I do get it, but at a different view point. I'll agree that the USF should
still be available, but let's widen the tax base and lower the percentage.
This also is a good time to look again at structural separation of the
Bell's
from the CO and form a regulated utility.
It is time that the FCC and Congress forget it is not their job to worry
about a company's P&L, i.e., Bell's. Welcome the Bell's to our world and see
if they can survive without the CO plants. Then you will have equal and
reasonable competition for all.
Even if the TA 96 was codified, though it was not, in the assumption that
CLEC's were to become facility based, it could have included a sunset of
such and also a move to structural separation. Now granted the latter would
have caused as much grief as the TA 96 Act itself in having une-p and the
Bell's bitching about parasitic users, but it could make some other
(current) issues such as Homeland Security, USF and Network Neutrality far
less the debates they are now.
Structural Separation was basically in place with the divesture of AT&T in
1984 and also with the TA 96, that it was essential to create operating
systems to split the local and LD. The next step would be to separate the CO
plant away from the Bell's.
Frank Muto
Co-founder - Washington Bureau for ISP Advocacy - WBIA
Telecom Summit Ad Hoc Committee
http://gigabytemarch.blog.com/ www.wbia.us
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter R." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2006 11:05 PM
Subject: Re: [WISPA] Coming soon: The Web toll
After all this time, you still don't get it....
USF, taxes, and national interest are built into the PSTN.
The FCC E-911 ruling was just one hurdle to prevent VoIP from deflowering
the PSTN.
As it is, at every turn, the BOCs are losing lines.
Cable has taken almost 10M VoIP lines already.
Universities are moving to VOIP in droves.
U of South Florida in Tampa has 42000 Avaya handsets.
U of Central Florida in Orlando has 24000 handsets that Telcove just won
from BellSouth.
The VPF is on track for 10B minutes. (Might explain Primus' woes).
Hurricane damage hurt Sprint, SBC and BST these last 3 years - to the tune
of 100's of millions.
Profits are dropping quarter over quarter.
They are in a price war with cable while racking up debt.
Things will be done to preserve the USF fund and the tax base.
As Ken said at ISPCON: "Who wants to be in office when the PSTN goes
down?"
- Peter
Frank Muto wrote:
Well one would think so. If the Bell's feel they need to be compensated,
then pay the thousand of ISP's and Clec's they put out of business by use
of their political contributions. Their day is coming to pay the piper
one way or another.
Frank Muto
Co-founder - Washington Bureau for ISP Advocacy - WBIA
Telecom Summit Ad Hoc Committee
http://gigabytemarch.blog.com/ www.wbia.us <http://www.wbia.us>
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