Vermonters Opposed to Verizon Wireless Purchase Rural residents don't want to see a cell phone monopoly in their state While Verizon works for approval to sell their Vermont DSL and landline networks to Fairpoint Communications, Verizon Wireless is fighting the FCC for approval to purchase a small wireless network called Rural Cellular Corp. (RCC). The purchase of RCC has been opposed by Vermont legislators who do not want to create a cell phone monopoly in the state. The FCC approved a request by the Vermont Public Interest Research Group to allow a 90-day extension on the public comment period before the purchase. Vermont residents have until the end of this month to voice their concerns about the purchase which are centered on the monopoly creating poor service and higher rates in the area.
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  Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
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USA
kudos:4 |  Vermont legislators can't make up their minds .....
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|  |  DaveDudeNo Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
kudos:1 | Re: Vermont legislators can't make up their minds ..... Isnt Vermont one of the most left states there is ? This is typical left behavior, they hate business, to the extent that they have a single choice and complain. Maybe they should lower taxes so businesses will want to stay in Vermont. | |
| | |  NOCManMacChatterPremium
join:2004-09-30
Colorado Springs, CO | Re: Vermont legislators can't make up their minds ..... And the right is managing our economy any better? Since Clinton was in office our money went from good to horrible, oil prices have tripled, our country which used to be referred to respectably as the world police, is now nearly universally disliked.
There's no left/right where money is concerned, just greed. | |
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| Re: Vermont legislators can't make up their minds ..... said by NOCMan:And the right is managing our economy any better? Since Clinton was in office our money went from good to horrible, oil prices have tripled, our country which used to be referred to respectably as the world police, is now nearly universally disliked. There's no left/right where money is concerned, just greed. Vermont's economy is so hurting its not even funny. Work is sparser there then most of Maine even.
This makes me laugh. They need to realize service sucked under RCC and they want them to invest , well RCC was one provider who didn't have money because of so many dead beat cell customers and was barely making profits. They had no money to invest.
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| | | |  TransmasterDon't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
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Cheyenne, WY | I hate Coffe I hateTea, I hate the USA, and I hate Me I am one of those who think that the friendship between the United States and France is as important today as it was during the last two centuries. President Sarkozy.
It seem to me the countries that hate us are our enemies, you know those people who want to take use back to the 12th century with car bombs, and homicide bombers. Who believe in the Honor killing their daughters, Stoning, chopping off the hands, ears, and noses of criminals. Counties where it is a death sentence to become a Christian. I don't know about you but we can do without friends like these.
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| | | | | | | Re: I hate Coffe I hateTea, I hate the USA, and I hate Me said by Transmaster:I am one of those who think that the friendship between the United States and France is as important today as it was during the last two centuries. President Sarkozy. It seem to me the countries that hate us are our enemies, you know those people who want to take use back to the 12th century with car bombs, and homicide bombers. Who believe in the Honor killing their daughters, Stoning, chopping off the hands, ears, and noses of criminals. Counties where it is a death sentence to become a Christian. I don't know about you but we can do without friends like these. When the Germans rolled into France in WWII, the French said, "We love the Germans!" When the Americans rolled into France kicking the Nazis out, they said, "We love America!" Once America rebuilt France, they said, "We hate America!"
The only real friend we have in Europe is the British (and the Germans since if we left, there economy might go belly-up without all those US dollars paying for military bases and servicemen spending money there).
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Saving the world keeps me busy. However, I find Earth very primitive from my home planet of Krypton.
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| | | | | Re: Vermont legislators can't make up their minds ..... Oh yeah... Clinton was God. I love how nobody ever mentions that we headed into a recession while he was in office and also witnessed the worst period of "corporate downsizing" in U.S. history. This was mainly caused by his brilliant supporting of that piece of crap trade agreement called NAFTA which paved the way for all the outsourcing we are now seeing in this country. Yeah... he did a SUPERB job. | |
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join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA | And this just demonstrates how two-faced the American public is. They want what's good for business when they're looking at their 401k's, but they want what's good for consumers when they're looking at their monthly bills.
And for the last thirty years, the 401k's have been MORE important to John Q. than their monthly bills, and there is NOTHING that indicates that that has changed in the slightest.
Even the Democrats are pro-business now.
