Comments on: The Truth About Universal Service Fund http://gigaom.com/2005/12/16/the-truth-about-universal-service-fund/ Trusted Insights and Conversations on the Next Wave of Technology Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:47:41 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Douglas Rupp http://gigaom.com/2005/12/16/the-truth-about-universal-service-fund/#comment-38179 Douglas Rupp Wed, 08 Feb 2006 02:44:39 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2005/12/16/the-truth-about-universal-service-fund/#comment-38179 <p>Verizon wanting to sell their rural lines certainly explains why they're fighting us tooth and nail on a short three mile line extension to the Skyko 2 Community near Index, WA.</p> Verizon wanting to sell their rural lines certainly explains why they’re fighting us tooth and nail on a short three mile line extension to the Skyko 2 Community near Index, WA.

]]> By: John http://gigaom.com/2005/12/16/the-truth-about-universal-service-fund/#comment-38178 John Sun, 18 Dec 2005 06:02:09 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2005/12/16/the-truth-about-universal-service-fund/#comment-38178 <p>For what it is worth: the cablecos face the same build-out dilemma, even if their problem is less pressing than the baby bell's.Telephones go almost everywhere. Cable is not nearly as ubiquitous...still the value of shedding the most rural systems when contemplating a fiber build out has to be considered.</p> <p>Witness Cox which is in the process of shedding its most rural cable systems right now. They've got a number of other reasons (IMHO) but the one they advertise is the expense of upgrading their systems.</p> <p>It isn't just the teleco's that are prepared to abandon rural America. (I just hope some of those folks remember how their grandparents got together to form electrical coops.)</p> For what it is worth: the cablecos face the same build-out dilemma, even if their problem is less pressing than the baby bell’s.Telephones go almost everywhere. Cable is not nearly as ubiquitous…still the value of shedding the most rural systems when contemplating a fiber build out has to be considered.

Witness Cox which is in the process of shedding its most rural cable systems right now. They’ve got a number of other reasons (IMHO) but the one they advertise is the expense of upgrading their systems.

It isn’t just the teleco’s that are prepared to abandon rural America. (I just hope some of those folks remember how their grandparents got together to form electrical coops.)

]]> By: It looks obvious http://gigaom.com/2005/12/16/the-truth-about-universal-service-fund/#comment-38177 It looks obvious Sun, 18 Dec 2005 05:41:28 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2005/12/16/the-truth-about-universal-service-fund/#comment-38177 <p><strong>The FCC Weekly</strong></p> <pre><code>Om Malik wrote a very good review on the Universal Service Fund. In short, the FCC continues to demonstrate more concern to the interest of the RBUC than to the users – which it pretends to represent. Some people might claim that the governm... </code></pre> The FCC Weekly

Om Malik wrote a very good review  on the Universal Service Fund. In short, the FCC  continues to demonstrate more concern to the interest of the RBUC than to the users &ndash; which it pretends to represent.
Some people might claim that the governm...
]]> By: Bruce Kushick http://gigaom.com/2005/12/16/the-truth-about-universal-service-fund/#comment-38176 Bruce Kushick Sun, 18 Dec 2005 01:19:34 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2005/12/16/the-truth-about-universal-service-fund/#comment-38176 <p>There's a whole other side to the Universal Service Fund Debate -- It's a massive slush fund that is out of control on every level.</p> <p>We've written extensively about this. http://www.newnetworks.com/universalservicefund.htm</p> <p>A small example, very weathly companies are receiving these funds, known as the high cost fund" --- this make believe fund is larger than the schools and libraries fund.</p> <p>Fraud has proven to be a major isuses, but most importantly, the service there has been no audits of the costs of service, so, if the company says' it needs high cost funds... well, no on examines these costs --</p> <p>Also, beware of fake consumer groups, such as Keep USF Fair coaltion, that are essentially being used to add tax to VOIP and new services -- funded by the Bell companies. http://www.teletruth.org/USF.html</p> <p>Bruce Kushnick, Teletruth Executive Director, New Networks Institute</p> There’s a whole other side to the Universal Service Fund Debate — It’s a massive slush fund that is out of control on every level.

We’ve written extensively about this. http://www.newnetworks.com/universalservicefund.htm

A small example, very weathly companies are receiving these funds, known as the high cost fund” — this make believe fund is larger than the schools and libraries fund.

Fraud has proven to be a major isuses, but most importantly, the service there has been no audits of the costs of service, so, if the company says’ it needs high cost funds… well, no on examines these costs –

Also, beware of fake consumer groups, such as Keep USF Fair coaltion, that are essentially being used to add tax to VOIP and new services — funded by the Bell companies. http://www.teletruth.org/USF.html

Bruce Kushnick, Teletruth Executive Director, New Networks Institute

]]> By: brian http://gigaom.com/2005/12/16/the-truth-about-universal-service-fund/#comment-38175 brian Sat, 17 Dec 2005 23:00:01 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2005/12/16/the-truth-about-universal-service-fund/#comment-38175 <p>Om, so the cable co.s and service providers like Vonage currently don't pay into the USF for their deployment of VoIP? And the Telcos want them to?</p> Om, so the cable co.s and service providers like Vonage currently don’t pay into the USF for their deployment of VoIP? And the Telcos want them to?

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