Rick, I too offer my heartfelt applause to your recommendations.
As I've tried to point out, any WISP's problems with regulators are all about PERCEPTIONS. If we are to be taken seriously we must be perceived to be trying our level-best to be good custodians of the spectrum we've been permitted to exploit. Every step, no matter its size, or shape, when taken as a group dedicated to professionalism, will help improve the regulators sense of our mission, and improve our chances of being taken seriously as an industry. Thanks for your efforts, Dave Brenton General Manager Rural Tennessee Wireless Broadband Bringing FAST Internet to the rest of us (sm) Dover TN (931) 232-0914 office (931) 627-1142 cell [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Harnish" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'WISPA General List'" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 11:02 Subject: [WISPA] Industry, FCC and WISPA observations > > I have observed a discussion on the members only list, talked to people with > insight and given it a lot of thought. > > 1.) I do think that WISPA needs to make a stand to promote membership > compliance to Part 15 rules. We should modify our mission statement and our > goals to reflect this. > > 2.) WISPA should assist and encourage non-certified vendors such as StarOS, > Mikrotik and others to certify hardware/software/antenna systems that will > allow operators using these platforms to reach certification compliance with > minimal capital outlay. > > 3.) 100% Compliancy should be a goal with a Target Date of completion. I > personally believe that this Target Date should be no more than 18 months > out. We need to show the FCC that our industry recognizes the rules and our > members are striving to bring their networks into compliance on a timeline > that is affordable and logistically achievable so that our clients have > minimal disruption. This will send a message to vendors that certification > is not an option anymore. If they want to market their products to our > industry, they need to invest in certification. That may raise the price of > equipment, but it is a necessary increase that our industry must bear if we > are to survive. > > 4.) We also need to recognize that the FCC has essentially given our > industry a gift with unlicensed spectrum (although not their original intent > with the spectrum). This gift can be taken away with a swoop of a pen. > > 5.) WISP operators that publicly defy the FCC laws and mandates to fill out > necessary forms such as Form 477 and 445 are in direct opposition to the > goals and ideals of WISPA. IMHO, if a WISP operator promotes anti-lawful > cooperation with FCC rules and guidelines on WISPA listservs, that operator > should be banned from the WISPA listservs. WISPA does need to improve > credibility with the FCC and we cannot do this by allowing tyrannical posts > that blatantly oppose following the law. That does not mean that we have to > silence discussion or opposition to current rules, it just means we need to > clarify that current WISPA policy does not agree with their personal views. > If their intent is to change WISPA policy, they need to submit a policy > change submission to the WISPA board for consideration and possible polling > of the membership. > > 6.) An observation that our competition (ILECs and Cable Companies) are > aggressively lobbying the FCC to shut down unlicensed bands as unfair > competition and an industry that in their view, openly breaks the law, is > inevitable. > > 7.) Recognition of the damage that will be done to the rural market economy > with the removal of the WISP industry is inconceivable. It is our > responsibility to protect the markets we serve by reaching out for > compliance as soon as we can. > > 8.) Our industry has developed dramatically in the last 10 years, equipment > choices have improved, techniques have improved, network design has > improved. Yet we still have manufacturers who refuse to certify their > products. Their excuse seems to be that their customers will not pay enough > to warrant certification. This seems to be a lame excuse in my eyes. I > recognize the quick lifespan of wireless components these days makes the > certification process very frustrating, to spend money and time getting > certified only to have new technology change the market a short time later > must be a manufacturer's nightmare. The fact is though, that new investment > is entering this industry and more options will be manufactured that will be > certified. Current non-certified vendors will face expulsion from the > industry unless they step up to the plate quickly. > > 9.) WISPA is run by a volunteer board of operators at this time. To become > a truly effective trade association, we must look to hire a full time staff > which will form procedures, policy, update website content, email members, > collect dues, manage books, lobby more effectively and work through legal > matters with FCC versed attorneys. While in its infancy, the volunteer > effort was essential. Now that we are gaining ground and presented with > industry wide challenges, we need better organization and full time staff to > better manage the association and direction. > > 10.) Many current board members have been building WISPA through its > formation from early 2004 and have put hours and hours of time and personal > finances into it's success. Along with this effort as come some stagnation > of ideas and