Consumer outrage sounds really "cool"... "Stick it to "the Man"..." :rolleyes: However, when people put their money where their mouths are, they vote for the people who are going to foster their best hope for a comfortable retirement, rather than the people who are going to undercut the big-business-driven economy. | |
| |  RR ConductorHappy 40th AmtrakPremium
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA
kudos:1 | said by Romney2012:... They want Verizon to stay, but they want Verizon's wireless subsidiary to get lost. This is a good reason why telecomm should be unregulated. Politics and politicians make decisions for their own interests(private & political) instead of leaving capitalism to make the most efficient use of scarce financial resources. The end result when politicians and regulators get involved will always be the same - higher prices and poorer service. Oh yeah, and Reaganomics aka Voodoo Economics and Drip down is gonna save us all, and we'll all live happily ever after in a country run by corporations, they'll share their wealth and give all so that our nation will be one big, happy place....NOT
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Waitsfield, VT | It never ceases to amaze me when right wing fanatics seize upon an article to espouse their biased opinions regardless of the facts of the situation. As my battle scared Vietnam veteran friend would say; “Opinions are like a**holes, everybody’s got one.”
Should you care to consider the facts, there are two issues of concern; first the sale of Verizon’s land lines and the purchase by Verizon Wireless of RCC.
The first matter is of concern because the “deal” is the sale of Verizon’s land lines in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine to Fairpoint Communications, a small regional non unionized telecommunication company, which is being financed entirely by Verizon. Apparently, the value of the assets was not attractive enough to attract interest from any competing telecommunication company so Verizon has to provide the financing to make the sale possible. The question/concern is; can the company, Fairpoint, make the investment in upgrading the infrastructure, which has been ignored by Verizon for several years and service the debt they assume by purchasing the assets without having to request significant rate increases from the public regulators in all three states. Additionally, having to manage a unionized workforce of which they have no experience. An additional fact, to consider by the regulatory agencies, is Verizon chose to neglect it regulatory responsibility to upgrade the infrastructure in Vermont and was required to pay an 8 million dollar fine.
The second issue, the sale of RCC to Verizon Wireless, is of concern because it would create a monopoly and based upon the company’s past behavior with its wired assets the legitimate concerns by consumers are valid as RCC has the best cell coverage in northern New England with its GSM network, the competitors service is basically limited to the Interstate corridor.
Regarding the comments about the quantity of service and competition due to the lack of profitability I cite the example of Waitsfield / Champlain Valley Telecom whose service area consists primarily of rural areas of Central Vermont and is able to provide DSL service to 100% of it service area. A feat that Verizon has not been able, or unwilling to provide. Apparently they would rather pay an 8 million dollar fine to the State of Vermont than invest in its infrastructure and make their assets more attractive to a potential buyer. | |
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| | Democracy RULZ! Finally nice to see politicians with common sense,
balls AND a conscience. Monopolies are not always
a bad thing but in PRINCIPLE alone being the only
game in town you pretty much can do whatever you want. | |
| MTUPremium
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San Luis Obispo, CA | Dreamland ..And Santa Claus will bring you lots of gifts if you're a good boy.
The 'end result' when corporations have there way is to make happy CEO's and shareholders, not happy customers. | |
| | bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA | Re: Dreamland Many of us ARE shareholders. Many of us are relying on our investments and mutual funds to provide for our comfortable retirement. That's why the last thirty years you've seen a steady ascendancy of corporate America, precisely because it has been discovered as the best was of fostering our own respective personal prosperities. | |
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NOCManMacChatterPremium
join:2004-09-30
Colorado Springs, CO | Seems NJ people forget That Verizon refused to deploy FIOS in your state until you all voted laws that allowed them to basically put service where they want and ignore the rest of the state. Course you all forget you forced the cable companies to do the exact opposite 20 years ago.
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| |  pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | Re: Seems NJ people forget said by NOCMan:That Verizon refused to deploy FIOS in your state until you all voted laws that allowed them to basically put service where they want and ignore the rest of the state. So what if they want to do that?
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| | Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 | NJ is #1 in broadband penetration in the US. And it is reasons like friendly laws for cable and telco that made it that way.
