Work Continues On Voom Satellites

[mike123abc]

It is quite possible CVC/VOOM plans to try to sell the Ka slots. To keep a valid license for the slots to sell CVC has to have the satellite construction contracts in place. They can market the slots for the next 6 months and see if there are any buyers. If they cancel the construction contracts they could default on their obligations to the FCC to keep the slots.

 

[mindstein]

CVC sounds like the government doing business. Of course Martin could just sell the satellites once completed. If they stop work then they have no satellites to sell if CVC doesn't pay.

My money says that the contract is between LMMS and CVC so......... LMMS has a customer and unless that customer pays, they will be sued.

 

[piperut]

Yes, it is shared through state regulation. Verizon has the current contract to maintain infrastructure (at least here locally), but it can be given to any telco.

There are additional fees tacked on everyone's phone bills for infrastructure maintence. So although I don't have Verizon I still pay to maintain the lines. The only other downfall to competition here is the need to have 3 phone books as each directory from each company doesn't cover the entire calling area.

I managed to get out of the State regulated phone system. I switched over to VOIP. This was not with out problems. I had to put DSL filters on all the phones, and get 900mz cordless phones. The 2.4 and 5.8 gz cordless phones had trouble. There are still some excise taxes, but a lot of the fees are now gone. Of course the states are trying to talk the feds into letting them tax VOIP the way there were taxing the phones. So far the feds have said that VOIP is a data service and under the internet rules.

The real only problem left is for the VOIP phone companies and the local phone companies to work out - that is calling 911. There are some regulator fixes for that in the works. (In the meantime, I have a sort term fix... but it is an old solution... I dug out an old CB hand held radio. If I really need 911, I can always call for help on channel 9). Or have someone run next door to the neighbors house.

Minor problems to deal with.

roland

 

[hbk409]

phone companies to work out - that is calling 911.

roland

this depends on who you have i have optimum voice from cablevision and it has E911, that goes directly to my local 911 office and i did not have to register for it like you have to with vonage. also there is no additional fees, such as taxes or line fees. and if you have all three svcs, tv, internet and voip you get a $20 credit on your monthly bill

 

[MarcelV]

...it has E911

So has Packet8. Don't have them myself, but noticed they are the only nationwide VoIP service to provide this for now.