lemondrop
Defender Of Mindless Frivolity
join:2000-08-03
Virginia Beach, VA
|  Verizon says no thanks
trust me, verizon has enough going on with our own customers. we cannot possibly handle their run-off. while verizon may not be the perfect model for DSL, i cannot help but to think that any company that forms a symbiotic relationship with their competitor that happens to be a monopoly is starting on the wrong foot. I have never understood the concept of someone basing their business model on another companies equipment and , most of the time, manpower. They cannot afford their own DSLAMS so they use someone elses. They cannot afford to build central offices, so they use their competitors. They do not have enough techs of their own, so they enlist the techs of their chief enemy. now, correct me if i am wrong, but is this the smartest way to try and make a living? I commend companies like Covad that build their own equipment and it pains me to see the demise of good providers. no one benefits from the confusion and anger caused by hard times and shortcomings. However, a relationship that is parasitic from the start may not be a wise choice. The joy of a capitalist society is the concept of a better mousetrap,and the capital to fulfill your goals. verizon is on top simply because the infrastructure was built from the ground up from the 1800's until now.No one gave verizon ( formerly bell atlantic) anything in the beginning. In fact, most thought it was a silly idea, but they took the ball and ran with it and built the telecommunications industry into a force to be reckoned with. It may not be morally right, but if you own all the toys, you run the game. I only hope that Northpoint learns a valuable lesson about sleeping with the enemy and swimming with sharks. |
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bmk57
join:2000-08-28
New York, NY | At least there's the 30 days free. If one doesn't like it, they lose money from provisioning costs. And with SDSL, the provisioning costs are pretty expensive. |
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justin
Australian
join:1999-05-28
Brooklyn, NY
Host:
IPv6
Business Connectiv..
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Console Tech
| reply to lemondrop
Northpoint uses copper mountain DSLAMs, rents space in the CO, and outsources DSL installs to subcontractors other than the telco, and does as much as it is allowed to do under law. So if you are commending Covad, you should commend NorthPoint as well. |
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antimonopolist
@gtei.net | reply to lemondrop
[However, a relationship that is parasitic from the start may not be a wise choice.]
I don't know... the parasitic (monopolistic) relationship (stranglehold) that Verizon (all ILEC's) have going seems to be working... |
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dbarc
join:2000-01-22
Fort Wayne, IN
| reply to lemondrop
said by lemondrop:
The joy of a capitalist society is the concept of a better mousetrap,and the capital to fulfill your goals. verizon is on top simply because the infrastructure was built from the ground up from the 1800's until now.No one gave verizon ( formerly bell atlantic) anything in the beginning. In fact, most thought it was a silly idea, but they took the ball and ran with it and built the telecommunications industry into a force to be reckoned with.
I'm as capitalistic as they come, but let's review your statement on building from the ground up in the 1800's and the 'fact' that no one gave 'verizon (formerly bell atlantic)' actually the 'bell system', anything in the beginning.
First, they had a guaranteed monopoly in any area they served. Though there were initially competing local telco's, that didn't last long.
Secondly, they were regulated, true, but by the process were also guaranteed a return on their investment. Rates were set by the state commissions. Since it was the 'bell system' local rates could be subsidized by long distance rates, since it was all part of the 'bell system'. (Which is still somewhat the case due to the continued setting of termination fees.)
I actually feel that competition is good. However, it is lopsided in the case of competition with ILEC's and the apparent lack of the FCC to really oversee this unlike the federal courts and Judge Greene in the case of the breakup of the system. They continue to have an advantage due to that ever present 'last mile' owned by the telco's. True, they built it and paid for it...almost. We, the customers, were the ones who paid for it and that was done under a government sponsored/guaranteed monopoly. There needs to be much more assurance of competition do to that little 'glitch' until it's on an even/balanced keel. Actually, I think it should have been done like the process being done in utility deregulation where transmission and generation facilities were essentially split (generally the local utility divesting the generation facilities). The local ilecs should have divested the transmission or 'last mile'. And no, the current CA situation is NOT a valid example to rebut. They did not have 'deregulation' legitimately but politically as the end rates were still fixed while the supply was left to the market. (Also, it's not a good example due to the fact that transmission facilities, it the high tension interconnects are not sufficient in some areas, for ex, north to south, meaning there is a limit to the power that can be transferred.) |
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geteven
@Empire.Net
| The FCC has backed away from the promise of access competition that was the basis of the CLEC business model.
Don't simply gripe about the lunacy of the FCC's position...send the chairman William Kennard an email!
»www.fcc.gov/commissioners/kennard/mail.html
Tell him what you think! |
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Anon
| reply to lemondrop
Verizon can't afford the possible consequences
Keep in mind that one of the complaints against Verizon in the Northpoint litigation is that Verizon broke the agreement in order to force Northpoint into a bad financial position, only to swoop in and buy the assets for a much lesser price later. If Verizon comes into the picture now to buy those assets, they place themselves at risk of fulfilling a part of Northpoint's complaint. |
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AngelKnight
join:2000-01-21
Astoria, NY
|  reply to lemondrop
Re: Verizon says no thanks
Well, it was nice having Covad service (via SpeakEasy) while it lasted...
But how do you build a mousetrap in a locale where doing so is illegal? In NYC, as I understand it, the only body allowed to install wire-based point-to-point telecommunications equipment into the ground is Verizon. Even RCN and others must lease underground pairs from Verizon. If anyone wants extra data-carrying cable installed into the ground, you must involve Verizon. If I am incorrect, please correct me. |
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