That's actually pretty normal under RUS grants and loans Scottie. THEY will only loan to one company in one area.
YOU can still build your business in any way you choose, just not with RUS money. Yeah, it sucks. I've lived with that in some of my areas for a long time. The great news here is that the telco is still the telco and people still hate them. AND the consumer is still ditching land lines in favor of wireless technologies of all kinds (sat. TV, cell phone, wireless broadband etc.). It is a GREAT time to be alive in the WISP industry! We're still growing, our profitability is up (though that's going to change soon as I have to hire another person sometime in the next year or two....) etc. AND, with the rollups of so many smaller telco's the service from the big companies has REALLY dropped off. Driving more and more customers in my direction. Life is different now, but it's not all bad. Did you notice the string in funding that says that they HAVE to sell to you at competitive rates? big grin The silver lining here might include cheaper upstream connectivity for you. Time will tell.... marlon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Scottie Arnett" <sarn...@info-ed.com> To: <motor...@afmug.com> Cc: <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 9:26 PM Subject: [WISPA] Thinking about a new job? > Well, it is finalized. My main competition, and backbone supplier, has > received round 2 BIP funding: < > http://www.lightwaveonline.com/fttx/news/Round-2-of-broadband-stimulus-kicks-of-with-more-fiber-funding-97678969.html >> Look for Twin Lakes telephone. About 6 months ago, my 2nd biggest > competitor got it: > http://www.nctc.com/version_3.0/StimBlog/BBStimulus.html > Look at January > 25, 2010. > > Now for the RANT! In round 2 BIP, no other competitor could apply against > a provider that was already receiving USDA funding. WTF is this deal? The > USDA and FCC(with the rural exemption act)has provided Twin Lakes > Telephone a "protected telephone coverage area for over 50 years!" Now > they just handed them a monopoly on Internet service in my area? > > I give up?! WTF else can I do? The Obama-n-screw-u administration has > screwed yet another business death coffin. Not only has it screwed us on > our wireless ISP, but it has screwed the cable company and many satellite > providers in the area. Do not think for a second that companies getting > funding for FTTH, will not also be offering TV! Being as remote as we are, > we have many, many satellite customers in the area. > > I preached this same blog to the USDA before they funded our competitor. > Did not help a bit. I just pray for the rest of you guys that you do not > have to go against this. I am sure they would have eventually done it > anyway, but I would hope that it would have not been competition against > my own money that I had paid in on taxes. > > Scottie Arnett > President & chief custodian > Info-Ed, Inc. > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > 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! 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/
