I note with some interest the note published about how these lobbying groups want the FCC to provide broadband at very high speed via policy. There's a nice menu of dreams in the article referenced... There's two kinds of people in the world.. Dreamers and doers. And some of us are a little or a lot of both. You have to dream it before you can do it, or else you are just implementing someone else's "dream", which never works all that well. But, to propose dreams to people who can neither do, nor know how to do, but possess too much power already, asking them to wield more... ARRGH! Don't get me started on the vapid stupidity of it all.
I note with interest that there are "magic bullet" prescriptions, such as tearing down the "duopoly", etc, etc. The proponents of these often see specific items as the "key". Yet, in real life, there isn't a single key, and the answers are a lot more complex than the dreamers like to write. So, in that realm of thought, I'd like to make my own list... Two lists, actually... First, the things that obstruct, and then, the things that could be done to help. I'm writing this as I see it, not intending to speak for all. You may wish to make your own list... But if WISPA is a lobbying organization, then we need a cohesive view of the things that obstruct OUR growth and the things we generally need. First, the obstructions I find... 1. Lack of capital. I have had only a tiny amount of credit for my entire time in business, and I'm not getting more anytime soon. Besides, DEBT isn't going to help. Whether you're buying growth out of profits... or paying debt out of profits... Debt still has to be paid, even when the cash flow has hickups, and I had a real big one about 18 months ago. 2. Public property restrictions. The inability to use public facilities - be it buildings, towers, land - is often a factor. The minimum cost for a USFS site is based on the size of your market (not who you reach, your potential), and it starts out at several times my only paid lease on private land. Cities, counties, states, have entirely inconsistent regulatory frameworks, and just locating who to reach is often a maze. Often local politics throws up barriers, as you could be an outsider to the process. 3. Regulatory fiat: Not just reporting mandates, but threatened "neutrality", and other mandates present risks that make future investment harder, as margins get slimmer and costs higher per customer. Regulating your tasks. Like classifying making a network cable as a licensed position, one that requires YEARS of outside of the industry experience, and then hiring someone with a very high price tag, just to do utterly simplistic things with no valid reason to be restricted. 4. Public perceptions: Often, I've seen the "only the phone and cable co are REAL broadband providers" meme repeated by even my own friends who know what I do. 5. Slow technological change - especially as it concerns regulatory bodies. 6. Spectrum unavailability: Right now, I'm seeing so much noise in some places that no frequency is useable. 7. Spotty availability of hardware: This seems to be related to economic conditions, but it doesn't help, that's for sure. Importing yourself isn't THAT hard, but it's still not easy. 8. The cost of doing business. Everyone wants a chunk of your backside... State, federal, county, local, workman's comp, unemployment, insurance, and the list goes on and on. Whether you're a WISP or a used clothing store, we're all getting killed here. What could help: 1. A much faster regulatory process, one with easier public access, and more interactive. The FCC seems to talk to only the big players on their own initiative. They're in DC and only talk to who comes to DC to meet them. I certainly haven't got time, nor do hardly any of you - witness how hard it is for WISPA to get people to events and doing stuff. No fault on WISPA's or the guys who DO contribute the time... Just pointing out how isolated they are in DC from where the rubber meets the road. 2. Easy and assured access to things like utility poles and easier rules to running our own cables over public ways, etc. 3. A concerted effort by public officials to be inclusive when it comes to promoting the types of providers. Would help overcome public misperception. 4. Access to capital. This is a huge thing, and I'm not holding my breath, considering that the current government fad is to destroy any enterprise that doesn't promote specific partisan politics. It's complex, it reachs into things like securities, lending, tax policy, and a huge number of other things. And, it's as easily applied to WISP's as it is to tire shops and roofers and farmers. 5. This one's blank for the moment. How about you? What have you got? And please don't put "get more taxpayer's money" here. That's only going to "help" spend money that has strings attached, and I've never found that strings improve my operation. I think perhaps this list could be refined, perfected, and turned into a meme... A cohesive idea repeated consistently and preached consistently and unwaveringly to EVERYONE, be it FCC or Congress or the public, or even our own members, so they vote better or smarter. What say you? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/
