Tim, Interesting quotes that you posted. I also challenge the definition of "utility" and what qualifies. Another subjective point of view often misunderstood, and how that translates to "need" and "broadband". Broadband is in no way a "utility" either. The reason is that it has an intelligence component that cant be avoided. For example, if broadband stops working from the perspective of the user, is it within the control of that consumer to indentify the cause of failure on their own, and if it is in fact a broadband outage? How do they tell if its the PC, the PC's loaded software, a failed router, the destination web site, or the actual broadband? Every tool the end user needs to make that determination he has acces to, they just dont have the intelligence to understand how to run the tools to get the data. All it takes is a day in a phone support center to prove my point. Broadband needs "support". It is unavoidable. Therefore not a basic utility. Electricity and water on the other hand is a utility, an consumers knows when it is on or off, they dont need a support center to tell them that. Sure they may want to call to get an ETA for repair, but thats about it, they know who is responsible. BRoadband is simply to technical and complicated to be classified as a utility, even if it is of similar need in some people's mind. Any time "quality of support" is a large part of a user's experience, it has factors that cant be measured easilly and equally for comparison to regulate what is fair price.
Tom DeReggi RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tim Sylvester" <t...@avanzarnetworks.com> To: "'WISPA General List'" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 2:47 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Report: Broadband stimulus funds won't suffice >A flashback to 1905 ... > > "Unless we adopt the principles of socialism, It can hardly be contended > that It is the province of government, either state or municipal, to > undertake the manufacture or supply of the ordinary subjects of trade and > commerce, or to impose burdens upon the whole community for the supposed > benefit of a few.. > > "The ownership and operation of municipal light plants stands upon a > different basis from that of the ownership of water works, with which it > is > so often compared. Water is a necessity to the health and life of every > individual member of a community.It must be supplied in order to preserve > the public health, whether it can be done profitably or not, and must be > furnished, not to a few individuals, but to every individual. > > "Electric lights are different. Electricity is not in any sense a > necessity, > and under no conditions is it universally used by the people of a > community. > It is but a luxury enjoyed by a small proportion of the members of any > municipality, and yet if the plant be owned and operated by the city, the > burden of such ownership and operation must be borne by all the people > through taxation. > > "Now, electric light is not a necessity for every member of the community. > It Is not the business of any one to see that I use electricity, or gas, > or > oil in my house, or even that I use any form of artificial light at all." > > and the 2009 version ... > > "Unless we adopt the principles of socialism, It can hardly be contended > that It is the province of government, either state or municipal, to > undertake the manufacture or supply of the ordinary subjects of trade and > commerce, or to impose burdens upon the whole community for the supposed > benefit of a few.. > > "The ownership and operation of municipal [broadband] stands upon a > different basis from that of the ownership of [electric plants], with > which > it is so often compared. [Electricity] is a necessity to the health and > life > of every individual member of a community.It must be supplied in order to > preserve the public health, whether it can be done profitably or not, and > must be furnished, not to a few individuals, but to every individual. > > "[Broadband is] different. [Broadband] is not in any sense a necessity, > and > under no conditions is it universally used by the people of a community. > It > is but a luxury enjoyed by a small proportion of the members of any > municipality, and yet if the [network] be owned and operated by the city, > the burden of such ownership and operation must be borne by all the people > through taxation. > > "Now, [broadband] is not a necessity for every member of the community. It > Is not the business of any one to see that I use [broadband or dial-up] in > my house, or even that I use [the Internet] at all." > > Here's the link to the source article: http://publicola.net/?p=20687 and > the > Slashdot article: http://publicola.net/?p=20687. > > Tim > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On >> Behalf Of Tom DeReggi >> Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 9:50 AM >> To: WISPA General List >> Subject: Re: [WISPA] Report: Broadband stimulus funds won't suffice >> >> The question that one must ask themself is... Is the public adequately >> being >> served in most cases where broadband is delivered? >> Is the private sector capable and doing a good enough job of meeting >> demand >> fast enough? And what evidence is there that the