Operators, manufactures and distributors have been drunk on muni wireless for years and NONE of them cared how bad it hurt our industry.

THAT’S RIGHT–OUR INDUSTRY. Most of those boneheads have moved on because that’s what they do.

I havent been on the site for a while but I agree with one thing. The people that have been in this business for a long time, way before the hype, are glad 2008 is over. 2008 brought more of the same wasted time that we have seen over the past 2 years of cities, the government and providers with dreams of broadband with no money. Carriers and WISPs trying to do things on the cheap, RFPs never awarded or underfunded projects. Hopefully 2009 will be a wake up call for the industry and expectations will be set right from the get-go. That is what it will take to help us get into the next generation. The infrastructure stimulus plan will help, if done correctly as ITS, Public Safety and high speed internet access should be integrated into it.

What we really want to see is a real commitment from all parties. No more RFPs that are unfunded or are released 5 times. No more bubble gum and shoe strings and no more snake oil salesman.

Would anyone in their right mind allow some startup to build a new bridge across the Chesapeake Bay? We lived that in the wireless industry for the past few years and look where we are.

Time for profitable, reputable companies to be allowed to be given a level playing field and the funding to make a difference