It's actually fairly trivial to geocode street (billing?) addresses with something like Google Maps.. to a level that's certainly more precise than census divisions.
By trivial, I mean - I hacked together a Python/javascript webapp to do just this a few weeks ago, in a few hours (including the time to look at the Google Maps API ) for a different project. and my background is architecture... not a programming. As someone else pointed out, if the FCC can't provide a tool to do this, I will personally set something up, host it, and offer my services for beer. :) - Japhy On Sun, May 18, 2008 at 4:22 PM, Kurt Fankhauser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > ROFL LMFAO !!! I forgot about Mark form NeoFast, that's too funny... > > Kurt Fankhauser > WAVELINC > P.O. Box 126 > Bucyrus, OH 44820 > 419-562-6405 > www.wavelinc.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Rick Harnish > Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2008 4:16 PM > To: 'WISPA General List' > Subject: Re: [WISPA] FCC approves new method for tracking broadband's reach > > It looks like Mark from Neofast is back disguised as muddyfrogwater. How > fun is this? > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 4:49 PM > To: WISPA General List > Subject: Re: [WISPA] FCC approves new method for tracking broadband's reach > > I"m going to repost a response I made privately, leaving off the other > person... I want to be clear what's really bothering me lately. > ========== > > Maybe I should be more clear. I fail to see why I should have to conduct > even 1 minute's free labor... The results of which are going to result > absolutely NO benefit to me, and then we'll all get to see some politicians > claim credit for the "spread of broadband", even though that "spread" has > been solely the result of some of us working our butts off, and risking our > own money and 12 hour days. > > I can find absolutely no reason to think that ANY of us are going to benefit > from this. The only people who could possibly benefit, would be the > Qwest's and the Clearwires of the world, who have publicly financed > "expansion research" done for them. > > I doubt any of us, save a handful who cover large areas, could benefit at > all. I know I make my expansions based on on-the-ground efforts, going to > door to door and finding out who has broadband, who doesn't and then > figuring out how to fill the gaps, some of which are as small as a housing > development with 10 houses in it. This will never be figured out by the > FCC or any "agency". I'm DOING the work that needs to be done. Why on > earth should I do free labor while doing it? > > But I'll bet that on a more macro scale, all we do is provide the directions > for bigger guys deciding what towns or cities to deploy in without spending > a dime in research. > > I know I buy a lot of $140 (and climbing) tanks of diesel to find areas not > covered and then cover them, and then go to door to door to sign up people. > I have perhaps 20,000 people in my targeted market, which covers everything > from farms and vineyards to forested mountains, and it's an hour and a half > to drive across from the farthest customers now, and in a fe months it's > going to be close to two hours. > > So, why on earth should I then be required to expend more time and effort > and possibly money, just to tell someone else where to go for free? > > Perhaps I'm just irked because the heavy hand of both state and federal > govenrments is coming down on a lot of what we do - I may soon need a > contractor's license and AND hire a licensed electrician... to be a WISP, of > all things. If that's the case, my customers will become "unserved". And > there is NOBODY in my corner fighting this either federally or at the state > level. Rather, every organization I've uncovered is just nodding and > smiling like some lobotomized sheep. > > > > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > <insert witty tagline here> > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Steve Barnes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "'WISPA General List'" <wireless@wispa.org> > Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 1:19 PM > Subject: Re: [WISPA] FCC approves new method for tracking broadband's reach > > >>I agree, I would also like to know the position of WISPA. It looks like >> another great way for some company to make extra income off of my already >> short bottom line. The current reporting is a pain but can be completed >> in >> an hour or so. I am not privileged to have GIS software and data setting >> around for all my data to interface with. Besides in my area the census >> track is larger then the ZIP's. So they will get less exact data. >> >> Steve Barnes >> Executive Manager >> PCS-WIN >> RCWiFi Wireless Internet Service >> (765)584-2288 >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On >> Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 3:00 PM >> To: WISPA General List >> Subject: Re: [WISPA]FCC approves new method for tracking broadband's reach >> >> I'm curious to know WISPA's official position on this is. >> >> Looking back in the archives, I see little discussion about this, but the >> only way this information is going to be obtained, is if ISP's are >> required >> to determine the location of each census unit and then plot on maps of the >> census unit each customer and count them up. At this