government could do it >> better? >> >> I was in favor of the BTOP/BIP program for several reasons, however >> that >> does not mean I am automatically supportive of more of the same. >> It was more of a situation of deciding how to spend money allocated >> instead >> of whether it should be spent. Truthfully, I think the industry needed >> a >> little boost, in a down economy, regardless of who the recipients of >> the >> funds were. I'd argue the Wifi manufacturers were in pretty good shape, >> but >> the WiMax vendors may have needed some bail-out. They will sell more >> gear >> under grants than loans, for sure. But I clearly dont believe monies >> are >> most efficiently spent when using other people's money. That is simply >> a >> fact. And government spending does not improve that problem. Aka the >> stories of the $700 hammer via beaurocracy. I can give an example of >> one >> WISP who publically stated he could serve a rural community for as >> little >> $3000 upfront for like 20 sq miles, compared to another carrier WISP >> that >> claimed they needed like $100,000 per 2 square miles just for tower >> infrastructure, and like $1000 per customer for CPE. There is a huge >> void >> in between. If you ask me, I'd like to see way more loans to help the >> private sector and way less grants. Grants should be reserved for very >> special circumstances, in my mind, and allocating them on a competitive >> basis doesn't make sense to me. And its rarely a good idea to rush >> spending >> and evaluation of others' network plans. >> >> Government help in itself is not a bad thing. Tim gave so many good >> examples >> of how Government has helped society. But we need to be realistic that >> nothing is free, and one way or another consumers pay for what they >> consume, >> whether the efficiency of spending was hidden from sight or not. >> >> The answer is to continue investigating how Government help can be most >> effective, and how it can still best preserve and protect the private >> sector. >> The government does somethings very well, but when trouble occurs is >> when >> they think they can do something better than the private sector, when >> its an >> industry historically served by the private sector. If there was a >> better >> way, the private sector would already be doing it. The problem is not >> the >> providers, but maybe barriers that need removed. >> >> I beleive in some regulation, not anarchy. Regulation should be used to >> create a healthy industry environment, not to unnecessarilly burden the >> providers of the industry. Clearly some improvements to regulation is >> needed. This is why it is so important that WISPs are involved in >> National >> Broadband Plan debates, to help define those new policies. >> >> I will always try to reach out to my Government for help, that is why >> they >> are there, and I will also standup and protest when they try to give to >> much >> help or the wrong kind of help, because that is what I'm here for. >> >> There are places where help is "needed". >> I think part of the problem is that definition of "need" requires >> better >> definition, it is way to highly subjective as-is. >> >> I live near the nation's capitol, participate in a Broadband intensive >> IT >> industry, even distance learning, and I serve my company from a 900Mhz >> wireless CPE, am happy with it, and it does everything that I "NEED". >> I >> paid for it myself. I just question why the same is not good enough for >> everyone else? >> >> I personally beleive the Feds need more seed grant money, to help >> innovators, not necessarilly to help the people at the expense of >> competition amoungst providers. >> >> Respectfully, >> >> Tom DeReggi >> RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc >> IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Matt Larsen - Lists" <li...@manageisp.com> >> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> >> Sent: Sunday, December 13, 2009 8:35 PM >> Subject: Re: [WISPA] Report: Broadband stimulus funds won't suffice >> >> >> > Took the typing right off of my keyboard Tim. Bravo. >> > >> > Matt Larsen >> > vistabeam.com >> > >> > Tim Sylvester wrote: >> >> Yes, I am amazed. Amazed by the bitching and whining about >> government on >> >> this list by people who ... >> >> >> >> - sell wireless service using spectrum "owned" by everyone and >> allocated >> >> to >> >> them by the FCC for free or low cost. >> >> - sell access to the Internet, a network originally funded and >> developed >> >> by >> >> DARPA and later funded by the National Science Foundation. >> >> - drive on roads funded with taxpayer dollars and maintained by the >> >> government. >> >> - sell Internet service in rural areas to farmers that receive >> billions >> >> in >> >> government subsidies per year. >> >> - connect CPE equipment to electrical service that was funded by the >> >> Rural >> >> Electric Administration. >> >> - use VA health services. >> >> - will use Medicare and Social Security when they retire. >> >> - call the police and fire department when they need help. >> >> - send their kids to public schools. >> >> >> >> Amazing. >> >> >> >> Tim >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >> ------------ >> >> WISPA Wants You! 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