On Nov 15, 2007 6:37 PM, Bill McGonigle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Vitts wasn't regulated the same way telcos are.
Why not? Vitts was a telco, a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier, per the NH PUC [1]. They operated equipment in the COs and provided services over the same copper plant the ILEC was maintaining. The only difference was a focus on packet-switched technology and that they didn't own the outside plant. [1] www.puc.state.nh.us/Regulatory/Orders/2000ords/23417t.pdf > http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/bankrupt.html Right. And Vitts was made to stay open for a whole 60 days -- 29 days longer than the above would indicate is required. Now, I think it was the NH PUC and not the FCC that was driving that, but either way: What happens after that period? > Odds are the worst case is the PUC would allow them to refinance and > charge a stranded-costs fee. Otherwise PSNH customers would have > been in the dark for the past 20 years. Right, and NH has some of the highest electric rates in the country [2], and that wonderfully productive Seabrook facility. If we knew that would be the outcome of the FairPoint sale, I would say we should stick with Verizon. [2] http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/rankings/stateelectricityprice.htm > For this to happen one has to imagine that either the company is > grossly mismanaged .... Right. I've never heard of a telecom company being mismanaged. ;-) (WorldCom, NorthPoint, etc.) Apropos, an improperly redacted PDF from the Maine OCA has been posted here: http://verizonvsfairpoint.com/index.php?topic=234.0 The short version is, as I understand it: The Maine OCA believes FairPoint would be over-extending itself with the purchase, and would have severe money problems. I also note that same document reiterates that Verizon has also not been taking good care of the PSTN in NNE. I do start to wonder if maybe the PUCs are just not doing a very good job of policing the telcos. > ... or telco/data services are fundamentally unprofitable. In rural areas, they sometimes are just that. That's why everybody pays the "Universal Service Fund" charge -- it redistributes the cost of bringing POTS to rural areas. That might include you. :-) -- Ben _______________________________________________ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/