Scottie, First, at only $250 to join, its impossible to get "burned" by joining WISPA. Thats what, 2 hours of billable labor? This year in government (and FCC) is the busiest year yet. There is no second chance, its happening now, this year, defining our future. If you are serious about protecting your future, you definately should join WISPA today, and pitch in your $250 towards the cause. There is NOTHING to loose by helping financially empowering us. But there is a lot to loose if our industries voice is not heard. But dont just rely on WISPA, WISPA is just ONE effort to make sure atleast ONE unified opinion will get heard. We need exactly what you said, we need each and every WISP to comment, and We need to educate the public. I'd argue the public could be our worst enemy, simply because the public does have influence, and the public very well might not understand our position.
The truth is the average public understands how to walk into Best Buy and choose between Verizon, ATT, and Sprint. And they understand the difference between paying $20/month less or not. But there is another percent of population that does understand us. Its our client base. There is a big scare in lobbying, Its that accomplishing HALF of our goal, will hurt us more than help us. Meaning the goal is "we need more spectrum". But if we ONLY win the first half of the battle of "identify spectrum and make it avalable in some capacity to the industry", it simply opens up that spectrum for our competitors to buy. Giving our competitors more spectrum to compete against us. We ONLY win when we also win the second half of the battle which is "to allocate more spectrum to Small Wireless ISP entreprenures.". Winning half the battle of "we need help" does little good, if we dont win the second half of the battle which is "small local wireless ISPs need help". Right now the government understood "consumers need help to get broadbnad". But they have not publically acknowledged the concept that "small local WISPs need help, so consumers can be better served". Who can best serve ALL Americans? Just like some are against Big Government, I'd argue I'm against "Big ISP". Big government typically fosters Big ISP. We need to change that mentality. I'd like to point out an example. Go find a small under served warehouse or office complex. Pretend to be management, and ask everyone of the tenants, "we'd like to expand broadband here, who do you want us to ask to come serve the premise?" How many will say "Comcast"? How many will say "FIOS"? How many will really say "That small local WISP down the street"? WISPs are looked at as the second best alternative. Actually not even the second best, probably the last choice next to Satelite. EVERY SINGLE DAY I work my butt off to change that perception. I should be the "first choice", I deserve to be! And I bet there are a lot of WISPs that feel the same way, or they wouldn't be in this business. Until the rest of the world sees that, we will remain the underdog. So yes, I agree, we need our clients calling Congress and FCC telling them to start supporting and empowering their preferred provider, the Small local WISP, so we have the tools we need to finish the job. BUt lets not fool our selves, this is NOT an easy sell. Everyone of these people probably have 3-4 cell phones in their household, and are starting to experience the power of mobility. And they are still willing to fork out $300-400/ month to cover those phone bills. They want Cell Providers to have more spectrum, so they can have faster service, and more competition to drive the price down. If you think about it, NOT ALLOCATING any spectrum would probably be the LEAST RISK thing for WISPs. MObile carrier networks WILL get congested with only the spectrum they have now. And it really isn;t competition to WISPs because of that. But give Cell carriers 200 mhx more spectrum, and NOT give any to WISPS, and that could be devasting to our industry! What w need IN PRINT ON THE RECORD for the National broadband plan, from the FCC and Feds saying "yes we get it, we need to better empower small local ISP, and give THEM the spectrum and financial help they need, Small Local provider are the cornerstone to smart successful broadband deployment, to best meet the needs of local communities. " Until that happens, its a very tough situation in front of us. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband ----- Original Message ----- From: "Scottie Arnett" <sarn...@info-ed.com> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2009 12:17 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] More FCC news > Typical, how many can believe that these guys pushing this: ">The plan > would involve the FCC buying spectrum back from TV folk and >>then auctioning it off to wireless folk" make at least a $100,000 clear a >>year?" Plus the lobbyist and what they make? We pay their salaries as >>American citizens! Most of the lobbyist are employed by the duopolies such >>as Verizon and Comcast! They want it auctioned off, because us small >>providers can not afford to compete against them! > > It is time for WISPA, and the American people to understand this. It is up > to us as individual providers to educate the simple minded people in our > areas to protest this! I could be wrong, but I think WISPA could not > afford to do this nationwide. I am not yet a WISPA supporter, but have > thought about it many times...I have been burned before by joining another > WISP group and have no desire to do that again with the promises that > never came. I am not saying that I will not join WISPA. > > I am, although, an American entrepreneur. I, as many have you chose to > play in an arena that the telecom and cable companies have a slightly > unfair advantage to us in that arena when it comes to FCC decisions. It > does not matter how many FCC rulings that you look up, we as WISP are > always the underdog. And as this post suggest, we are still the underdogs. > We had a chance with "white spaces" and we get the "money backed big dogs" > against us. The American people vote these guys or girls in that support > us or are against us. It is time we educate our customer base. > > Scottie > > > > > ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- > From: John Vogel <jvo...@vogent.net> > Reply-To: WISPA General List <wireless@wispa.org> > Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:49:42 -0500 > >>I found this interesting. >> >> >><http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/28/fcc_mulls_tv_spectrum_auction_for_broadband/> >> >>"The US Federal Communications Commission is considering a plan that >>would reclaim some precious airwaves from the country's television >>broadcasters and reinvent them as wireless broadband. >> >>According to the /Wall Street Journal/ >><http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703574604574499730302393274.html>, >>the FCC intends to release the plan on Friday as part of an effort to >>ensure that there's enough wireless bandwidth for the America [/sic/] of >>the future. "The record is very clear that we're facing a looming >>spectrum gap," said Blair Levin, who oversees the plan, part of a wider >>push to expand US broadband. >> >>The plan would involve the FCC buying spectrum back from TV folk and >>then auctioning it off to wireless folk. >> >>The FCC has already opened up the television "white spaces" as >>unlicensed spectrum, hoping to create a kind of "WiFi on steroids >><http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/13/big_four_tv_networks_attack_google_microsoft_wireless_proposal/>." >>But the new plan creates vast swathes of licensed wireless broadband, >>providing more bandwidth for the likes of AT&T and Verizon." >> >> >> >> >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>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/ >>--- >>[This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] >> >> > > Wireless High Speed Broadband service from Info-Ed, Inc. as low as > $30.00/mth. > Check out www.info-ed.com/wireless.html for information. > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! 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