For the last few years, FISPA has been presenting on CLEC Therapy: How to become a CLEC and why to become a CLEC. Now, with the sunset of the PSTN, ISP's and CLEC's have to examine the Next Move.
AT&T tried to sell its copper plant. No takers (yet). But even if Fairpoint or Frontier bought it, so what? They don't share.
VZ announced that they will be clipping copper in FiOS and rural areas. Now.
No more waiting. Planning and Executing takes time.
Consider What Matters most.
The Customer base.
Get Sticky. Sell as many services to your client base as possible - enough so that the broadband becomes a small part of the telecom bill you send them. It won't matter.
Partner. With many strategic partners like cloud providers, MSP's, fiber guys and wireless folks. Negotiate long-term ironclad wholesale contracts with carriers. But do not count on Type II services for the long haul.
You have to build your own network or get into services big time. Managed IT, secure WLAN, WAN optimization, Managed Security services (IDS, firewall, router, content filtering) and cloud services like backup, SAAS and Hosted PBX.
Would lobbying DC help? I doubt it. COMPTEL hasn't won anything and they have more money.
What you need to count on is YOU. Your Talent - and right now your ability to Plan, Execute, Market and Sell.
You can stick your head in the sand and ride it out until the end - and, for some, that is a great idea.
I'm now using FUD here. The CEO of VZ has said that copper is the past and it is time to clip it. Learn the lesson of UNE-P: the writing is on the wall! Make changes now! Service Providers that didn't adjust to UNE-P closure or to the Brand-X decision ended up getting side swiped.
What AT&T and VZ are doing is basically warning their wholesale customers that the time is up for the copper plant. This is exactly what they did with UNE-P for 2 years before they won their judgment.
I'm just saying: Start Planning Now.
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