VPS Combined A-CAM ex parte letter 7-13-15 – REDACTED
July 20, 2017
Originally written July 13, 2015
Re: Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90
Broadband is a vital part of our modern economy, education, and everyday life. The FCC is to be commended for their efforts to achieve additional fiber deployment across rural America. At Vantage Point we’ve helped hundreds of rural telecommunications providers in more than 40 states provide broadband to their customers.
Over the last several months, Vantage Point has monitored with interest the ongoing discussion on the accuracy of the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM). Vantage Point understands firsthand the issues and complexities associated with estimating construction costs in rural areas. We appreciate the progress the FCC has made in the development of the A-CAM model.
Our clients vary widely in size, location, approach toward technology, and opinions of model-based support. Many of our clients stand to gain substantial support under the proposed A-CAM, while many others stand to lose. Despite the great diversity exhibited by those with whom we work, all agree on one thing: they want a model that is accurate.
Recent ex parte filings with the FCC have raised concerns that A-CAM capital expenditure (capex) estimates differ substantially from experiences seen “on the ground” with rural fiber deployments. In an effort to understand to what extent such deviations may exist, Vantage Point has conducted two studies comparing the A-CAM to wire-center-specific data. The first is a broad analysis using information from 144 wire centers across the country. The second is a more focused case study analysis of three wire-center-wide fiber to the premises (FTTP) projects.
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