At 7/28/2010 12:59 PM, you wrote:
- would reduce or deny support to wireline incumbents in areas where
at least 75% of households can receive voice and broadband from a
competitive provider that does not receive support
Ø Now the way I read the above statement is that if a WISP covers
75% of a current USF recipients service area, there will no longer
be eligibility to receive USF funds. Remember if they have broadband
they also have access to many VOIP providers even if you do not
provide VOIP services. Vonage and Skype come to mind, not to mention
cellular coverage. This would be a huge factor in leveling the
playing field for WISP's in rural markets!
That is the way I see it too!
I don't. See page 22 of the bill (scanned version only on line,
alas; emphasis added):
"...the Commission determines that at least 75% of the households can
purchase **wireline** voice service and **wired** high-speed
broadband service from an unsupported, facilities-based,
non-incumbent provider..."
There's also a reference further down (p24) to "voice service of
standard quality". That rules out Skype or any non-QoS-enabled VoIP
platform, or any non-PSTN non-E.164 service. If this were the only
issue though, it would be easy enough to provide a technical fix.
The rule appears aimed at cable. If there is unsubsidized
PacketCable telephony, then why should the FCC subsidize ILECs?
There's also support in the bill for "mobile wireless"
providers. Over the past decade, CMRS carriers have been the largest
(by far) competitive ETCs. Current FCC plans phase this out. The
largest recipients are AT&T and Verizon, the latter via its Alltel /
Western Wireless purchase. The Boucher (D-Verizon) bill instead
allows CMRSs to bid to become the supported mobile carrier in a given area.
There are various other goodies (if you're Verizon) in the bill,
including an order that the FCC complete intercarrier compensation
reform within a year (it has been an open docket since April, 2001,
and each Commission seems to want to pass the ball to its successor
rather than do anything). And section 303 apparently bans access
revenue sharing, so the free conference call industry goes out of
business. I guess we'll all have to move our conference calls to the
Internet. This is a real pain, but VZ, ATT and Sprint don't want to
pay the teensy bit that it costs them (though it helps encourage the
sale of overpriced flat-rate usage plans).
The bill adds USF taxes to WISPs and basically prohibits them from
receiving anything. This is consistent with the FCC's current "pay
for the bullet" proposal. Such a deal!
--
Fred Goldstein k1io fgoldstein "at" ionary.com
ionary Consulting http://www.ionary.com/
+1 617 795 2701
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