Re: Net Neutrality...

[Miles Fidelman <mfidelman () meetinghouse net>]

ETCs aside for a moment, the NTIA used to give out an awful lot of money 
for rural electrification, then for telecom - a lot of it going to small 
players, coops, and municipalities.  A Probably still does - though I 
haven't followed the program in recent years.  Yes, writing and selling 
a grant proposal can be tedious, but then again, so is a venture capital 
proposal, or dealing with banks.  Or, for that matter, selling to large 
customers public or private.

Miles Fidelman

On Tue, Jul 15, 2014 at 9:53 PM, Bob Evans <bob () fiberinternetcenter com> 
wrote:
> > I think your point needs to be explained. Because anything gnment is
> > riddled will large carrier benefiting. Look at the school discounts for
> > internet services...pretty much just for LECs.
> > Thank You
> > Bob Evans
> > CTO
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > I have stayed out of much of this, but can't help myself.   Along with
> > > everything else, you are seriously misinformed about the process of
> > > becoming an ETC.   It is not onerous.   Please stop.   You are giving
> > > rural
> > > ISPs a bad reputation.
> > >
> > >
> > > On Tue, Jul 15, 2014 at 7:57 PM, Brett Glass <nanog () brettglass com>
> > wrote:
> > > > At 05:06 PM 7/15/2014, Rubens Kuhl wrote:
> > > >
> > > >   Do you see Connect America Fund, the successor to Universal Service
> > > > Fund,
> > > > > as a threat to US rural WISPs or as the possible solution for them ?
> > > > It's a major threat to rural WISPs and all competitive ISPs. Here's why.
> > > > The FCC is demanding that ISPs become "Eligible Telecommunications
> > > > Carriers," or ETCs, before they can receive money from it. An ETC is a
> > > > telephone company which is regulated under the mountain of regulations,
> > > > requirements, and red tape of Title II of the Telecomm Act. It has to
> > > > report to both state regulatory agencies AND the FCC. It's a
> > > > classification
> > > > that doesn't fit ISPs at all, but they would have to subject themselves
> > > > to
> > > > this heavy-handed regulation before they could get a dime from the fund.
> > > >
> > > > The FCC just announced a "rural broadband experiment" in which it will
> > > > fund ETCs, but not pure-play ISPs, to build out rural broadband; see
> > > >
> > > > http://www.fcc.gov/document/rural-broadband-experiments-order
> > > >
> > > > As part of this experiment, the FCC will pay telephone companies to
> > > > overbuild us, even though the residents of the areas in question already
> > > > have service. This is because, as far as the regulators are concerned,
> > > > if
> > > > they do not have their regulatory hooks in us, we don't exist and any
> > > > service we provide does not count. The "experiment" also requires
> > > > participants to tie up large amounts of money in escrow accounts so that
> > > > they can obtain "letters of credit" guaranteeing performance.
> > > >
> > > > All of this is, alas, the regulators' way of attempting to destroy those
> > > > whom they cannot regulate.
> > > >
> > > > IMHO, the USF is outmoded and should be disbanded.
> > > >
> > > > --Brett Glass
> > >
> > > --
> > > Fletcher Kittredge
> > > GWI
> > > 8 Pomerleau Street
> > > Biddeford, ME 04005-9457
> > > 207-602-1134


--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.   .... Yogi Berra