[Hidden-tech] Subways in the hilltowns

[ussailis at shaysnet.com]

While I agree with most, I must take issue with wireless.

100% of the wireless spectrum from 9 KHz to 300 GHz is regulated in some
manner by the FCC. So called "license-free" frequencies mean no operator's
license is required within the bounds of the FCC rules. FCC approval of the
equipment is required.

So the problem with WiFi like systems is the restriction to the Industrial,
Scientific and Medical bands (ISM), power of less than 1 watt, antenna gain
(varies to between 0 dBi and about 6 dB1) and use of digital or
spread-spectrum transmissions. This is mostly in Part 15 of the FCC rules &
Regs (47 CFR).

Should anyone get involved with this, download the complete Part 15, and
Part 2. Part 2 is large, but there are sections that are necessary.

The use of so-called "white-space" is still under review.

So, we agree a wireline system is viable, unless many wireless sites are
employed.

Incidentally, cell phone frequencies are leased by the FCC. A typical lease
sale nets the Federal Gov't about 20 Billion Bucks. Not chump change. I
have heard of one going for $34B, but that could have been in Europe.  

Frankly, I don't see the difference between paying for roads & subways via
taxes and fees and paying for a municipal service by some other form. It
all comes out of my pocket. At least I might have some control over the
municipal route.

>From '78 to '83 I did belong to a municipal electric co-op in Marietta
Georgia. A few years back they got in trouble for about $90 M accumulated
since the late 30s. They were class-action sued. I received about 150 bucks
for 5 years of overcharges. Small, but tends to keep people in high places
more honest.


Jim Ussailis



Original email:
-----------------
From: Robert Heller heller at deepsoft.com
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 21:46:06 -0400 (EDT)
To: ussailis at shaysnet.com, heller at deepsoft.com, townwebsites at gmail.com,
hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net, heller at deepsoft.com
Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] Subways in the hilltowns


At Wed, 28 Sep 2016 20:55:23 -0400 ussailis at shaysnet.com wrote:

> 
> Subways are different than internet or wireline systems=2E (To me
wireline=
> 
> and cable are the same thing=2E)
> 

Right "telecom" bundles all of the together.  And the future is going to a 
single "network": the "Internet".  There will no longer be *separate* cable
TV 
or telephone network.  It will all be services offered on the Internet 
(streaming video, VOIP, whatever).

> Subways, like roads require land, land, lotsa land, all in one continuous
> piece=2E That requires a municipality to consider what's best for it, and
> "take" the necessary land if it isn't available=2E
> 
> Wireline services only require, at most, poles near the street / road,
> which the municipality already owns=2E=20
> 
> On my street in Florence, the City of Northampton owns 9 feet in from the
> street edge=2E I believe it is actually a measured from the street center
> line=2E
> 
> There are many municipalities in Massachusetts that own their electric
> company=2E Wakefield and Chicopee are two that I know about=2E
> 
> So there is nothing stopping a municipality from owning a internet
> wireline, service utility=2E=20

No there isn't, *BUT* it is very different from how a municipality "owns" 
roads and streets:

Road and street maintaince is covered with tax revenue and the highway 
department (or DPW) is just another department of municipal government.

Municipal electric, gas, and telecom (phone, cable TV, and Internet)
services
are owned by a "Municipal Light Plant" (originally just for electric, but
amended to include other services). A "Municipal Light Plant" (MLP) is a
municipally owned "business" that is independent of municipal government. It
gets no tax revenue and does not contribute to municipal government. It must
pay for its expences out of service fee revenues.

Note that all of the *TAs (<mumble> Transit Authorities) are effectivly
state
agencies. That is, they are *governmental* entities, and like roads are
heavily subsidized with tax revenue, although most transit authorities do 
collect a fee for services (eg fares). A MLP is NOT a *pure* governmental
entity.  And it is not possible to subsidize a MLP.

> 
> Owning a wireless utility is another different matter=2E That is
regulated=
>  by
> the FCC=2E I don't think there is a frequency band available that would
al=
> low
> coverage over a reasonable distance to make a wireless system
practical=2E=
> 

Actually most fixed wireless systems use *unlicenced* frequencies and power
levels. No FCC regulation. *Distance* is not the issue. Topography is the
problem: hills and trees. Western Mass has too many hills and trees for
fixed
wireless systems to work well without so many access points to be cost
effective (vs FTTH) -- you would end up stringing almost as much fiber to
provide a backbone for the access points as you would to just string the
fiber
to the homes.



> 
> A place in CA did try many, many WiFi-like nodes=2E It didn't offer
useful=
> 
> service=2E
> 
> 
> Jim Ussailis=20
> 
> 
> Original email:
> -----------------
> From: Robert Heller heller at deepsoft=2Ecom
> Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 13:48:56 -0400 (EDT)
> To: townwebsites at gmail=2Ecom, Hidden-discuss at lists=2Ehidden-tech=2Enet
> Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] Subways in the hilltowns
> 
> 
> At Wed, 28 Sep 2016 10:35:32 -0400 "Town Websites"
<townwebsites at gmail=2Ec=
> om>
> wrote:
> 
> >=20
> > Content-Language: en-us
> >=20
> >=20
> > Well, no=2E  But when subways are built in the city, such as the red
lin=
> e
> > which added service porter, davis, and alewife in Cambridge and
> Somerville,
> > property values there went up=2E
> >=20
> > =20
> >=20
> > Why the heck can't the state help the hilltowns by letting them get
> > broadband=3F
> >=20
> 
> Its complicated=2E :-)  The subways are subsdized and people are ok with
t=
> hat=20
> (more or less)=2E  And there aren't any sort of private alternitives=2E 
T=
> he
> only=20
> "competition" with the subways are the surface streets, which are also
> owned=20
> by the government=2E  So building a subway is something of a nobrainer=2E
> 
> In the case of telecom, there are private companies providing telecom
> services=20
> and the idea of the government jumping in and providing it the same way
as=
> 
> the=20
> government provides transportation (eg roads, etc=2E) is seen as unfair
to=
> 
> the=20
> private companies providing telecom services, *even though those same
> private=20
> companies providing telecom services* are not in fact providing it in
> certain=20
> areas (because it is not "profitable" to do so)=2E  So, the towns have
to=20=
> 
> provide the telecom services *as a fee for service* deal=2E  And do so in
=
> a
> way=20
> to be self-suffiencent=2E  Not that the towns doing it is somehow
> "profitable"=20
> (it is not really), but the towns still need to make a small "profit"
> (called=20
> "retained earnings", since there are no stockholders to get dividends
or=20=
> 
> anything)=2E =20
> 
> > =20
> >=20
> > Charlie Heath
> >=20
> > =20
> >=20
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> 
> --=20
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Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933
Deepwoods Software        -- Custom Software Services
http://www.deepsoft.com/  -- Linux Administration Services
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