Since it is recognized that the models are only estimating customer locations, LECs who can provide better information than that assumed by the model should be able to do so. Until such time as universal geocoding of households makes estimating customer locations moot, the model should be flexible enough to operate on the best information available. RUS ex parte Comments. Resolution of the models need not be constant, i.e. the model could analyze low density areas with greater precision than high density areas. The RUS questions aggregation of cost to the wire center level.
Outside plant is built along roads.
If the models are going to persist in placing both feeder and distribution plant along hypothetical routes that do not follow roads, additional costs are going to have to be included in plant estimates. RUS Comments on Customer Location. The difference in cost between urban and rural telecommunications systems is predominately due to the distance from wire center to customers, and to the distances between customers. For any model to calculate rural customer costs accurately, it must accurately predict where rural customers are with respect to the wire center and to each other. In addition, since CBGs represent averaged information for large areas, they only vaguely define the customers' distances from the wire center, and they do not define the distances between customers.