moment, I have no >> idea what a "census unit" is, how it is determined, or even how to find >> out >> that information, much less plot hundreds of customers spread over >> thousands >> >> of square miles. Frankly, I haven't the time. >> >> Unless software exists to automate this, this is going to be rather >> man-hour >> >> intensive for anyone with more than 20 broadband customers. >> >> Is WISPA going to lobby to defend us from this big pile of free labor the >> FCC wants us to do so they can claim political credit, or are they going >> to >> sell us down the river by lobbying for it? It seemed that no organized >> resistance existed for the first mandate to report, and unless we start >> defending ourselves from the do-gooders in DC, we're going to end up with >> mountains of work and nothing but a headache and some legal papers from >> bankruptcy court to show for it. >> >> Every industry I know of is VEHEMENT in telling the federal goverment to >> back off from mandates... Why does the ISP industry just keep rolling over >> and getting reamed? >> >> >> >> >> >> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >> <insert witty tagline here> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Rick Harnish" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "'WISPA General List'" <wireless@wispa.org> >> Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2008 6:03 AM >> Subject: [WISPA] FCC approves new method for tracking broadband's reach >> >> >>> >>> HYPERLINK "http://www.wispa.org/?p=215"FCC approves new method for >>> tracking >>> broadband's reach >>> >>> >>> Filed under: HYPERLINK "http://www.wispa.org/?cat=1"General at 7:02 am >>> HYPERLINK "http://www.wispa.org/?p=215#respond";(no comments) HYPERLINK >>> "http://www.wispa.org/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=215";(e) >>> >>> WASHINGTON-As expected, federal regulators on Wednesday voted to overhaul >>> the way they measure how widely broadband is available across the United >>> States. >>> >>> For years, the Federal Communications Commission has been drawing up >>> reports >>> on the state of U.S. Internet access availability based on methodology >>> that >>> considers 200 kilobits per second (Kbps) service to be "high speed"-and >>> such >>> access to be widely available even in ZIP codes that may, in reality, >>> house >>> only one connection. >>> >>> The decision to move away from that methodology is potentially >>> significant. >>> Critics, both inside and outside the agency, have charged that the >>> inadequacy of data that the FCC collects semiannually from Internet >>> service >>> providers hinders both the government's ability to set smart >>> pro-broadband >>> policies and could slow investment on the technology side. It could also >>> help federal regulators determine whether HYPERLINK >>> "http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9897103-7.html"the United States is >>> really >>> as far behind in broadband penetration as some international studies have >>> suggested during the past few years. >>> >>> If not for good government data, "our economy would come to a screeching >>> halt," said Commissioner Michael Copps, a Democrat. For example, >>> manufacturers depend on unemployment and gross domestic product figures >>> to >>> set their production targets, and schools and hospitals rely on U.S. >>> Census >>> numbers to project demand for their services, he said. >>> >>> "When companies and investors put money into e-commerce or voice over >>> Internet Protocol or Internet video.they need to know what kind of >>> broadband >>> infrastructure America actually has," Copps said. >>> >>> Democratic Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said, "This is really the >>> first >>> step toward the national broadband strategy that we so desperately need." >>> >>> Despite his support for the new data collection method, FCC Chairman >>> Kevin >>> Martin said he believes the United States has made incredible strides in >>> broadband deployment since he joined the commission in 2001, with the >>> number >>> of lines growing from 9 million to more than 100 million. Still, he >>> acknowledged, "there is certainly more work to be done." >>> >>> The FCC, as is typical, won't release the full text of the changes it >>> adopted for a few weeks, but here's a rundown of major components >>> described >>> at Wednesday's meeting: >>> >>> . 200Kbps speeds are no longer considered "broadband." Until this point, >>> the >>> FCC has considered any service that produces 200Kbps speeds in the upload >>> or >>> download direction to be "high speed." With Wednesday's vote, that >>> methodology is no more. Now, 768Kbps, which is the entry-level speed >>> offered >>> by major DSL providers like Verizon, will be considered the low end of >>> "basic broadband," a range that extends to under 1.5Mbps. >>> . Broadband service speeds will have to be reported both for uploads and >>> downloads. Previously the FCC had six big categories of broadband speeds, >>> and they effectively only tracked download speeds. Now the agency says it >>> will require reporting on upload speeds. Pro-regulatory advocacy groups >>> like >>> Free Press say that's a necessary step in part because of HYPERLINK >>> "http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9872464-38.html"Comcast's admitted >>> throttling of peer-to-peer file-sharing uploads. >>> . Upload and