burden. This makes FCC Form 477 look like a > walk > in the park compared to what they want to know. There are about 30-50 > things > that they want you to report on and some of it is just crazy. I can't > list > it all but they basically want to know what brand of toilet paper and > how > much of it you use per customer.. And this will apply to your entire > existing infrastructure that was in place before you took the money. > > > > They can come in and look at all your confidential records anytime they > want. They can even change the rules years down the road and possibly > tell > you what to charge your customer per month to what they think is fair. > They > can also tell you how to do your QoS and what you can and can not block. > > > > This sounds like the same deal with the bank bailouts from last year > that > once they took the money and found out what role the government wanted > to do > with them that they wanted to give it all back but wasn't allowed. The > majority of the attendees once we got into the workshops and started > talking > among each other was that they don't want anything to do with this money > at > all either once they found out all the hidden strings attached to it. > > > > They are encouraging few larger projects than many smaller ones. I asked > them what about the area that already has 2-3 fixed wireless ISP's and > if > they give the money to a very large outfit that comes into the area and > undercuts the smaller guys by $5/month and runs them out of business if > that > could happen and they said it probably would. I said well you just > killed 3 > small businesses to create a larger one what the heck did you just > accomplish that for and they just gave me a blank stare like I was > crazy. > > > > This is not about getting broadband internet to un-served/underserved > area's, this entire stimulus is about the government trying to gain as > much > control as they possibly can into the ISP business.. > > > > I'm going to start running ads saying "go with us, we refused to take > the > stimulus money." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- 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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