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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Folks, I have found the dialogue
interesting and helpful, and I appreciate the time and thought given.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>For now, I would like to add only one
observation -- and that has to do with Marianne’s note below.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>As far as I understand it, I do believe
the so-called ILECs (independent rural companies) deploy a lot more fiber than
the much-bigger Qwest -- but what is missing in both cases is fiber-to-the-premise
(or darned little, in any event).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>That huge omission is particularly
relevant to this list-serve -- 1<sup>st</sup>-mile – because,
indeed, the “first mile” (from a customer’s point of view) is
sadly lacking. This “weakest link” feature renders, if
not null and void, at least far less important, the fiber elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>What I am ardently working on –
along with others on this list -- are ways to help enable that problem to
be addressed, so that many New Mexicans (both at their residences and places of
employment – including schools and health-care facilities, etc) are able
to reap the huge advantages of optical fiber as a transmission mode.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Certainly, having fiber-to-the-premise
(FTTP), alone, does not cut it! Obviously even “first mile”
fiber has to then link with neighborhood fiber and city fiber rings, and thence
to inter-city fiber etc. But if this state were to be “lighted
up” with fiber, then many other beneficial results would be lighted up as
well -- the right kind of quality-oriented economic development,
distance learning, telemedicine, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>I particularly liked and resonate with
this partial posting earlier today from Mr. MacCabe:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> “</span></font><font
size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Making
place irrelevant so that place can matter.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>One of the things that
defines <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Mexico</st1:place></st1:State>
is that people tend to have a strong (social) connection to place.
However, economic considerations frequently make it difficult to maintain this
connection (economies of scale tend to favor metropolitan areas). The
goal of connectivity is to reduce the negative economic impact for rural --
making place irrelevant. Flattening the cost of connectivity is the first
step.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Well stated.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Last point (for now)
-- achieving the virtuous outcome that Mr. MacCabe refers to can be
helped by a comprehensive strategy of tax incentives, direct appropriations
into backbone infrastructure, and enabling cost-effective “open”
(multi-service provider) infrastructures in local communities (FTTP).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Carroll Cagle <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org
[mailto:1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On
Behalf Of </span></b>Marianne Granoff<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, February 12, 2008
10:45 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Arthur Maccabe; peter<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cc:</span></b> 1st-Mile-NM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [1st-mile-nm] Mea
Culpa and Comment</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I agree with almost everything that you have said about NLR and I2,<br>
but I have to take exception to this last paragraph. A great many <br>
of the rural areas of our state have more than adequate fiber<br>
deployment because the rural phone providers in this state have <br>
invested in fiber deployment for over 20 years. For the most part, <br>
these rural LECs put their customers first. On the other hand, some <br>
phone companies with dense population centers in NM put their money <br>
in 1) other states, 2) paying attorneys to fight regulation, 3) <br>
paying SEC fines for past bad behavior, 4) paying their high-priced <br>
executives' defense attorneys in criminal lawsuits, 5) paying for <br>
expensive media advertising saying how much better they are, 6) paying <br>
lobbyists to overturn consumer-oriented regulation at the State and <br>
Federal level, and 7) paying attorneys to fight with their customers.<br>
<br>
The challenge is not to "push" network services to the edge.
The <br>
challenge is to understand that the same services can be had in rural <br>
areas of NM today, but that such services will cost much more because <br>
the cost per person is more in rural areas. I would offer that the <br>
solutions can be found by inviting the rural LECs to partner in some <br>
innovative ways instead of paying out-of-state consultants mega-bucks <br>
to find out what exists. <br>
<br>
I have never had a rural LEC in NM tell me I could not order a T1/DS1<br>
or a T3/DS3 (usually provisioned on fiber). Our urban phone company <br>
has responded that they cannot provide even a DS1 on more than one <br>
occasion, unless I want to pay "construction costs". <br>
<br>
My two cents.<br>
<br>
Marianne Granoff<br>
NM Internet Professionals Association<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
At 08:34 AM 2/12/2008 -0700, Arthur Maccabe wrote:<br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>In the end, it's critical that <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New
Mexico</st1:place></st1:State> move forward in building <br>
adequate communication infrastructure. This is far more important
in <br>
<st1:State w:st="on">New Mexico</st1:State> than in our neighboring states like
<st1:State w:st="on">Arizona</st1:State> or <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:State> where <br>
population is much more centralized and they tend to ignore the rural <br>
parts of the state. I like to think of our challenge as the need
to <br>
push (network) services to the edge. As we go through this process,
<br>
there will be false starts. We can spend our time complaining about
<br>
the problems that we have run into, or we can try to learn from <br>
failures and move on -- there's clearly a lot more to do.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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