Yesterday’s announcement of the week extension for submitting applications the first NOFA for the broadband stimulus must feel like high school when the teacher gives you another week to finish a project. For the good students, it must be a bit frustrating, as you stayed on task, worked long hours and completed your project on time, while the less dedicated students were rewarded with a reprieve from the deadline. For the slackers like me, that extra week would boost my project from incomplete to mediocre.
A Perspective on the Broadband Stimulus
In the context of ViodiTV, I am thrilled with the NOFA delay because our video interview with David Villano of the RUS will be relevant for a little longer. In the conversation prior to our interview, I found Villano to be sincere in his efforts to improve rural infrastructure and that he and his colleagues are working hard to make the NOFA process meet stringent deadlines along with its goals. I was also impressed with his pragmatism when he suggested that mid-course objectives would be necessary in the NOFA process.
Still, there are a number of questions regarding the NOFA, which I have added in the comment section of the above post. These are just a few that I have heard from Telcos. Go to the post to add your comments (anonymous or not).
Wait to See on the Broadband Stimulus
Ed Heuck, formerly of Hargray in South Carolina, and now with Graycliff Enterprises provides a unique perspective on the stimulus, given his current and former roles as an operator and someone building broadband networks for communications providers. As you will hear in the interview from the OPASTCO 2009 Summer Convention exhibit floor, the broadband stimulus has already had impacts on telco projects; impacts that might not be so obvious at a superficial level. Click here to go to the video.
Ericsson CEO Not Seeing More Cap-Ex Cuts by Wireless Network Operators by Alan Weissberger
[Ken’s Note: One tidbit from the OPASTCO 2009 Summer Convention panel regarding the broadband stimulus is that first tranche of funding will focus on mid-mile or backhaul projects. Alan Weissberger has been repeatedly pointing out that backhaul is increasingly a challenge for wireless operators as they connect more and more towers to the broadband infrastructure. He touches upon this idea again in this article regarding Ericsson’s announcement of their new Silicon Valley facility. Click here to read Alan’s article as to why Ericsson’s Silicon Valley announcement might ring a little hollow in the flat world of 2009.]
What Will Extend 3G Networks – Topology Tricks or Price and Policy Controls? by Alan Weissberger
We’ve previously written that, "the pump is primed for mobile broadband, " but investments in next-generation networks will be needed to deliver on the true promise of the mobile internet experience. While we still believe that, we now offer an alternate hypothesis; that the 4G mobile, Internet is many years away. Click here to read the rest of the article.
Surveys Show Strength of Telecom Video Services with Boomers Suring the Web More than Watching TV by Alan Weissberger
In this article, Weissberger discusses a series of studies showing that baby boomers are spending more time online (12.9 hours per week) than they are watching TV (11.8 hours per week) [Ken: curious how much of the online and TV time is overlapping]. One of the popular things for boomers to do online is to network via Facebook (51%) and LinkedIn (57%). Click here to read more about Weissberger’s report that highlights interesting behavior surrounding online video, propensity to switch service providers and the popularity of social networking.
The Korner – Marketing Mecca and Business Panacea by Roger Bindl
I question the suggestion, that putting your business face on Facebook and tweeting away on Twitter, are truly the marketing meccas or business panaceas they’re made out to be. I’m hearing that argument more and more at conferences now days.
Last year I heard several speakers lecture to audiences on using Facebook, yet I couldn’t find any of those speakers on Facebook. Hmm, aren’t we all experts with the Internet! This year I’m hearing another group of people lecture on using Facebook and Twitter to market products, support customers, to manage, and to inform. People seem to believe these newly discovered sites (to them anyway) are the meeting place for all good things and magic elixir for curing all.
I have used Facebook for a couple years now and thought it had potential at first, but now I hide more and more "friends" because they write too much and what they post is junk. For a while, I found Facebook useful to keep up with business activities, but that got lost in comments about walking the dog or boating on the lake.
Despite the daily chatter of useless information, I see potential, but still question that potential as it is presented. I’m starting to get lost in scattered and poorly edited text, plus finding up to date information… Is the up to date information on their website, their blog, their Facebook, their Twitter, their answering machine, or where? I have seen examples of where it’s at none of the above. I guess it is difficult to manage communications when there are so many ways.
Twitter was great for getting the word out on Iran, but perhaps that was a unique case. I don’t use Twitter because I’m flooded with communications already and would probably drop tweeters like I am hiding Facebook friends. Perhaps we’re already over burdened with communications… we’ve got land lines, cell phones, email, text messages, instant messages, Facebook comments, Twitter tweets, Family Blogs, Business Blogs, and ugh, everyone prefers something different so communications is getting more frustrating. I’d really like to talk.
Perhaps Dan Rasmus, director of business insights at Microsoft, in the Aug 8, 2009 USA Today issue best describes an effect of this disconnected state… digital autism. Are we becoming disconnected from the live social and physical world? Read the article for an interesting perspective on getting too hooked on social networks: “Tweeting, texting render avid users ‘present yet absent’”.
[Ken’s note: I somewhat share Roger’s opinion about the social networking sites. Ironic enough, I discovered one of Alan’s Viodi posts on the Viodi Twitter feed. Still, I have to agree with Roger that it is easy to be overwhelmed with the explosion of information on Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media sites.]
