dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
785

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Main problem with line sharing - determing wholesale cost

Line sharing always was a problem. And the biggest part of that problem is who determines what the real WHOLESALE cost is to the 3rd parties wanting to use an ISPs lines and how is that value determined.

Obviously, the 3rd parties(aka Clecs when it was just voice access) want regulators to make that value as absolutely low as possible so that they can undercut the market price being offered by the ISP. In other words they want to only pay variable marginal costs for their access.

The ISPs want a fully burdened cost that reflects all costs; including taxes; depreciation of assets; a portion of debt burden; etc.

Regulators would, of course, try to walk some middle ground. Satisfying neither group and resulting in non-stop lobbying by both sides; lawsuits; and court cases. Is it any wonder that the FCC doesn't want to run full speed in to that minefield. They have already seen how that worked with the Ilec/Clec battles over voice access.
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

1 recommendation

patcat88

Member

Solution is easy. ILEC, you can't sell to the public anymore, ILEC holding corp, your now a CLEC, have a nice day.

Works wonderfully in Britain, except for customers not on RTs (and Openreach/BT seems to have no plans to ever add RTs without concessions from the government). The solution to a lack of plant investment is rate of return and tarrif regulations. The ONLY way you can increase prices is to offer new services.
qworster
join:2001-11-25
Bryn Mawr, PA

2 edits

qworster to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

Line sharing always was a problem. And the biggest part of that problem is who determines what the real WHOLESALE cost is to the 3rd parties wanting to use an ISPs lines and how is that value determined.

Obviously, the 3rd parties(aka Clecs when it was just voice access) want regulators to make that value as absolutely low as possible so that they can undercut the market price being offered by the ISP. In other words they want to only pay variable marginal costs for their access.

The ISPs want a fully burdened cost that reflects all costs; including taxes; depreciation of assets; a portion of debt burden; etc.

Regulators would, of course, try to walk some middle ground. Satisfying neither group and resulting in non-stop lobbying by both sides; lawsuits; and court cases. Is it any wonder that the FCC doesn't want to run full speed in to that minefield. They have already seen how that worked with the Ilec/Clec battles over voice access.
Let's get real!

The copper infrastructure was bought and paid for DECADES ago- quite a bit of it with public money no less!! The telcos were given a monopoly partly to subsidize the cost of building out the copper.

Over 90% of the DSL out there is LINESHARE, which means that the ILECS are STILL MAKING MONEY on that copper pair from the POTS that's on it. Why should they be allowed to gouge on the DSL GRAVY? A reasonable wholesale payment of say 3-5 dollars a month should be plenty! Same thing with dry line-they already charge 5-10 dollars a month more for it-with that $$ going directly to the ILEC. That should be plenty.

Remember, the ILECS AGREED to this back in 1996. The Bush FCC gave them a pass from doing it-AFTER the ILECS got THEIR stuff!

It's time for the Obama FCC to tell the ILECS that their free ride is over and now they'll have to abide by the agreements they signed in the mid 1990s.

And YES, linesharing should also apply to fiber and coax too!

PS: Cable's coax was also paid for years ago. Also do I have to remind you that cable TV rates have been going up an average of 10 times the rate of inflation?

Cable is gouging us!
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

1 recommendation

elray

Member

said by qworster:

said by FFH5:

Line sharing always was a problem. And the biggest part of that problem is who determines what the real WHOLESALE cost is to the 3rd parties wanting to use an ISPs lines and how is that value determined.
Let's get real!

The copper infrastructure was bought and paid for DECADES ago- quite a bit of it with public money no less!! The telcos were given a monopoly partly to subsidize the cost of building out the copper.

Over 90% of the DSL out there is LINESHARE Why should they be allowed to gouge on the DSL GRAVY? A reasonable wholesale payment of say 3-5 dollars a month should be plenty!

And YES, linesharing should also apply to fiber and coax too!

