Page 1 2 3 Page 1 2 3 | FRIDAY - JANUARY 27, 2006 - ISSUE NO. 197 |
Dear friends of Wireless Messaging, There is a lot of news this week. Two reports on the RIM patent issues on page three. A report on paging in underground mines at the end of this page. Info on mobile phone use in hospitals on page two along with two very interesting articles on GPS—just to name a few. The big surprise to me was:
And guess what? Not a single paging person on the list! They have completely ignored all the letters from us asking to have a representative from the paging industry on that panel. The first meeting of the panel will take place in Washington DC on Monday. I wish I could attend—we will see . . . anyway, Real Audio access to the meeting will be available on the Internet, and the public can submit written comments before the meeting as outlined in the FCC PUBLIC NOTICE that follows on this page. It looks like this is our last chance to be heard on this issue. On a very similar topic: The AAPC filed comments with the FCC [Thursday] urging that it incorporate paging technology in an enhanced Emergency Alert System (EAS) being considered by the FCC in EB Docket No. 04-296. The AAPC noted paging's documented reliability in crisis communications environments, and said that the ability of wireless technology to deliver messages at the time chosen by the originator, and not just when the recipient is watching or listening to a broadcast media outlet, made it particularly suitable for use in emergency alerting. A copy of AAPC's comments follow below in the AAPC newsletter section. This is very good work and should prompt all the paging companies who haven't yet joined the AAPC to do so. Having this high quality and strong legal representation is most important right now. A Paging company in New England has openings for experienced RF technicians/engineers. Glenayre Switch experience plus. Please contact me if you know of anyone who might be interested and qualified. There is a lot of "wheelin' 'n dealin'" going on behind the scenes. I hope to be able to report some of it to you next week. Now on to the news and views. |
A new issue of The Wireless Messaging Newsletter gets posted on the web each week. A notification goes out by e-mail to subscribers on most Fridays around noon central US time. The notification message has a link to the actual newsletter on the Internet. That way it doesn't fill up your incoming e-mail account. There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. Readers are a very select group of wireless industry professionals, and include the senior managers of many of the world's major Paging and Wireless Data companies. There is an even mix of operations managers, marketing people, and engineers—so I try to include items of interest to all three groups. It's all about staying up-to-date with business trends and technology. I regularly get reader's comments, so this newsletter has become a community forum for the Paging, and Wireless Data communities. You are welcome to contribute your ideas and opinions. Unless otherwise requested, all correspondence addressed to me is subject to publication in the newsletter and on my web site. I am very careful to protect the anonymity of those who request it. NOTE: This newsletter is best viewed at screen resolutions of 800x600 (good) or 1024x768 (better). Any current revision of web browser should work fine. Please notify me of any problems with viewing. This site is compliant with XHTML 1.0 transitional coding for easy access from wireless devices. (XML 1.0/ISO 8859-1.)
