CTIA: get open-access language out of stimulus package
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Jan 27th 2009 4:50AM
posted Jan 27th 2009 4:50AM
Included in the near-trillion dollar stimulus package kicking around Congress right now is a grand total of $6 billion earmarked for broadband initiatives, wireless included -- and while we're sure the CTIA's totally cool with that, there's some pesky language they'd rather not see. It seems any deployments undertaken with that taxpayer money must be done so with open access in mind, which -- let's be honest -- seems like a totally fair policy considering public cash is getting dropped into this, but CTIA prez Steve Largent thinks that it's "saddling the stimulus measure with an ambiguous government mandate that will deter providers from taking advantage of the grant program." In other words, carriers are going to take one look at the strings attached to the cash, turn, and run in the other direction. Open access (or the illusion thereof) seems to be working out alright for Verizon so far -- though we won't really know how that whole sitch plays out until the 700MHz spectrum goes live -- but either way, can't the CTIA see why the feds aren't interested in handing out a blank check here?
"In other words, carriers are going to take one look at the strings attached to the cash, turn, and run in the other direction."
Uh... good. If they feel that they're doing so well that they don't need to "limit" themselves that way, then we don't want their grubby hands in the cookie jar.
On the other hand, if they need our money, then they should expect to have some strings attached.
If they don't like those options, tough luck.
Every country including USA has scaled down there GDP. In this tough economic time you need more than stimulus package to rebuild the financial sector. More over these stimulus packages are confined to large multinationals. You too can be a financial policy maker click here to know how you generate innovative financial policies.
Oh, what is this gift horse you have brought me? Would you so kindly mind if I were to have a look in its mouth?
Steve Largent, the former Republican congressman, is following the exposed Bush rightwing-socialist agenda of pocketing public money for private benefit. How some simply do not evolve his gray-matter beyond "saddling the stimulus measure with an ambiguous government mandate that will deter providers from taking advantage of the grant program". He simply wants providers to have unqualified access to my $. To that, former congressman, I say "fuck you and the agenda you rode in on".
ok. if this article is true, I do not like it. I do not feel that 1) these companies need a bailout, and 2) that there should be any whining about strings attached.
So I wrote Steve Largent at CTIA. I just received a reply from him:
"I agree with you 100%! We are not asking for any money. However, we were asked under what conditions would we accelerate our broadband deployment and these were the modest changes we advocated. Again, let me say, we were asked, we did not ask, what it would take to spur this deployment. We have not been lobbying for this package and most of our companies are in pretty good shape. As a taxpayer, I am very skeptical of this whole $835 billion proposal. Steve."
Take that for what it's worth. Sounds like they aren't against Open Access, they just wanted to drop that to speed up deployment, which I still don't agree with. I feel Open Access needs to happen.
All Largent is supplying in that email response is ambiguous, plausible denial, _not_ a logical rationale for his previous statement of "saddling the stimulus measure with an ambiguous government mandate that will deter providers from taking advantage of the grant program". Typical Repug 2-Step bullshit.
Open Access = More Competition = Better for the economy. With open access, you can choose from a vast array of companies offering VoIP service. Without open access, you'll be banned from using VoIP or competitor's VoIP will be throttled and you will be coerced to use the provider's service.