The question that one must ask themself is... Is the public adequately being served in most cases where broadband is delivered? Is the private sector capable and doing a good enough job of meeting demand fast enough? And what evidence is there that the government could do it better?
I was in favor of the BTOP/BIP program for several reasons, however that does not mean I am automatically supportive of more of the same. It was more of a situation of deciding how to spend money allocated instead of whether it should be spent. Truthfully, I think the industry needed a little boost, in a down economy, regardless of who the recipients of the funds were. I'd argue the Wifi manufacturers were in pretty good shape, but the WiMax vendors may have needed some bail-out. They will sell more gear under grants than loans, for sure. But I clearly dont believe monies are most efficiently spent when using other people's money. That is simply a fact. And government spending does not improve that problem. Aka the stories of the $700 hammer via beaurocracy. I can give an example of one WISP who publically stated he could serve a rural community for as little $3000 upfront for like 20 sq miles, compared to another carrier WISP that claimed they needed like $100,000 per 2 square miles just for tower infrastructure, and like $1000 per customer for CPE. There is a huge void in between. If you ask me, I'd like to see way more loans to help the private sector and way less grants. Grants should be reserved for very special circumstances, in my mind, and allocating them on a competitive basis doesn't make sense to me. And its rarely a good idea to rush spending and evaluation of others' network plans. Government help in itself is not a bad thing. Tim gave so many good examples of how Government has helped society. But we need to be realistic that nothing is free, and one way or another consumers pay for what they consume, whether the efficiency of spending was hidden from sight or not. The answer is to continue investigating how Government help can be most effective, and how it can still best preserve and protect the private sector. The government does somethings very well, but when trouble occurs is when they think they can do something better than the private sector, when its an industry historically served by the private sector. If there was a better way, the private sector would already be doing it. The problem is not the providers, but maybe barriers that need removed. I beleive in some regulation, not anarchy. Regulation should be used to create a healthy industry environment, not to unnecessarilly burden the providers of the industry. Clearly some improvements to regulation is needed. This is why it is so important that WISPs are involved in National Broadband Plan debates, to help define those new policies. I will always try to reach out to my Government for help, that is why they are there, and I will also standup and protest when they try to give to much help or the wrong kind of help, because that is what I'm here for. There are places where help is "needed". I think part of the problem is that definition of "need" requires better definition, it is way to highly subjective as-is. I live near the nation's capitol, participate in a Broadband intensive IT industry, even distance learning, and I serve my company from a 900Mhz wireless CPE, am happy with it, and it does everything that I "NEED". I paid for it myself. I just question why the same is not good enough for everyone else? I personally beleive the Feds need more seed grant money, to help innovators, not necessarilly to help the people at the expense of competition amoungst providers. Respectfully, Tom DeReggi RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband ----- Original Message ----- From: "Matt Larsen - Lists" <li...@manageisp.com> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Sunday, December 13, 2009 8:35 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Report: Broadband stimulus funds won't suffice > Took the typing right off of my keyboard Tim. Bravo. > > Matt Larsen > vistabeam.com > > Tim Sylvester wrote: >> Yes, I am amazed. Amazed by the bitching and whining about government on >> this list by people who ... >> >> - sell wireless service using spectrum "owned" by everyone and allocated >> to >> them by the FCC for free or low cost. >> - sell access to the Internet, a network originally funded and developed >> by >> DARPA and later funded by the National Science Foundation. >> - drive on roads funded with taxpayer dollars and maintained by the >> government. >> - sell Internet service in rural areas to farmers that receive billions >> in >> government subsidies per year. >> - connect CPE equipment to electrical service that was funded by the >> Rural >> Electric Administration. >> - use VA health services. >> - will use Medicare and Social Security when they retire. >> - call the police and fire department when they need help. >> - send their kids to public schools. >> >> Amazing. >> >> Tim >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> WISPA Wants You! 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