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One step forward and one step backward FORWARD: DAVOS-UN body backs $100 laptop for world's kids Thursday 26 January 2006, 6:05am EST DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 26 (Reuters)—The United Nations has thrown its weight behind a project to place a $100, hand-cranked laptop computer in the hands of millions of schoolchildren around the globe. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will sign a partnership agreement with the head of the project, Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Nicholas Negroponte, in the Alpine ski resort of Davos on Saturday, officials said. Davos is hosting the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, a gathering of top politicians, economists and business executives. The aim is to provide the lime-green machines free of charge to children in poor countries who cannot afford computers of their own. Under the agreement, UNDP and the non-profit One Laptop per Child organisation set up by MIT Media Lab chairman Negroponte, will work together with local and international partners to get the machines to targeted schools in least developed countries. The goal is for governments or charitable donors to pay for the laptops, although children will own them. About the size of a textbook, the machines developed at MIT can set up their own wireless networks and operate in areas without a reliable electricity supply, since they can be powered by hand cranking. Proponents say the devices, which have been welcomed by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, will be a boon for education. But not everyone is convinced. Chip-maker Intel Corp Chairman Craig Barrett said last month the world's poor would not want the $100 "gadget", since it will have a limited range of programs and capabilities. Source: Reuters BACKWARD: Censored searches For China website, Google bows to Beijing's rules By Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press SHANGHAI—Google Inc. launched a search engine in China yesterday that censors material about human rights, Tibet, and other topics sensitive to Beijing—defending the move as a trade-off granting Chinese greater access to other information. Within minutes of the launch of the new site bearing China's Web suffix ''.cn," searches for the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement showed scores of sites omitted and users directed to articles condemning the group posted on Chinese government websites. Searches for other sensitive subjects such as exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, Taiwan independence, and terms such as ''democracy" and ''human rights" yielded similar results. In most such cases, only official Chinese government sites or those with a ''.cn" suffix were included. Google, which has as its motto ''Don't Be Evil," says the new site aims to make its search engine more accessible in China, thereby expanding access to information. Yet the move has already been criticized by Reporters Without Borders, a media watchdog that also has chided Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp.'s MSN.com for submitting to China's censorship regime. ''When a search engine collaborates with the government like this, it makes it much easier for the Chinese government to control what is being said on the Internet," said Julien Pain, head of the group's Internet desk. However, technology analyst Duncan Clark said such criticisms probably wouldn't generate problems for Google's business elsewhere, given weak responses to previous cooperation between foreign Internet companies and Chinese authorities. Past incidents ''haven't seemed to gel into anything that could dissuade Google," said Clark, the managing director of BDA China Ltd., a consultancy based in Beijing. Chinese Internet users said the move by Google Inc., based in Mountain View, Calif., was inevitable given Beijing's restrictions on the Internet, which the government promotes for commerce but heavily censors for content deemed offensive or subversive. ''Google has no choice but to give up to the Party," said one posting on the popular information technology website PCONLINE, signed simply ''AS." Google's move was prompted by frequent disruptions of the Chinese-language version of its search engine registered under the company's dot-com address in the United States. Government filtering has blocked access or created lengthy delays in response time. Google's senior policy counsel, Andrew McLaughlin, defended the new site as better serving Chinese customers. ''In deciding how best to approach the Chinese—or any—market, we must balance our commitments to satisfy the interests of users, expand access to information, and respond to local conditions," McLaughlin said in an e-mailed statement. McLaughlin said search results would be removed based on local laws, regulations, or policies. ''While removing search results is inconsistent with Google's mission, providing no information (or a heavily degraded user experience that amounts to no information) is more inconsistent with our mission," he said. There was no indication that Google would disable access to its .com site within China. McLaughlin said the company wouldn't host its e-mail or blogging services in China that can be mined for information about users, and would inform users if information had been deleted from searches. Such messages appeared in searches for Falun Gong and other sensitive topics. Clark said Google probably hopes to avoid the bad publicity incurred by Yahoo last year after it provided the government with the e-mail account information of a Chinese journalist who was later convicted of violating state secrecy laws. ''They want to avoid those kinds of headlines," he said. Google hopes the move will shore up its competitiveness against both foreign competitors such as Yahoo and domestic ones like Baidu.com Inc., a Beijing-based company in which Google owns a 2.6 percent stake. Baidu.com is China's most popular search engine. China has more than 100 million Web surfers and the audience is expected to swell. Wang Lijian, a spokesman for China's Ministry of Information Industry which oversees Internet licensing, said he had not heard of Google's decision and had no comment. Shares of Google fell $10.03, or 2.3 percent, to close at $433 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The stock has traded in a 52-week range of $172.57 to $475.11. Source: The Boston Globe | ||||||||||||
