I built a tower one time in a place nobody else was able. The first thing I did was analyze the tower ordinance in the county. There was a special exception for an essential service. My tact was to get the county to admit I was an essential service. Once they did, the building permit was right behind.
They pinned me down to how high the tower had to be for the path I was building. I had to show a path analysis Pinnacle did that showed the path needed 100 feet. I engineered and built the tower for 150 feet but didn't put the last 50 foot on. It was a monopole, and the caisson was engineered for the full height and to withstand their 140 mph wind load. The tower ordinance had a clause that said a one time extension of 50 feet was allowed on existing towers if it was for an essential service. I pulled out my papers and added the 50 feet. Once it was up, the wireless carriers all wanted on it. I rented to Metro PCS, AT&T, Sprint and a couple others. The tower was paid for in a little over a year. Oh yeah, why were we an essential service? We were a CLEC. We put up some Nortel OC3 licensed radios and linked back to our NOC. Then we put one of the very first Canopy deployments on that tower. So a utility can useful, but in this case, being an essential service was the key. mg At 08:00 PM 12/14/2009, you wrote: >Tom, > >According to Dictionary.com "Utility" just means "Useful." A service becomes >a utility when it becomes readily available and so useful that it is vital >to day to day life. When your phone or water or electricity goes out, that >is a real big deal because we expect utilities to be there and we depend on >them. The same is becoming more true with the internet. Technical complexity >can keep something from becoming a utility because people can't count on it. >But phones were very complex when they were introduced and problems were >hard to diagnose. As technology evolved they became important enough and >reliable enough to become a utility. Internet connectivity is following that >same path. > >Mark > > >On 12/14/09 6:14 PM, "Tom DeReggi" <wirelessn...@rapiddsl.net> wrote: > > > Tim, > > Interesting quotes that you posted. > > > > I also challenge the definition of "utility" and what qualifies. Another > > subjective point of view often misunderstood, and how that translates to > > "need" and "broadband". > > Broadband is in no way a "utility" either. The reason is that it has an > > intelligence component that cant be avoided. For example, if broadband > > stops working from the perspective of the user, is it within the control of > > that consumer to indentify the cause of failure on their own, and if it is > > in fact a broadband outage? How do they tell if its the PC, the > PC's loaded > > software, a failed router, the destination web site, or the actual > > broadband? Every tool the end user needs to make that determination he has > > acces to, they just dont have the intelligence to understand how to run the > > tools to get the data. All it takes is a day in a phone support center to > > prove my point. Broadband needs "support". It is unavoidable. > Therefore not > > a basic utility. > > Electricity and water on the other hand is a utility, an consumers knows > > when it is on or off, they dont need a support center to tell them that. > > Sure they may want to call to get an ETA for repair, but thats about it, > > they know who is responsible. BRoadband is simply to technical and > > complicated to be classified as a utility, even if it is of similar need in > > some people's mind. > > Any time "quality of support" is a large part of a user's > experience, it has > > factors that cant be measured easilly and equally for comparison > to regulate > > what is fair price. > > > > Tom DeReggi > > RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc > > IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Tim Sylvester" <t...@avanzarnetworks.com> > > To: "'WISPA General List'" <wireless@wispa.org> > > Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 2:47 PM > > Subject: Re: [WISPA] Report: Broadband stimulus funds won't suffice > > > > > >> A flashback to 1905 ... > >> > >> "Unless we adopt the principles of socialism, It can hardly be contended > >> that It is the province of government, either state or municipal, to > >> undertake the manufacture or supply of the ordinary subjects of trade and > >> commerce, or to impose burdens upon the whole community for the supposed > >> benefit of a few.. > >> > >> "The ownership and operation of municipal light plants stands upon a > >> different basis from that of the ownership of water works, with which it > >> is > >> so often compared. Water is a necessity to the health and life of every > >> individual member of a community.It must be supplied in order to preserve > >> the public health, whether it can be done profitably or not, and must be > >> furnished, not to a few individuals, but to every individual. > >> > >> "Electric lights are different. Electricity is not in any sense a > >> necessity, > >> and under no conditions is it universally used by the people of a > >> community. > >> It is but a luxury enjoyed by a small proportion of the members of any > >> municipality, and yet if the plant be owned and operated by the city, the > >> burden of such ownership and operation must be borne by all the people > >> through taxation. > >> > >> "Now, electric light is not a necessity for every member of the community. > >> It Is not the business of any one to see that I use electricity, or gas, > >> or > >> oil in my house, or even that I use any form of artificial light at all." > >> > >> and the 2009 version ... > >> > >> "Unless we adopt the principles of socialism, It can hardly be contended > >> that It is the province of government, either state or municipal, to > >> undertake the manufacture or supply of the ordinary subjects of trade and > >> commerce, or to impose burdens upon the whole community for the supposed > >> benefit of a few.. > >> > >> "The ownership and operation of municipal [broadband] stands upon a > >> different basis from that of the ownership of [electric plants], with > >> which > >> it is so often compared. [Electricity] is a necessity to the health and > >> life > >> of every individual member of a community.It must be supplied in order to > >> preserve the public health, whether it can be done profitably or not, and > >> must be furnished, not to a few individuals, but to every individual. > >> > >> "[Broadband is] different. [Broadband] is not in any sense a necessity, > >> and > >> under no conditions is it universally used by the people of a community. > >> It > >> is but a luxury enjoyed by a small proportion of the members of any > >> municipality, and yet if the [network] be owned and operated by the city, > >> the burden of such ownership and operation must be borne by all the people > >> through taxation. > >> > >> "Now, [broadband] is not a necessity for every member of the community. It > >> Is not the business of any one to see that I use [broadband or dial-up] in > >> my house, or even that I use [the Internet] at all." > >> > >> Here's the link to the source article: http://publicola.net/?p=20687 and > >> the > >> Slashdot article: http://publicola.net/?p=20687. > >> > >> Tim > >> > >>> -----Original Message----- > >>> From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On > >>> Behalf Of Tom DeReggi > >>> Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 9:50 AM > >>> To: WISPA General List > >>> Subject: Re: [WISPA] Report: Broadband stimulus funds won't suffice > >>> > >>> 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! Join today! > >>>>> http://signup.wispa.org/ > >>>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>> ------------ > >>>>> > >>>>> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > >>>>> > >>>>> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > >>>>> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > >>>>> > >>>>> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>> ----------- > >>>> WISPA Wants You! 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