Daniel Berninger joined Tier1 Research in August 2004 as Senior Analyst covering telecom. Daniel has over a decade of experience that includes helping to launch three prominent VoIP startups - ITXC, Vonage, and Free World Dialup.

said by Ahrenl :

No Doubt. But are you contending that the USF actually accomplishes what it is supposed to?

said by thegoldwater :

By that argument, Google should be taxed to help pay to run copper down the road.

said by TKJunkMail :

No. I think the whole USF should be dropped completely. It is just another unneeded tax accomplishing nothing. But if the tax exists, then VOIP companies shouldn't be left off the hook either.

said by Ahrenl :

Slashing the budget won't bring anyone home or solve anything. It needed to be stopped before it started.

But since the congress is spineless, and we've got a cowboy in the executive branch, with a bunch of 3rd termers (1st was Bush senior for most of those guys) as his cabinet; we're there. If we just pull out all it once it would be civil war, followed by an invasion by Iran. You want Iran to control more of our oil supply, AND share a border with Saudi Arabia, where we get MOST of our oil? Bad Idea.

Back on topic, we can slash the USF without making any budget cuts, because the money it collects isn't doing anything anyway.

said by kamm :

Let's drop it entirely.

I propose to slash the Iraqi budget of Pentagon entirely as well and use it for telecommunication purposes. It's a win-win: grunts will be home, contributing to the domestic production and within very short time we will be the #1 broadband nation of the world.

I say double it. This way the DOD, can send more ammo & armor, to our Troops, so they can kick more azz, complete the mission objectives earlier than projected, and America can hold a big "Welcome back home Boys" celebration in honor of their heroic service to our Country.

said by Fatal Vector :

Kamm, buddy! I just knew you'd have to get in a political bash the war post in a totally unrelated thread. You've re inforced my faith in you, my friend.

said by Transmaster :

Here is how the RGTPF moneys where used on one project at a school here in Cheyenne. This school used the money to wire the whole building to cable TV to the tune of several 100 thousand dollars.

This is great except for the fact, the local cable company had already wired the building for this same thing a couple of years before as part of the CableCo's educational TV in the schools program.

said by roamer1 :

That amount of money spent on wiring for just TV seems a little excessive.

said by TKJunkMail :

Sounds to me like astroturfing by a VOIP bought and paid for consultant who is lobbying Congress on behalf of Vonage. That makes some of his assumptions subject to doubt.