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PAGING CARRIERS |
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| WIRELESS MESSAGING NEWS |
 | PUBLIC NOTICE | ||
| Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 | News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 | ||
DA 06-57 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS TO SERVE ON FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION’S INDEPENDENT PANEL REVIEWING THE IMPACT OF HURRICANE KATRINA ON COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS; AND INDEPENDENT PANEL’S FIRST MEETING SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 30, 2006 Washington, D.C.: This Public Notice serves as notice that, consistent with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin has appointed persons to serve as members of the Commission’s Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks. The Panel will review the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the telecommunications and media infrastructure in the affected area and will make recommendations to the Commission regarding ways to improve disaster preparedness, network reliability, and communications among first responders by June 15, 2006. The Independent Panel is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Monday, January 30, 2006 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Commission Meeting Room (TW-C305), Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20554. At its first meeting, the Panel will discuss a tentative timeline and process for completion of its task by June 15, 2006 and its committee structure. The Panel will also introduce and receive brief statements from panel members about the impact of Hurricane Katrina on their company’s or industry sector’s communications infrastructure as well as issues on which the panel should focus. Members of the general public may attend the meeting. The FCC will attempt to accommodate as many people as possible. Admittance, however, will be limited to the seating available. Real Audio access to the meeting will be available at www.fcc.gov/. The public may submit written comments before the meeting to Lisa M. Fowlkes, the Commission’s Designated Federal Officer for the Independent Panel at lisa.fowlkes@fcc.gov or by U.S. Postal Mail (FCC, Enforcement Bureau, 7-C737, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554). Open captioning will be provided for this event. Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Include a description of the accommodation you will need including as much detail as you can. Also include a way we can contact you if we need more information. Please allow at least 5 days advance notice; last minute requests will be accepted, but may be impossible to fill. Send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (tty). News Media Contact: Janice Wise, (202) 418-8165 MEMBERS OF THE FCC’S INDEPENDENT PANEL REVIEWING THE IMPACT OF HURRICANE KATRINA ON COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS Nancy J. Victory (Chair), Wiley Rein & Fielding LLP Public Safety Organizations Patrick Yoes, Captain, Special Services Division Commander/Public Information Officer, St. Charles Sheriff’s Office (also President, Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police and National Secretary, Fraternal Order of Police) Wireline Telecommunications Providers William L. Smith, Chief Technology Officer, BellSouth Corporation Wireless Telecommunications Providers Dave Flessas, Vice President – Network Operations, Sprint Network Services Jim O. Jacot, Vice President, Cingular Network Group, Cingular Broadcasters Steve Davis, Senior Vice President, Engineering, Clear Channel Radio Cable Providers Greg Bicket, Vice President/Regional Manager, Cox Communications, Metairie, Louisiana Satellite Providers Kay Sears, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, G2 Satellite Solution, PanAmSat Corporation Equipment Providers Kelly Kirwan, Vice President, State and Local Government and Commercial Markets Division, The Americas Group, Government, Enterprise, and Mobility Solutions, Motorola Communications and Electronics, Inc. Utilities Robert G. Dawson, President & CEO, SouthernLINC Wireless, Atlanta, Georgia Part 15 Michael Anderson, Chairman, PART-15.ORG Others Billy Pitts, Chief Business Affairs Officer and Washington Representative, Notification Technologies, Inc. -FCC- | |||
Source: FCC (pdf)
Teletouch Reports Financial Results for Second Quarter of Fiscal 2006
January 23, 2006 08:51 PM US Eastern Timezone
TYLER, Texas—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Jan. 23, 2006--Teletouch Communications, Inc. (AMEX:TLL) today reported on financial information relating to its results filed on Form 10-Q for the second quarter ended November 30, 2005. Total revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2006 declined approximately 14.8% to $5.43 million compared with $6.37 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2005. Cash and Cash Equivalents declined to approximately $0.94 million at the end of the second quarter compared with $1.28 million at the 2005 fiscal year ended, May 31, 2005, although Net Cash from Operating Activities was positive and slightly improved at $0.20 million in the second quarter, over the $0.18 reported for the first quarter of fiscal 2006. The Company recorded a net loss of approximately $0.12 million, or $0.01 loss per share in the second quarter fiscal 2006, versus a higher net loss of $0.36 million, or $0.08 loss per share in the comparable quarter of fiscal 2005.
