Dear Friends of Wireless Messaging,

I was saddened to read that Motorola is cutting back on R&D. The research and development done at places like Motorola, Bell Labs, GE, Westinghouse, RCA, and others has enabled the USA's leadership in technology. I am afraid that we are losing sight of the big picture.

Well, Apple has done it again. They introduced the new iPhone 3G. “Twice as fast. Half the price.” Another giant step forward in wireless communications—both text and voice. It has a lot of innovative new features (way cool)—too many to list here. If you want to see more, click here.

I like the idea of bringing up a map on the iPhone color screen that will show me where I am and then direct me to where I want to go. This is done by incorporating an internal GPS receiver along with other location-based technology. Wow!

Another thing that caught my eye, and of special note to those of us interested in Wireless Messaging, was how this new 3G device will check for messages on web servers using “unified push notification.” If I could write software, I would be using Apple's SDK to write a program for delivering critical text message alerts to iPhones. This wouldn't be as efficient as Paging Group Call, but it could offer a way to deliver one common message to all iPhones. Sales of the iPhone are being forecasted as up to 16 to 18 million units this year and up to 45 million next year. Can you believe it?

If you don't like technical stuff, just skip this next section and go on to the rest of the news.

Unified Push Notification
At the keynote Monday, executives covered a new service for iPhone developers — due in September — called “unified push notification.” While that’s a lot of fancy words, here’s what it boils down to: Apple will provide a server (or more realistically, many servers) that act as a go-between for a developer’s server and the end user’s iPhone.

If you think about iChat, for instance, when you talk with someone, you’re really talking to a server that relays messages back and forth between your machine and your correspondent’s machine. When you’re running a chat application on your iPhone, you'll be doing the same thing. But when you’re not running the chat program on the iPhone, the program’s developer can use the unified push notification service to send messages to your iPhone. Apple’s servers will maintain the IP connection to the iPhone on one end, and to your server on the other end.

So just what kind of messages can be sent? Apple detailed three allowed message types:

• Badges. Badges are familiar to anyone who uses OS X. You see them in the dock icons for Mail (a count of unread emails) and iChat (new chat message count), for example. On an iPhone, similar count badges already appear on Mail, and with Apple’s new service, can appear on third-party developers’ programs as well.
• Custom alert sounds. Instead of placing a badge on a program, a server can instruct the iPhone to play a custom sound. There can even be different sounds for different events. So instead of (or in addition to) a badge, your phone may just make a sound to let you know you need to check on something.
• Overlay text messages. The most eye-catching message is a floating text window that overlays whatever application happens to be running at the time. The message may also include action buttons that could, for instance, ignore the message or switch to the program that sent the message to handle it.

Source: Macworld There are more details here about the “background processes” that save CPU usage on the new iPhone.

Now on to more news and views . . .

Wireless Messaging Newsletter
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This newsletter is brought to you by the generous support of our advertisers and the courtesy of iland Internet Solutions Corporation. For more information about the web-hosting services available from iland Internet Solutions Corporation, please click on their logo to the left.

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 readers' 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.

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The local newspaper here in Springfield, Illinois costs 75¢ a copy and it NEVER (well . . . almost never) mentions paging. If you receive some benefit from this publication maybe you would like to help support it financially? A donation of $25.00 would represent approximately 50¢ a copy for one year. If you are so inclined, please click on the PayPal Donate button above. No trees were chopped down to produce this electronic newsletter.

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AAPC Refocuses Mission

Our mission is to foster and enhance paging-related technologies to ensure the world-wide growth of the industry by:

• Providing a forum for industry participants to exchange knowledge, technology, and new business opportunities;
• Advocating for legal and regulatory matters;
• Developing, promoting, and administering paging-related standards
• Creating a unified voice for the paging industry.

For a summary of membership benefits and a membership application, please click on the Join AAPC graphic above. AAPC—Promoting Paging Technologies!

Thanks to our Gold Vendor member!

PRISM Paging

Thanks to our Bronze Member Vendors!

• Commtech Wireless
• Critical Response Systems, Inc.
• Hark Technologies
• Inilex, Inc.
• Microspace Communications Corporation
• Minilec Service, Inc.
• Nighthawk Systems, Inc.
• Raven Systems
• United Communications Corporation

“The First Page”

Dateline: Washington D.C.

Scott Forsythe AAPC president

I have just finished a day's worth of meetings with FCC Commissioners and staff, together with AAPC's counsel Ken Hardman and Vice President Roy Pottle, discussing the role of the paging industry in our nation's new Commercial Mobile Alert System. In 2006 Congress passed the WARN Act directing the FCC to establish a public alerting system utilizing Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) provider networks. By the time you read this, the FCC will have already made some decisions that could determine whether paging providers will have the opportunity to participate.

Considering paging's unique ability among CMRS providers to send one message to thousands of recipients in seconds (as opposed to thousands of messages in hours), it would be unfortunate if the FCC's rules were modified with unnecessary rigidity that, by default, would exclude a paging carrier's eligibility to provide important emergency alerts hence AAPC's efforts to educate and urge the FCC to adopt flexible language in its rules.

