Sandwich Isles Communications

[kimo55]

Re: Sandwich Isles and Home Depot

The Haole remark is simply because it literally was two Caucasian people (one man and one woman) in seperate incidents that really had no social manners and berated several Home Depot sales associates and nearby customers and their children had to hear their foul mouths as well. I should have just said, two people and not made any reference to their race. My mistake and I'm sorry for that racist remark...

lemme interject sumpin here;
in defense of clarity, there is absolutely nothing wrong OR rascist by describing the actions of people and also defining them as haole, if and when they are.
Racist implies the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities. Also it says racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. It is a predudicial term. None of that goes on when someone uses the word haole in this way. And NO one is "pre-judging" .
Ok. Now back to our usual programming.

[Konaguy]

Re: Sandwich Isles and Home Depot

lemme interject sumpin here;
in defense of clarity, there is absolutely nothing wrong OR rascist by describing the actions of people and also defining them as haole, if and when they are.

Try walking in my size 13 shoes the last almost 29 years living here.When someone has used the term haole I have found it very derogatory in most cases.It wasn't my fault my parents moved here 31 years ago and I was born and raised here. So it hits a very very very very very raw nerve that term.

[kimo55]

Re: Sandwich Isles and Home Depot

When someone has used the term haole I have found it very derogatory in most cases... it hits a very very very very very raw nerve, that term.

that is the power YOU give it, for it intrinsically is NOT derogatory. Unless it is USED as an insult and you accept it as an insult. Remember Eleanor Roosevelt's famous words:
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

[admin]

Re: Sandwich Isles and Home Depot

Further deconstruction of the meaning and power of the word 'haole' can be added to the "Meaning of the Word 'Haole'?" thread. Let's keep this discussion to SIC, Home Depot, DHHL, and the like.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Sandwich Isles and Home Depot

So with the FCC indicating SIC should be an LEC vs an ETC don't they still get waived because the FCC indicated if SIC were to become an ETC it would put a burden on the Universal Service Waiver or UTC? Damn all those acronyms!

And now that Verizon has successfully argued that the DHHL lands in question were being "served" by virtue of the proximity of their central offices does that mean Verizon now has to provide phone service to DHHL tenants as well? If so they had better start putting up poles or trenching and justify their arguement.

And in the end how does this ruling affect Home Depot? Whether it's SIC or Verizon, someone has to provide phone services to the area. I think it's the State Commission that erred in it's initial decision to grant SIC exclusive rights to serve those DHHL lands when in fact Verizon was granted the right to serve, "The State of Hawaii" inclusively. That initial decision opened the doors for SIC to enter and serve an area that the state had decided was excluded from Verizon's service area (the entire state)

I think the question now raises an interesting point...is DHHL lands subject to the requirements of the LUC (Land Use Commision) if DHHL lands are not included within the jurisdiction of the State of Hawaii? And if DHHL lands are inclusive to the State of Hawaii, then isn't limiting ownership of DHHL lands under the State of Hawaii illegal by virtue of the constitution barring racial discrimination?

If the arguement can be stated that DHHL lands are excluded as an entity of the State of Hawaii then the constitution doesn't apply, however it can also be stated that Verizon's service area doesn't include DHHL lands because DHHL lands would have been separate from the State of Hawaii.

If the arguement can be stated that DHHL lands are inclusive as an entity of the State of Hawaii, then the constitution does apply and the provision to exclude non-Hawaiians from purchasing DHHL lands can be ruled as unconstitutional.

So what is it? And more importantly were their any amendments allowing this kind of discrimination.

[Miulang]

Re: Sandwich Isles and Home Depot

This smacks to me of payoffs from Sandwich Isles to somebody who manages the DHHL infrastructure. Either that, or it's reverse discrimination, which has been struck down by many state supreme courts.

If, as Craig pointed out, that DHHL lands are not considered part of the State of Hawai'i land, then I suppose they can do whatever they want. That's what NAs can do on their reservations. And I suppose that the reason why megacompanies like HD were allowed to build on DHHL land (instead of turning the land into affordable housing for Hawai'ians) was to create rental income and possibly jobs for the NHs. But how many of the employees at HD can claim kanaka maoli lineage? Again, it's all about the money.

And if Verizon, by virtue of the proximity of its central office, can efficiently service the DHHL lands, then why bar them from competing? Of course, the big caveat is that you can't really count on Verizon to provide much public utility at this point because they want out of that business. So will Carlyle put up the same stink that Verizon did when it becomes the incumbent carrier for the State of HI?