Reporting on a segment basis, total Paging revenues for the second quarter declined approximately 19.4% to $3.84 million compared with $4.76 million in the prior-year period, in line with the Company's estimates. Pagers in service declined to approximately 125,500 for the six months ended November 30, 2005, compared with 169,400 at November 30, 2004. Two-way radio service and product sales were down 2.7% to $1.44 million in the quarter, from $1.48 million in the comparable 2005 quarter. The decline was due primarily to a reduction in and the timing of hardware product sales; service revenues increased during the current period. Total Other service and product revenues increased approximately 14.4% to $0.15 million in the second quarter of 2006, compared to $0.13 million through the same period in 2005.
The Company significantly reduced its operating loss 95% to $0.02 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2006, from a loss of $0.46 million in the prior year period. The reduction in operating loss was primarily due to continued cost reductions across all departments in the Company and lower depreciation expense related to certain paging assets that fully depreciated in the quarter.
Discussing the second quarter results, Teletouch CEO, T. A. "Kip" Hyde, Jr. stated, "Teletouch is now showing significant operating and financial improvement from both the Company's direct actions to control expenses, and the restructuring activities related to the transition and preparation for sale of the paging business. As previously announced, the Company filed its preliminary Proxy for a Special Shareholders Meeting with the SEC, which in its current form asks Teletouch shareholders to approve the sale of the core paging business assets. The special shareholders' meeting is tentatively scheduled for March 1, 2006. If the sale is approved, we are prepared and would expect to close the transaction shortly following the special meeting."
Hyde concluded, "We plan to use the proceeds from the sale of the paging business to acquire one or more currently identified companies that each offer significant revenue, EBITDA and/or net income growth opportunities. We are currently in discussions with a number of acquisition targets and are actively looking to identify others. Once the final disposition of the paging business sale is made clear by the shareholders' vote, we will be better prepared to move forward on this front, as well."
About Teletouch
Teletouch offers telemetry and GPS-location based mobile asset monitoring, cellular, two-way radio communications and wireless messaging services throughout the United States. Teletouch's common stock is traded on the American Stock Exchange under stock symbol: TLL. Additional business and financial information on Teletouch is available at www.Teletouch.com.
All statements in this news release that are not based on historical fact are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (which Sections were adopted as part of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). While management has based any forward-looking statements contained herein on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results to materially differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, those set forth under the caption "Additional Factors That May Affect Our Business" in the Company's most recent Form 10-K and 10-Q filings, and amendments thereto. In addition, we operate in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment, and new risks may arise. Accordingly, investors should not place any reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. We disclaim any intention to, and undertake no obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statement.
Source: BusinessWire
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| WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS IN MINES |
Australia has used communication system for 15 years George Hohmann Tuesday January 24, 2006 Equipment that allows mine operators to communicate instantly with miners deep underground has been used in Australia for 15 years and is already used daily in 15 Chinese mines and several West Virginia mines, one manufacturer said. Gov. Joe Manchin pushed a bill through the state Legislature Monday that requires improved communications and the electronic tracking of coal miners underground. It is one of three proposals he pushed through the Legislature following the deaths of 14 miners in accidents in Upshur and Logan counties this month. Since 2001, Consol Energy has used an ultra-low frequency, through-the-earth paging system in some of its mines, according to Mine Site Technologies, the system's manufacturer. Mine Site's system allows mine operators to transmit messages to a one-pound "Personal Emergency Device" miners wear on their belts. When a message is received, the miner's cap lamp flashes and a buzzer sounds. The message appears on a backlit liquid crystal display. A message can be sent to an individual, a group, or all of the miners simultaneously. Mine Site says on its Web site, "The ability to transmit actual messages is vitally important in allowing not only a warning to be issued but specific information regarding the situation to be sent (such as where a fire is, which evacuation route to take, etc.)