I read a survey not long ago (sorry, can't find it) that showed that, by far, the most important factor in "broadband" access was always-on as opposed to interrupting your phone service, waiting a minute before you can browse, etc. This was a survey of folks who had broadband.
I manage my Medicare on line, obtain renewals for driver's license and auto registrations, pay my property taxes, and save the government lots and lots of money by doing those activities myself. There are many reasons the government is actively promoting universal, convenient Internet access. I have both "speed boost" RoadRunner cable HSD service and 768K DSL as an automatic (lower metric on my router) backup and can say that it's not a disaster when RoadRunner goes down although it is certainly noticeable...especially if I go to YouTube. It's not RoadRunner's fault that we live in more rural settings with a really perpendicular vertical utility pole very unusual...most are off up to 10 degrees and wiggle a lot. Back to broadband; A 1Mbps service that's always on would allow students to do their school work, allow on-line government activities, let you check the weather, etc., and, although not zippy, it is quite functional and certainly would permit the do-it-yourself governmental activities without the problems with dial-up. However, the acceleration of the availability of facilities that only work well at 10Mbps and above is happening very fast and I wouldn't be surprised that students in K-12 as well as universities will soon be required to watch video teaching aids that will demand that. By the way, I have been getting 1Mbps tethered from my laptop through my AT&T 3G phone service for several years, as well. It's $15 a month with no consumption limit. The latency makes it a bit of a sporty course to use, however. Now, put all that together, all those speeds, all the vehicles (Cable, WISP, DSL, and 3G), and comparisons with countries where people are crammed together cheek to jowl instead of your neighbor being on the opposite side of a mountain the size of Sweden and, furthermore, imagine an FCC bureaucrat facing a technically-challenged congressman... Well, the problem speaks for itself. . . . j o n a t h a n -----Original Message----- From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On Behalf Of Curtis Maurand Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 1:06 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] FCC Says Fixed Wireless Only Delivers 1 Mbps Jack Unger wrote: > Hi Victoria, > > The FCC Workship "1 Mbps" statement is very, very generalized. It's > nothing to get upset about. > > If we want the FCC to update their knowledge about WISPs then we need > to educate the FCC. We DO educate them with every FCC filing and > presentation that we make. In the last year, we've made about a dozen > written filings plus an in-person presentations to four of the five > previous FCC Commissioners and to the FCC OET staff. Keep in mind that > everything we write or present becomes a part of the public record. > > WISPA's FCC Committee is working on writing and filing FCC Comments > right now, at this very moment. This filing is in response to an FCC > "Notice of Inquiry" (NOI) about "advanced telecommunications services" > and "broadband". The NOI asks whether broadband is being deployed to > all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion. The NOI asks five > "core questions". Ooh. Ooh. This is easy. :-) > > (1) How should we define "advanced telecommunications capability" or > "broadband?" *(NOTE: The FCC is asking about "speed" here)* A reasonable enduser experience with websites like YouTube, Hulu or BBC without too much finger drumming. > > (2) Is broadband available to all Americans? > No > > (3) Is the current level of broadband deployment reasonable and timely? > No > > (4) What actions, if any, should the Commission take to accelerate > broadband deployment? > This one is harder. If we want to perpetuate the duopoly system that dominiates the urban/suburban landscape, then: Mandate that 100% of America (and territories) be covered, with a deadline for compliance and stiff fines for non-complience. Otherwise, huge tax breaks for the little guy (read WISP) to get the job done. If you're a company with over 50 employees, no tax break. > > (5) What actions should the Commission take to improve its regular > broadband data collection efforts? > > Help the little guy, because he's the one who'll serve where the duopoly won't. duopoly = CATV monopoly plus ILEC. --C > We've got to be a little careful about how we ask the FCC to define > broadband because: > > 1. If we set the bar too high, for example by saying that "broadband" > is 5 Mbps or more then we risk excluding WISPs who do not provide at > least 5 Mbps. They may not be eligible for funding or may not even be > considered legitimate WISPs. > > 2. Some WISPs do not understand the difference between "raw" data rate > and actual throughput and we don't want one WISP's lack of > understanding to distort the FCC's definitions of "broadband". > > 3. Some WISPs do not understand that throughput is shared between all > of the active customers on an AP at any given moment. Even if an AP is > capable of delivering 10 Mbps of actual throughput, when 30 customers > are active then less than 333k (10 Meg divided by 30) is available to > each customer, sometimes far less. We don't want to let the fact that > available throughput per customer is usually less than the maximum > single-customer throughput to distort the FCC's definition of > "broadband". > > In conclusion, I think it's better to let the FCC set the broadband > "bar" a little low so we have a chance to demonstrate that we can > sometimes exceed it rather than let some WISP who is bragging about > speeds that he may or may actually be able to deliver cause the FCC to > set the broadband "bar" too high so that the FCC writes unrealistic > regulations (or the NITA and RUS originate unrealistic grant programs) > that either ignore or exclude the needs of the majority of WISPs. > > Jack Unger > Chair - WISPA FCC Committee > > > St. Louis Broadband wrote: >> They are not getting it from my form 477. >> The only 1 Mbps service we offer is upload and that is with a 5 Mbps >> download. >> >> Victoria >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On >> Behalf Of Jason Hensley >> Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 10:01 AM >> To: 'WISPA General List' >> Subject: Re: [WISPA] FCC Says Fixed Wireless Only Delivers 1 Mbps >> >> Hmm, so I guess my 10Mbps down and 8mbps up wireless links (yes, to >> customers) don't count???? >> >> My guess, though, is that they're pulling this data from the 477 and making >> assumptions based on that. Most of our customers are 1.5Mbps or less >> customers so looking at the "raw" 477 data then yes, it would appear that we >> may not be doing much more than the 1.5meg. >> >> Interesting... >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On >> Behalf Of Lists >> Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 7:54 AM >> To: 'WISPA General List' >> Subject: [WISPA] FCC Says Fixed Wireless Only Delivers 1 Mbps >> >> This really ticks me off: >> >> >> >> "Wireless broadband Internet access services offered over fixed networks >> allow consumers to access the Internet from a fixed point while stationary >> >> and often require a direct line-of-sight between the wireless transmitter >> and receiver. These services have been offered using both licensed spectrum >> >> and unlicensed devices. For example, thousands of small Wireless Internet >> Services Providers (WISPs) provide such wireless broadband at speeds of >> >> around one Mbps using unlicensed devices, often in rural areas not served by >> cable or wireline broadband networks." >> >> http://www.broadband.gov/broadband_types.html >> >> >> >> I talked to them at the NTIA workshop in Memphis about this, but they are >> still defaming our industry. >> >> I have emailed them at the broadband.gov site and think it is a good idea >> that they hear from more of us. >> >> >> >> Thanks! >> >> Victoria Proffer - President/CEO >> >> StLouisBroadband.com <http://stlbroadband.com/> >> >> <http://showmebroadband.com/> ShowMeBroadband.com >> >> Rural Missouri Wireless Project. >> >> 314.974.5600 * Fax 573.747.4756 >> >> Follow us on Twitter.com @stlbroadband >> >> SBA Certified WOSB >> >> STLBBLogo >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- >> ---- >> WISPA Wants You! 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