commitments. Don't get me wrong, there are great ideas > presented every week and John's recent Form 445 solution is one example of > what WISPA and working together can do for our members. I do however think > it is time for new members to step up and consider running for the board. > It is a rewarding experience and I personally have made great friends and > relationships with vendors and fellow WISPs across the country. > > These are my thoughts and not necessarily the thoughts of the whole WISPA > board. We are at a critical point in our industry, in our association and > in our future. We can step forward and make the right stand or we can sit > back, bicker and complain. Which do you think will get us to a successful > future soon? > > Respectfully, > > Rick Harnish > President > OnlyInternet Broadband & Wireless, Inc. > 260-827-2482 > Founding Member of WISPA > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > Marty Dougherty > Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 9:54 AM > To: 'Principal WISPA Member List' > Subject: RE: [Wisp] WISPA Membership Required to ba 100% FCC Certified > > Cliff: > > I fully agree with your last thought. > > I think WISPA should only "reinforce" and "require" that we follow the > rules. If you're not following the rules the sanction would be to drop > the member from WISPA. If another member is having issues with an > illegal operator then that member should go to the FCC or civil action. > The main idea is that the FCC will know that WISPA members all support > being legal. If a WISP wants credibility in the industry they will want > to be a full fledge member of WISPA. (perhaps there could be some type > of outreach from WISPA before a member takes action??) > > Enforcement would have to be good faith and members caught cheating > would face being dropped from WISPA. (some method is needed for this). I > bet it's already in the by-laws that members cannot lie or misrepresent > themselves. > > Grace period could be as long as needed if going forward is all legal. > Perhaps the grace period is 3 years- lots can change in 3 years- The key > is we take a stand against illegal systems, stop openly talking about > building them and have an official "plan" to get rid of them some day. > That is what the FCC wants to see. (especially going forward) > > Marty > > __________________________________________ > > Marty Dougherty > > CEO > > Roadstar Internet Inc > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > 703-623-4542 (Cell) > > 703-554-6620 (office) > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Cliff Leboeuf > Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 9:15 AM > To: Principal WISPA Member List > Subject: [Wisp] WISPA Membership Required to ba 100% FCC Certified > > Marty, > > Not all WISP's are members of WISPA. > > If WISPA adopts the position that you would like them to, do you think > WISPA should then assist any member that has to 'fight' with a > non-certified WISP that is causing harm to the member? > > If so, how would you suggest WISPA get involved in such a situation. > > Also, what time-frame do you propose allowing any non-certified member > get 100% compliant? > > How do you propose that WISPA enforce certification? Will it be on a > signing a 'good-faith' document? How would WISPA audit the membership > for compliance. > > I don't plan to blast or be rude to you, but a well laid plan needs to > be adopted by WISPA before WISPA takes such a stance IMO. > > Finally, most organizations begin with just a 'few' organizers. As an > organization grows, conflicts occur and a wider perspective is gained. > This is how an organization evolves to what the majority of its members > want. > > - Cliff > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Marty Dougherty > Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 5:57 AM > To: 'Principal WISPA Member List' > Subject: [Wisp] RE: [WISPA] Brief report from FCC visit > > > Thanks for the update Tom. > > So Folks- is WISPA ready to make a rock solid stand about using illegal > gear yet and getting those "little stickers"???? > > I would like to see: > > Wispa members have to commit to deploy only legal systems going forward. > > WISPA members need to have a plan to get illegal systems of out their > network or get their gear legal. This needs to be real. > > All discussions on the public WISPA list about building illegal systems > etc needs to stop. > > I already know that a couple of you will blast, insult and generally be > rude to me but that's OK- In fact, I expect it. But I am confident that > the majority of the members want this addressed. > > There are going to be many issues facing WISPA in the future. There has > to be a process to poll the members and get direction. I cannot believe > the plan was for a few WISPA members to set all policy. > > I have also asked in the past for any documents etc that explains the > by-laws of WISPA and the official process of polling members. Does it > exist? Someone blasted me about joining the board etc- well, what's the > process? Is it written up? > > Marty > > > > > __________________________________________ > > Marty Dougherty > > CEO > > Roadstar Internet Inc > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > 703-623-4542 (Cell) > > 703-554-6620 (office) > > _______________________________________________ > WISP mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wisp > > -- > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