download speeds will have to be reported in a more specific >>> way. At the moment, the broadband speeds most commonly offered by cable >>> and >>> telephone companies are lumped into two major categories: those between >>> 200Kbps and 2.5Mbps, and those between 2.5Mbps and 10Mbps. The FCC's new >>> rules would require them to be broken down further, in an attempt to >>> address >>> charges that the current buckets have the potential to overstate the >>> number >>> of high-end subscriptions and understate the number of low-end >>> subscriptions. Those new tiers will be: 1) 200Kbps to 768Kbps ("first >>> generation data"); 2) 768Kbps to 1.5Mbps ("basic broadband"); 3) 1.5Mbps >>> to >>> 3Mbps; 4) 3Mbps to 6Mbps; and 5) 6Mbps and above. >>> . ISPs will be required to report numbers of subscribers, and at the >>> census-block level. Under the current methodology, ISPs report only the >>> number of ZIP codes in which they have at least one subscriber, and they >>> report numbers of lines nationwide. Now they'll have to report the number >>> of >>> subscribers in each census tract they serve, broken down by speed tier. >>> The >>> FCC decided to use census tracts because researchers may be able to use >>> other demographic statistics collected by the U.S. Census, such as age >>> and >>> income level, to gain insight about what drives broadband penetration >>> rates. >>> . ISPs will not have to report the prices they charge..yet. Democratic >>> commissioners and liberal consumer advocacy groups had argued such a step >>> is >>> necessary to give consumers an idea of the value they're getting for >>> their >>> money-and to compare U.S. prices to those for comparable services abroad. >>> Copps said on Wednesday that he continues to believe it's a "mistake" to >>> omit that requirement, and Adelstein also voiced concern. But a majority >>> of >>> the commissioners opted to push that decision off until another time and >>> gather more comments. >>> >>> Each of the five commissioners voted in favor of adopting the order, >>> although some attached reservations about some portions of the rules. >>> Adelstein said he would have liked to see the commission require that >>> ISPs >>> distinguish between residential and business customers when doing their >>> reporting. Republican Commissioner Robert McDowell said he was concerned >>> that some of the definitions contained in the rules-particularly that of >>> broadband-could have negative long-term effects. >>> >>> "Government cannot outguess the genius of free markets, nor should it >>> try," >>> McDowell said. >>> >>> Representatives from the cable and telephone industry had advised the >>> commission against making major changes to its data collection methods. >>> They >>> said they would not be able to comment on the FCC's vote Wednesday until >>> after reviewing the full text of the order. >>> >>> The old method's last gasp >>> In an ironic twist, at the same meeting, the commissioners narrowly voted >>> to >>> adopt the FCC's latest report about the state of American broadband >>> deployment-except based on the old methodology that they went on to >>> revamp. >>> Because of that, Copps and Adelstein ripped apart the report and said >>> they >>> couldn't support its conclusions. (Martin, McDowell, and Republican >>> Deborah >>> Tate voted for adoption of the document.) >>> >>> The HYPERLINK >>> > "http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-280906A1.pdf"report >>> (PDF), which covers the first half of 2007, concluded that "broadband >>> services are currently being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable >>> and >>> timely fashion." >>> >>> High-speed lines-meaning, mind you, capable of 200Kbps or greater data >>> transfer speeds-grew from 82 million to 100 million lines during that >>> time, >>> the FCC said. Its report also found that an Internet service provider >>> reported having at least one connection in 99 percent of the country's >>> ZIP >>> codes, and that 99 percent of the American population lives in those ZIP >>> codes. >>> >>> Copps, for one, called the ZIP code methodology "stunningly meaningless." >>> >>> "I'm happy we're starting to change our benchmarks," he said, "but my >>> goodness, how late in the day it is." >>> >>> The FCC's actions drew mixed reviews from groups who have been pressing >>> for >>> better broadband data and Net neutrality rules. >>> >>> Gigi Sohn, the president of Public Knowledge, one such group, commended >>> the >>> FCC's new data collection plan, although she said she would have >>> preferred >>> to see price data included and information about residential and >>> commercial >>> customers separated. She also deemed it a "mystery" that the FCC also >>> chose >>> to issue the broadband availability report "when, mere moments later, the >>> Commission admitted the inadequacy of the information." >>> >>> WASHINGTON-As expected, federal regulators on Wednesday voted to overhaul >>> the way they measure how widely broadband is available across the United >>> States. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> No virus found in this outgoing message. >>> Checked by AVG. >>> Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.10/1421 - Release Date: >>> 5/7/2008 >>> 5:23 PM >>> >>> >>> >>> >> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> ---- >>> WISPA Wants You! 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