Trying to explain what I do for a living is difficult, sometimes. In our bubble, talk of things like CPNI or DE credits is common; to the outside observer, however, our universe is peppered with incomprehensible acronyms that describe spheres of regulation the average person does not consider. Sometimes, however, a confluence of issues manifests in a single event to illustrate, understandably, what we do (or, more accurately, what RLECs do not do, since the described circumstances would not occur in an RLEC service territory).
This article from Consumerist describes the plight of a man who purchased a house with the understanding that he would be able to obtain broadband at the location. The cable company, after several site visits, declined to extend service; the incumbent telco described the location as being in “permanent exhaust,” meaning that no new customers would be added. The story embraces numerous issues – broadband mapping; competition; universal service; telework; muni broadband. There is not much I can add to the article, so use the link above and simply count this post as a “news aggregator”/”in case you missed it” feature. I do not agree with all of the editorial conclusions in the article, but it is worth a good read. And, no, it is not an April Fool’s post.
