They probably don't understand their own new format to get the information out of what is submitted, themselves. I'll be surprised if they don't make the reporting process a little more tricky than the keep it simple stupid method it used to be. Reminds me of taxes, you need a tax preparer and/or tax attorney to know what the heck is going on.
---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: "Marlon K. Schafer" <o...@odessaoffice.com> Reply-To: WISPA General List <wireless@wispa.org> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:17:24 -0800 >Something has to be wrong with the data set. I don't know of ANY WISPs that >have actually gone backward in the last year or two. > >It's very likely that the new reporting mechanism is messed up due to the >confusing new form etc. > >marlon > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Brian Webster" <bwebs...@wirelessmapping.com> >To: "WISPA List" <wireless@wispa.org>; "memb...@wispa. org" ><memb...@wispa.org>; "WISPA Board" <bo...@wispa.org>; "Motorla List Beehive" ><motor...@afmug.com> >Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 10:36 AM >Subject: [WISPA] WISP's are killing themselves!!!! - New FCC form 477 >reportis out, not looking good for Fixed Wireless > > >> The latest FCC report on form 477 broadband data is out >> (http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-296239A1.pdf). >> While >> I don't see a whole lot of useful data in it, I do see where WISP's are >> killing themselves and the industry, why? >> >> a.. In the periods prior to the December 2008 report, fixed wireless has >> shown a steady increase in subscribers. The last reporting period the >> number >> of subscribers dropped from 808,000 to 488,000!!! That's a 39.6% drop in >> the >> actual data that had been previously reported. Know I know that most of >> the >> problem is the fact they now require census tract reporting rather than >> zip >> codes, but dropping like this does not help the industry as a whole. >> b.. Because of the low number of reported subscribers, the reporting by >> technology portions of the report does not even earn fixed wireless a spot >> on the charts in it's own category. It's lumped in with the 1.4% total of >> all other technologies compared to the rest of the broadband industry. >> Hell >> Satellite has their own category with .9%. >> c.. The total number of fixed wireless providers reporting is 617. That >> means there are a huge number of WISP's not filing form 477 and those that >> didn't report must have a large number of subscribers. The previous period >> where fixed wireless had 808,000 subscribers had only 505 WISP's report! >> Matt Larsen and the WISP directory have around 1,800 WISP's registered. >> I've >> heard other estimates between 2,000 and over 4,000. Only 617 fixed >> wireless >> operators reporting is not helping the cause at all. >> d.. The National broadband plan is being formulated as we speak, looking >> at those statistics it appears the WISP industry is in a serious decline >> and >> that as a total percentage of broadband provided to consumers nationally, >> they make no significant difference. >> If you were a government policy maker, would you even pay attention to >> WISP's. I certainly would not. They have to make decisions based on data >> and >> that benefit the majority of the country. WISP's have thumbed their noses >> at >> providing this data for years. I think it is really going to bite them in >> the butt now. Fiber to the home is coming liking it or not. USF reform is >> coming like it or not. USF reform is going to subsidize broadband to the >> very markets wireless serves more economically today. Removing that >> advantage is going to put the WISP industry in serious trouble. >> >> The manufacturers are killing themselves as well. In their quest to just >> sell radios, they have missed the importance of keeping the industry >> healthy. If the WISP's cannot compete and/or show that they are a >> significant option to the overall broadband infrastructure in the US, how >> will they continue to sell product. If anyone knows the true number of >> WISP's out there it is the manufacturers. They should be leading the >> charge >> with groups like WISPA to make sure ALL WISP's stand up and get counted. >> How >> hard would it be to stuff each shipment with educational material on the >> importance of filing form 477? >> >> The current FCC is very open minded but the results of this type of report >> force them to make decisions that benefit the most people. 488,000 is a >> very >> small portion of over 129 million homes. >> >> All I can say is ouch........ >> >> >> Thank You, >> Brian Webster >> >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> WISPA Wants You! 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