." "Our first system was installed in Australia in 1990," Denis Kent, the company's business development manager, said in a phone interview Monday from Mine Site's headquarters in Australia. "Australia has about 40 coal mines and all but two use them," he said. "They're used every day, like a paging system, to manage the mine. So operators get some efficiency. And when it's needed in an emergency, everyone understands how it is used. The system has become an accepted part of mining in Australia." Australian mines have voluntarily installed the systems, he said. In a Feb. 18, 2003, letter to the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, Kent wrote, "the need for such a device was identified by the U.S. coal industry in the mid-1980s." The system got noticed in the United States after the 1998 Willow Creek fire in Utah, he said. A Personal Emergency Device system had been installed in the Willow Creek mine six months earlier, he said. A message—"mine fire - evacuate"—was sent and all 45 miners who were underground were able to get out. After the Willow Creek fire Consol Energy began looking at the system, Kent said. Consol's Blacksville No. 2 Mine near Fairview as well as its Robinson Run Mine near Shinnston are among the mines that use the system, he said. Consol spokesman Tom Hoffman could not be reached for comment. Over the 15 years Mine Site's system has been on the market it has become "much smaller, lighter, and given more functionality," Kent said. "The whole system has been improved." The company now markets a product that combines the text-messaging system with an electronic tagging system that keeps track of personnel and equipment entering and leaving a mine. The system is used in 15 Chinese coal mines, Kent said. "They're very embarrassed by their safety record," he said. "They've identified the Personal Emergency Device and the Tracker Tagging System as equipment they should have. They're showing a commitment to the technology because it is well proven." The cost of a Personal Emergency Device system depends on the types of batteries used and some other variables, said Mike Koesterer, Mine Site's manager for North America. "If you want to outfit a mine with, say, 100 people, you could get a system for anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000," he said. "That would be everything: the transmitter, all of the cabling, the units that go on the batteries, and so on." The Mine Safety and Health Administration has approved the Personal Emergency Device system for use in underground coal mines, said agency spokesman Dirk Fillpot. However, the system is not required and has not been widely deployed. David Dye, acting administrator of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, said at a Senate hearing Monday that the devices had some "problems with reliability," according to the Associated Press. But Davitt McAteer, Manchin's mine safety adviser disagreed. "These devices have proved to be reliable," he said. Dye announced Monday that the agency will publish a request for information in the Federal Register on Wednesday seeking information on underground mine rescue equipment and technology. "Over the last several years, improvements have been made to communication devices, sensors and other forms of technology relevant to underground mine rescue," the agency said on its Web site. "Appropriate application of these advancements to mine rescue equipment and technology is crucial to enhancing the effectiveness of mine rescue operations and improving miners' survivability in the event of a mine emergency." The agency said responses to its request for information will help it determine the most appropriate course of action to improve mine rescue capabilities. The request will be posted on the agency's Web site, www.msha.gov. Public comments will be accepted until March 27. Fillpot said, "MSHA is working with partners in order to develop technology to allow Personal Emergency Devices to be two-way communications devices. Right now they're only one-way communications devices. If that were to become successful, miners underground would be able to communicate back outside the mine." Source: Charleston Daily Mail PAGING IN MINES
Pagers used in mines must have an "intrinsically safe" approval from the Bureau of Mines for use in hazardous atmospheres. PED® SYSTEM PED is an acronym of Personal Emergency Device.The system was originally developed to provide a fast and reliable method of informing underground miners of emergency situations. Due to the system enhancements and the inherent ability to readily contact personnel, wherever they are underground, PED has also come to stand for Productivity Enhancement Device. The combination of ultra low frequency (ULF) and a high power transmission system enables the PED signal to propagate through several hundreds of metres of rock strata. The signal can therefore be received at any location throughout the mine with an antenna on the surface only or a small underground antenna (please refer to Figure 1 following). For this reason, PED is an extremely effective emergency communication system. The ability to transmit actual messages is vitally important in allowing, not only a warning to be issued, but specific information regarding the situation to be sent (such as where a fire is, which evacuation route to take, etc).
More information about various communications technologies used in mines is available on the Mine Site Technologies web site. |
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Conventional pagers generally cannot be activated in underground mines. Some mines, however, have been wired internally with a special "radiating transmission line" —HELIAX® is the Andrew brand name—to distribute the radio paging signal throughout the mine.
