In any case, concerns about model complexity and computer run times are trivial compared to the importance of the accuracy of these models. The RUS also questions the aggregation of cost to the wire center level. As model sponsors are raising the resolution of the models by proposing to use geocoded customer location, they still talk of aggregating the costs to the wire center level. This causes the models to lose most of the benefits of their higher resolution. Competition will come to an area line by line.
Rural costs are highly variable over an exchange area.
Support needs to be accurately targeted over a rural exchange which includes higher density and lower density areas. These errors in support levels will no longer average once competition comes to an area. If an ETC loses its business customers, and some of its high density customers, universal service in rural areas will be threatened. Neither model is specifically linking plant construction to 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.