News of Note — Content is King Edition

Fairpoint Communications finally filed for bankruptcy. The company purchased copper assets from Verizon at inflated prices in 2008 and made promises to local and state governments that it could not keep.

A company called Spotify claims to lower subscriber churn when ISPs (not their subscribers) pay for its music service.

What’s your favorite news source or blog? Comments welcome.

Insurance is a WISP Best Practice

Insurance has always been a headache for the ISP industry.

For example, many businesses form an S Corp or an LLC to limit the amount of risk they’re exposed to. “But then they put a mainline directly into their assets by using a personal car in the course of business operations, and that’s all a lawyer in an accident case needs to get to the deeper pockets of the family, the 401(k), the home, and whatever assets they want to keep separate from the business.”

News of Note

The plains have been hit by massive snowfall, and the Southeast will get the snow soon. Our thoughts are with WISPA members located in Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle.

Identity theft is bad — but it’s even worse for small businesses. Lubbock, Tex.-based PlainsCapital bank decided that the correct response to identity theft was to sue the victim

Vecima CEO to Present at Thomas Weisel Partners Technology & Telecom Conference 2010; Company Announces Fiscal 2010 Q2 Earnings Call Details

VICTORIA – (February 5, 2010) – Vecima Networks Inc. (“Vecima” or “the Company”) (TSX:VCM), today announced that Chairman and CEO, Dr. Surinder Kumar, will present at the Thomas Weisel Partners Technology & Telecom Conference 2010 in San Francisco, California. The presentation is scheduled for 9:10 – 9:40 a.m. PT, on Wednesday, February 10, 2010.
Interested parties may access the [...]

An Achievable Broadband Policy

By John Bergmayer of Public Knowledge on January 28, 2010 – 12:33pm
The National Broadband Plan is a chance for the FCC to articulate a vision for improving the deployment and adoption of broadband in the United States. Intwo sets of comments filed this week with the FCC, we highlight recommendations that would encourage new entry into broadband [...]

Free Press Outlines Key Policy Components for National Broadband Plan Success

FCC Should Promote Competition, Expand Broadband Access and Reform the Universal Service Fund
Date: January 28, 2010
Contact: Liz Rose, Communications Director, 202-265-1490 x 32
WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, Free Press filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission outlining policies that are most critical to the success of the congressionally mandated national broadband plan to bring high-speed Internet [...]