»Broadband Industry Slowing
Leichtman also explored broadband penetration data, noting that the top five states are New Jersey, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts and Connecticut. | |
| | |  sansri88digital is herePremium
join:2005-12-17
New York, NY
kudos:1 | Re: Seems NJ people forget Yup, NJ is definitely the best when it comes to broadband penetration. Can't wait for FiOS early 2008! | |
| | | | | | Re: Seems NJ people forget My friend lives in Dover and he has Verizon FiOS. Something tells me you don't have to wait that long. ^^ | |
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bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA | Talk is Cheap And this just demonstrates how two-faced the American public is. They want what's good for business when they're looking at their 401k's, but they want what's good for consumers when they're looking at their monthly bills.
And for the last thirty years, the 401k's have been MORE important to John Q. than their monthly bills, and there is NOTHING that indicates that that has changed in the slightest.
Even the Democrats are pro-business now.
Consumer outrage sounds really "cool"... "Stick it to "the Man"..." :rolleyes: However, when people put their money where their mouths are, they vote for the people who are going to foster their best hope for a comfortable retirement, rather than the people who are going to undercut the big-business-driven economy. | |
|  jsc
@comcast.net |  Why should a merger be held up by one state?
Tell ya what, Vermont: let's have VZW and RCC agree to spin the Vermont assets off into a publicly-held trust and you can run your own network. Appoint Bernie Sanders as the CEO. See how well that works out. Maybe they can have a new promotion: a $300 Dyna-TAC 8000X with a 5 year contract. Oh, and $1.50 per minute roaming rates.
Morons. | |
| | bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA | Re: Why should a merger be held up by one state? Good point. If Vermont has a problem with Verizon buying RCC, then they should offer to pay a proportional price to purchase the Vermont assets of RCC themselves, and let the rest of the country get on with doing what's RIGHT. | |
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 firephotoKDEPremium
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Brewster, WA
 ·Frontier Communi..
| There is a problem with this deal here... I have two choices for a cell phone right now. Verizon or Unicel (RCC). If the deal goes through I have once choice for a carrier, no choice for a phone because I lose GSM service and get locked to whatever phone Verizon offers and changing phones means dealing with their support and sitting on hold all day.
This deal even makes AT&T look good and me telling them I live somewhere else so I can get service from them.
It's bad enough I'm stuck with a landline number I don't need because of dsl with Verizon in ex-GTE land.
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| | | | Re: There is a problem with this deal here... I was going to post this, but I figured a real VTer would do it eventually. I do NOT want to have to get VZ for a cell phone when I move up there, people I've talked to with Unicel seem to be much happier (and I have excellent coverage roaming on Unicel with AT&T when I'm up there) | |
| | bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA | I think, though, that the problem isn't necessarily what people think it is. The problem is that no competitors want to offer service in Vermont. Why not? Why is Verizon aiming to sell their DSL and landline networks to Fairpoint Communications? Mergers and acquisitions aren't what cause a lack of competition; lack of profitability is what causes a lack of competition. Folks in northern New England need to think hard about what they consider important, and if competitive communications services is important to them, they need to find a way of fostering a thriving profitable market for these services. | |
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| Re: There is a problem with this deal here... There in lies the issue. A major one at that. Vermont is a hippie like state. Sorry to say this seriously but I worked the state with Unicel installing towers and hanging gear until I moved into the network group.
The state just doesn't have work. And some will claim we are as good as the rest !!! But the truth is your not. The state is hurting for work and no company wants to come there. They are in shambles for communications. Verizon knows the network there is hurting and wants to at least buy it to help try and offer evdo there for high speed. They can't offer dsl and make a profit they will try with evdo and wireless.
It's a shame but true the area is really hard hit for work, and most that do work don't work a tech job and care about broadband.
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"It's always funny until someone gets hurt......and then it's absolutely friggin' hysterical!" | |
| | | | | | Re: There is a problem with this deal here... I live in an area that would be directly affected by this. One 800mhz is Unicel, the other 800mhz is VZW. Nextel provides spotty coverage, USC is basically non-existent, and there is no sprint/at&t or t-mobile.
Living where there's basically one wireless company in all of northern VT is not gonna work. I hope they sell off this part of the state to a GSM carrier and maintain the network. Unicel is still building new GSM towers as we speak [one in cabot, known perhaps for its cheese: population 1600] was just built. VZW just won't commit to that kind of coverage.
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