Miulang

[Konaguy]

Re: Sandwich Isles and Home Depot

My interpretation of that FCC order is, the FCC is re-evaluating if really the
areas served by Sandwich Isles are really underserved. Which was one
of the things I was pointing out all along.

[Konaguy]

Re: Sandwich Isles and Home Depot

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...A-05-105A1.pdf

Here is the FCC public notice soliciting comments in regards to
SIC's application for "study area" waiver.

[Konaguy]

Re: Sandwich Isles and Home Depot

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/...ws/local02.txt

Hawaii firm must reapply for key funding waiver

By HUNTER BISHOP
Tribune-Herald staff writer
A Hawaii company that is currently building a $400 million telecommunications network linking Hawaiian Home Lands throughout the state will have to reapply for a federal waiver that provides funding for the project.

Sandwich Isles Communications has already spent $160 million on its fiber-optic network after getting its waiver approved initially in 1998.

But the Federal Communications Commission ruled in October on an appeal by Verizon Hawaii, the state's largest local telephone provider, that claimed Sandwich Isles was wrong to say telephone service was not available on Hawaiian Home Lands it planned to serve.

[Miulang]

Re: Sandwich Isles Communications

More info on the Sandwich Isle petition before the FCC. The FCC is requiring Sandwich Isle to go through an application process which it wasn't required to do when it first set up business. This process should put to rest any protests by Verizon about favoritism if the application is approved.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../bz/bz01p.html

Miulang

[Konaguy]

Re: Sandwich Isles Communications

There was an article on this subject also in the Hawaii Tribune Herald from Hilo

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/...ws/local02.txt

"Verizon, known as GTE Hawaii in 1998 when it filed the appeal, said some of the Hawaiian Home Lands cited by Sandwich Isles are unoccupied but adjacent to areas already served by Verizon. Verizon also cited its state charter that obligates it to provide access to telephone service throughout the state."

"But in a written decision released Oct. 29 -- more than six years after the appeal was filed -- the FCC concluded that it "erred by ignoring evidence in the record that the areas Sandwich Isles proposed to serve were not unserved." The commission ordered Sandwich Isles to reapply for the study area waiver, but allowed the company to continue operating while the new application is being considered."

"It's certainly not a good ruling for Sandwich Isles," said FCC spokesman Mark Wigfeld. "The question is, can they make a case whether the area is unserved or not?"

I was even quoted in it for the article :

" Aaron Stene, a telecom industry observer from Kona and critic of Sandwich Isles' project, agreed with Cole. "This is significant," Stene said. "If they can't get paid back by the Universal Service Fund they could be blown out of the water. I have some strong doubts about their financial model. I thing it's a waste of taxpayers' dollars."

[Konaguy]

Hawaii will lag in technology......

It seems I'm the only one concerned about this. Verizon Hawaii
is on the verge of being purchased by The Carlyle Group. TCG
has no interest or ability to roll out FTTH on a statewide scale.

On the flip side Sandwich Isles Communications is receiving
federal loans to build a fiber-optic network that eventually
will service 2% of the population on only Department of Hawaiian
Homelands. The other 98% of the populationwill be in the slow
broadband lane.It doesn't seem to be fair to me.

I wish I had the multi millions to roll out my own fiber-optic cable project.

[Miulang]

Re: Sandwich Isles Communications

There was a story in the Maui News earlier this week where they reported that Sandwich Isle was about 80% complete in their fiberoptic cabling on DHHL homestead land on Maui. They have to dig trenches through part of Main St. to get to Happy Valley, so that's been the holdup because of the inconvenience to people who drive that way daily. I don't think there is too much space for commercial businesses on the DHHL lands on Maui, so I don't think Sandwich Isles will run into the same kinds of problems on Maui as it has on the Big Island.

And yeah, wouldn't it be nice to have fiberoptic cabling running through your neighborhood? I can't get DSL where I live because I'm too far from the central office.

Miulang

[Konaguy]

Re: Sandwich Isles Communications

Well to me it seems I have two choices A. Find or win that multi millions
to build my own fiber-optic network here B. Find someway to be able
to move on to DHHL land [My dad was joking with me that I should find
a Hawaiian Girl and marry her thus I could live on DHHL land]. As it stands
right now eventually only 2% of the population here in Hawaii will get
FTTH.

[Konaguy]

Re: Sandwich Isles Communications

Today is the last day to file public comments in regards to Sandwich Isles Communications USF waiver application. There has been 23 published comments 22 were for the FCC to give the waiver to SIC--One was against the waiver application.

http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi

Proceeding: 96-45, make sure to select Hawaii.