PS: Cable's coax was also paid for years ago. Also do I have to remind you that cable TV rates have been going up an average of 10 times the rate of inflation?
Copper was not built with public monies. It was built under regulated rates of return. While I think we should discuss spinning off the copper into a public coop, such cannot occur without compensation to the LEC. But realizing the cost of the coop acquisition, as well as rehabbing and maintaining the copper will not result in cheaper broadband. Today's cheap rates are the result of the dotcom bust writing off costs to shareholders.

Linesharing cannot apply to fiber. The FCC granted Verizon and the Bell companies monopoly status in order to encourage them (and their shareholders) to risk the $100 billion or so it takes to build a fiber network. Despite the right to remove copper, and the right to exclude ISP's, Verizon allows resale of FIOS at a discount. Go figure.

Linesharing cannot be forced upon the LECs. The FCC rescinded copper line-sharing, and again with the aforementioned fiber. And yet, LECs continue to resell.

Your approach, forcing them to resell at $5 a month, would simply lead to them abandoning (and destroying) the copper plant, as they have the right.

Cable coax in my neighborhood is less than a year old, and it is the third new install of coax in five years. It wasn't "paid for years ago". While I'm not happy with cable TV rates and channel bundling, overall, cable continues to deliver better value every year; cable internet and cable telephony and triple-play bundles are very competitive options.

We are not being gouged.
qworster
join:2001-11-25
Bryn Mawr, PA

qworster

Member

Then the telcos should be required to re-divest! AT&T should be broken up again, Verizon should be forced to sell California and on and on!

Look, the telcos got to buy each other up BECAUSE they agreed to the wholesale linesharing requirement. Since THEY turned around amd reneged on it, then THEIR part of that agreement should be nullified!

The FCC made it so the telcos got to have their cake and eat it too!
sonicmerlin
join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH

sonicmerlin to elray

Member

to elray
said by elray:

said by qworster:

said by FFH5:

Line sharing always was a problem. And the biggest part of that problem is who determines what the real WHOLESALE cost is to the 3rd parties wanting to use an ISPs lines and how is that value determined.
Let's get real!

The copper infrastructure was bought and paid for DECADES ago- quite a bit of it with public money no less!! The telcos were given a monopoly partly to subsidize the cost of building out the copper.

Over 90% of the DSL out there is LINESHARE Why should they be allowed to gouge on the DSL GRAVY? A reasonable wholesale payment of say 3-5 dollars a month should be plenty!

And YES, linesharing should also apply to fiber and coax too!

PS: Cable's coax was also paid for years ago. Also do I have to remind you that cable TV rates have been going up an average of 10 times the rate of inflation?
Copper was not built with public monies. It was built under regulated rates of return. While I think we should discuss spinning off the copper into a public coop, such cannot occur without compensation to the LEC. But realizing the cost of the coop acquisition, as well as rehabbing and maintaining the copper will not result in cheaper broadband. Today's cheap rates are the result of the dotcom bust writing off costs to shareholders.

Linesharing cannot apply to fiber. The FCC granted Verizon and the Bell companies monopoly status in order to encourage them (and their shareholders) to risk the $100 billion or so it takes to build a fiber network. Despite the right to remove copper, and the right to exclude ISP's, Verizon allows resale of FIOS at a discount. Go figure.

Linesharing cannot be forced upon the LECs. The FCC rescinded copper line-sharing, and again with the aforementioned fiber. And yet, LECs continue to resell.

Your approach, forcing them to resell at $5 a month, would simply lead to them abandoning (and destroying) the copper plant, as they have the right.

Cable coax in my neighborhood is less than a year old, and it is the third new install of coax in five years. It wasn't "paid for years ago". While I'm not happy with cable TV rates and channel bundling, overall, cable continues to deliver better value every year; cable internet and cable telephony and triple-play bundles are very competitive options.

We are not being gouged.
Yes, we are. Your worthless anecdotal experience does not apply to everyone else.

Forcing an ILEC to resell at $5 a month would not lead to them abandoning their business as long as they can turn a profit.

The term `competitive options` is a pathetic euphamism for `I have one real high-speed option`.