[asterisk-biz] The death of Free conference calls?

Tue Dec 6 22:06:21 CST 2011

I am not sure how the USF/Connect America fund has anything to do with 
free conference calling providers.  The free conference calling 
providers are not being targeted.  The LECs that offer revenue sharing 
to said service providers are being targeted for "access stimulation."  
The figures being quoted in the full order are outrageous.  Once again, 
this will hurt the small LEC, and it has nothing to do with the LECs who 
have leveraged their presence to adopt such products.

One thing that is funny, is how USF is applied to interstate traffic, 
and now the FCC wants to rule that all VoIP traffic is interstate 
traffic.  That sure is convenient.

As for tandem traffic, just wait.  Verizon will have their fun with this 
once it completes its current inter-carrier conquest.

Read the full order, not the 5 page executive summary.

Best Regards,

Gavin Grabias
Alcazar Networks, Inc.
Phone: 484-664-2800 x111
Fax: 484-664-2816
www.alcazarnetworks.com

On 12/6/11 9:57 AM, John Hass wrote:
> You said it Steve, how can anyone be expected to be able to compete in 
> this Free Market when the Government is giving money away to the big 
> carriers to provide non-essential services.  On the hopes the 
> incumbent builds out the network to support me at my acreage.  I have 
> 3 people on my 5 mile road, that is 10 miles out of town.  How would 
> that be cost effective for anyone!!!  I have a deal worked out with my 
> employer and set up a wireless point to point and it will work fine! 
>  $1,500 up front for towers and radios 50mbps can't beat that!
>
> I would like to see an incumbent compete with that.
>
> --John
>
> On Dec 6, 2011, at 8:48 AM, Steve Totaro wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 5:12 AM, Dovid Bender <asterisk at dovid.net 
>> <mailto:asterisk at dovid.net>> wrote:
>>
>>     Anyone see this?
>>
>>     http://www.telecomlawmonitor.com/uploads/file/ICC_USF%20Executive%20Summary%281%29.pdf
>>
>>     Look at page 5 section 17.
>>
>>
>>
>> Got to love free markets....
>>
>> Why should anyone have to subsidize broadband in the boonies?  It 
>> there is a market, it will be filled.
>>
>> Some REGULATION is a good thing, but incentives should be dictated by 
>> the market, meaning it will turn a profit after the initial 
>> investment of build out.
>>
>> I remember the Philly government wanting to blanket the city or at 
>> least center city with Wifi on the taxpayer's dime.
>>
>> I spend alot of time in Philly and know some companies directly and 
>> many others indirectly that were in the process of doing this for 
>> profit, using their own resources.  They ran the numbers and figured 
>> with the cost of build out and the number of projected subscribers at 
>> a multi tiered price point, it made business sense to invest.
>>
>> Then the city steps up with grand plans to tax everyone and give it 
>> away, or maybe even charge for the service.
>>
>> I didn't follow the outcome, but I personally know half a dozen 
>> people that had their money invested in a free market venture that 
>> made sense and were at risk of losing that market and all the money 
>> invested in market analysis, planning, and actually starting to roll 
>> out Wifi.
>>
>> Needless to say, they were not too happy, and neither was I, even 
>> though I was not directly impacted, as a trend, the government makes 
>> it harder and harder to meet the entry barriers, then you have to 
>> compete with them?
>>
>> Like USPS, it loses good money over bad and competes with FedEx and 
>> UPS.  It will never be allowed to fail, but I am not so sure about 
>> FedEx or UPS.  The government might try to bail them out or whatever, 
>> but I would think it would make more sense for them to bring them 
>> under USPS and have something that was designed to profit, not just 
>> deliver parcels.
>>
>> Anyways, enough ranting about government intrusion on consumer 
>> (businesses included) affairs.
>>
>> Just pick up my trash, be around to put out fires, plow the roads, 
>> keep them in working order.  Stick to the basics that the citizens 
>> need to be able to have a free market.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Steve T
>> --
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>
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