The BTOP Blues
December 8, 2009
The BTOP blues…my song goes out to those really singing the blues–AT&T and Comcast.
It seems that AT&T and Comcast are filing protests on just about anyone seeking broadband funds under the Federal Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP). It seems they believe, wherever they are, consumers and businesses are already served well by them and that any BTOP money should go to proposals that bring wireless and fiber optics to the most remote areas in America. Affectionately, they are telling our government they are serving everyone (lie), that they have competition (lie) and that they are concerned about those receiving funds building in their markets. They use the term “building over us.”
I do hope–and this is a big hope–that the NTIA and RUS see right through this garbage and such a blatant act of protecting their monopoly presence. If what AT&T and Comcast say is true, then they are telling the President and Congress, “you are a bunch of idiots for even entertaining urban/suburban proposals unless they are targeted towards fiber to the barn (FTTB) or WiMax to the chicken house (WiTTCH).”
I am a fair person. I can agree with AT&T and Comcast–if they open up their networks for access to others to further enable broadband penetration and competition.
And what I mean by “opening up their networks” is that they lease dark fiber and wholesale capacity to any and all comers at the same rate it is costing them. This creates a level playing field, maximizes capital infrastructure efficiency and allows competition to occur based upon applications and bundles by eliminating the high fixed cost barrier to entry they each have and each enjoy today.
BTOP Blues … it’s been 13 years since the Communications Act of 1996 … the ILEC and able companies after 13 years still dominate their markets ranging anywhere from 85% market share to 100%. If you measure it on physical network competition, they are well above 95% market share and going as slow as possible and filing against carrier BTOP submissions that can and bring open access networks to anyone, including AT&T and Comcast.
AT&T, Comcast and a few others have those BTOP blues a-playing…should be interesting to see how the NTIA and RUS react to their lyrics…
Written by Dave Rusin - Telecom Executive
Posted by wbrache | Filed Under American telecom, Corruption in America, Dave's Corner, Telecom USA, Telecom bloggers, Telecom broadband, Telecom news, Telecommunications industry
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