Comment by erichocean

3 years ago

> it is quite easy and cheap to register as a public telecommunication utility

Is North Carolina one of those states? I'm intrigued…

9 comments

erichocean

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stevenjgarner  3 years ago

I have only done a few midwestern states. Call them and ask [0] - (919) 733-7328. You may want to first call your proposed county commissioner's office or city hall (if you are not rural), and ask them who to talk with about a new local business providing Internet service. If you can show the Utilities Commission that you are working with someone at the local level I have found they will treat you more seriously. In certain rural counties, you can even qualify for funding from the Rural Utilities Service of the USDA.

[0] https://www.ncuc.net/

EDIT: typos + also most states distinguish between facilities-based ISP's (ie with physical plant in the regulated public right-of-way) and other ISPs. Tell them you are looking to become a facilities-based ISP.

  • xen2xen1  3 years ago

    What other benefits are there to being a "public telecommunication utility"?

    • stevenjgarner  3 years ago

      The benefit that is obvious to the regulators is that you can charge money for services. So for example, offering telephone services requires being a LEC (local exchange carrier) or CLEC (competitive local exchange carrier). But even telephone services have become considerably unregulated through VoIP. It's just that at some point, the VoIP has to terminate/interface with a (C)LEC offering real dial tone and telephone numbering. You can put in your own Asterisk server [0] and provide VoIP service on your burgeoning optical utilities network, together with other bundled services including television, movies, gaming, metering etc.. All of these offerings can be resold from wholesale services, where all you need is an Internet feed.

      Other benefits to being a "public telecommunication utility" include the competitive right to place your own facilities on telephone/power poles or underground in public right-of-way under the Telecommunications Act of 1996. You will need to enter into and pay for a pole attachment agreement. Of course local governments can reserve the right to tariff your facilities, which has its own ugliness.

      One potentially valuable thing a utility can do is place empty conduit in public right of way that can be used/resold in the future at a (considerable) gain. For example, before highways, roadways, airports and other infrastructure is built, it is orders of magnitude cheaper just to plow conduit under bare ground before the improvements are placed.

      [0] https://www.asterisk.org/

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