Sure It's a Mess! It's Federally Regulated!!!

For you deluded twits who think ObozoCare is a walk in the park....

Efforts to expand high-speed Internet access in rural Wisconsin could be slowed or stopped as broadband providers say they're frustrated over uncertainty in federal funding.

The Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association, a group that represents mostly rural telecom providers, says half of its member companies are delaying or canceling projects because of changes at the Federal Communications Commission aimed at bringing an $8 billion Universal Service Fund into the digital age.

The FCC's goal is to make high-speed Internet access available in all of rural America by 2020, with some of the funding coming from a fee that's added to consumers' and businesses' monthly telephone bills....

The first question is right there:  why do "consumers and businesses" have to support broadband expansion to South Noplace and East Dogpatch?

Let's go to another one:

Telecom providers say they're serious about delaying or canceling expansions in rural areas because FCC changes have made it nearly impossible to predict how much federal funding will be available. They're upset about new requirements that jeopardize funding if a company exceeds caps placed on capital expenditures and operating expenses.

And WTF does the FCC know about 'capex' and 'opex' issues?  Or--better--are the telecoms NOT competing for the business in East Dogpatch?  If not, why not?  Are the telecoms forced to pay "license fees" to munis, as is the case in SE Wisconsin?  Are those fees excessive, or even justified at all?

Could it be Fed/State regulation that drives up the cost and makes East Dogpatch a lousy market?

Wait until this steaming pile of problems gets in the way of your appendectomy.....