Re: Broadband Economics 101 - Focus on the economics, not the technology

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Brett Glass <brett () lariat net>
Date: December 16, 2008 10:32:40 PM EST
To: dave () farber net, "ip" <ip () v2 listbox com>
Cc: xyzzy () warpspeed com
Subject: Re: [IP] Broadband Economics 101 - Focus on the economics,  
not the technology

At 07:19 PM 12/16/2008, Andy Seybold wrote:

> The FCC, Congress and the executive branch of the federal government
> have been saying for years that we need to provide broadband services
> to those in the inner city who cannot afford it as well as to rural
> America where it is simply not available. There have been a number of
> recent attempts to increase broadband services including muni-WiFi,
> which has failed almost everywhere it has been tried, and Broadband
> over Power Lines (another FCC favorite), which could have provided
> services to rural America had it worked and not caused interference to
> so many other services and had it not cost too much to deploy.

Perhaps -- instead of trying again to create another last mile  
behemoth -- it's time to let small business step up to the plate.  
Here's an idea: Why not open the spectrum for nonexclusive licensing  
by independent wireless ISPs, with a mandatory spectrum etiquette to  
ensure efficient use of the band? Since capital markets are teetering  
right now and are highly unlikely to fund another large, nationwide  
venture, it's time to let WISPs step up to the plate. Considering the  
conditions under which they've been operating to date (no spectrum  
other than the polluted unlicensed bands; no protection from  
anticompetitive tactics; increasing regulation), imagine what we could  
do if the Federal government actually encouraged us for once....

--Brett Glass





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