Now, this is not a new the Katrina Panel and has had excellent representation on the Advisory Committee formed to define how CMRS providers would be allowed or required to disseminate emergency alerts to the public. The Committee's report and recommendations recognized the unique characteristics of mobile users and allowed CMRS providers flexibility in the size of geographic areas that would be activated, in the case of an alert.

However, some affected parties would like to see the capability to geo-target public alerts down to areas as small as city blocks (like reverse 911), and have proposed this capability be required in order to participate in the alerting system. Unfortunately, by the laws of physics, such a requirement would eliminate many CMRS providers—particularly paging carriers—from participating in the system.

It's important to recognize our government's original "vision" that nearly everyone carries a cellphone and thus should be able to receive a simultaneous mass transmission message defining an emergency situation. However, most cellular/PCS networks in the United States are currently incapable of meeting the government's objectives and likely will be unable to do so without serious expenditures to redesign their networks and replace millions of devices.

Compare this to the paging industry's willingness and existing capability to provide this function to 90 percent of the population. Every paging carrier I have spoken to looks forward to participating in the Emergency Alert System, to the best of their abilities, and sees paging as the best technology to adopt for this purpose.

Future "smart" devices will allow geo-targeting over paging networks. This type of technology would be appropriate for fixed devices, such as those in a home or an office building. But logic says that mobile users, by definition, need to be able to receive alerts on a broader scale.

The FCC should adopt the Committee's original recommendation on flexible geo-targeting that allows all CMRS providers to participate, to their best ability, in the Emergency Alert System. It's the right thing to do.

Moto to cut jobs from R&D unit

By John Pletz
RCR Wireless News
Story posted: June 12, 2008 - 12:11 pm EDT
Story modified: June 12, 2008 - 12:16 pm EDT

Motorola Inc. is cutting more than 20% of the jobs in its research division and reassigning some of those that remain as the company continues to reorganize this unit.

It will eliminate about 120 of the 600 positions in Motorola Labs, the unit responsible for basic research in everything from cellphones to radio technology, according to a source familiar with the moves made Wednesday.

Another 180 workers are being reassigned to work in individual business units, ranging from cellphones to set-top boxes. The other 300 workers will remain with a much smaller unit to be renamed the Applied Research & Technology Center.

Motorola declined to comment on the specific job cuts, but confirmed the reorganization of the division.

"As part of the company’s strategic review of business operations, Motorola is moving some Motorola Labs project groups into the businesses they support," the company said in a statement. "This direct alignment will help R&D teams work with their business partners to optimize R&D investment and focus on projects that deliver the greatest value for Motorola."

The changes, which take effect July 1, are part of roller-coaster ride in Motorola's technology operations that began last summer when software and engineering were separated.

Chief Technology Officer Padmasree Warrior, once a rising star at the company, left Motorola in December for the same post at Cisco Systems Inc., which competes with Motorola in the set-top box business.

Her successor, Richard Nottenburg, who inherited technology duties along with his role as chief strategy officer, left last month to become CEO of a small telecommunications company near Boston. The duties have since passed to Dan Moloney, who is president of the home and networks unit, one of Motorola's three divisions.

Motorola is in the midst of trying to spin off its money-losing phone business from units that make two-way radios, set-top cable boxes, wireless data networks for businesses and gear to operate cell-phone networks.

Motorola's research division has been seen alternately as the company's greatest strength or one of its weaknesses, squandering money on efforts that too often didn't translate into products that could be sold. Supporters point to Motorola engineers who came up with the hit Razr while exploring how thin they could make a cellphone and get rid of the external antenna.

But Greg Brown, who formerly led Motorola's radio business en route to becoming CEO in January after the company struggled to produce a successful follow-up to the Razr, has repeatedly said one of the company's biggest problems in its cellphone business is that its products were too often "engineering driven." Some Wall Street analysts have criticized Motorola for having too many engineers and not enough products.

John Pletzis a reporter for Crain's Chicago Business, a sister publication to RCR Wireless News. Both publications are owned by Crain Communications Inc.

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Look Out, Vonage. Here Comes magicJack

By David LaGesse
U.S. News & World Report
Posted June 6, 2008

Another upstart has crashed into the world of telephones, selling calls so cheaply it would seem no incumbent can compete. The magicJack website looks like a carnival, and inventor Dan Borislow can sound like a carnival barker. But his $40 device is selling fast with its promise of a year of unlimited calls anywhere in the United States. "We're now the largest telephone company out there," Borislow boasts with typical lack of restraint. He's referring to magicJack's availability in all 50 states, with phone numbers offered in about 80 percent of area codes—claims that even AT&T can't make.

The magicJack itself is about the size of a matchbox. (Courtesy of magicJack)

The colorful and wealthy Borislow—who also raises, races, and wagers on racehorses—has launched magicJack fast out of the gate. The startup has sold more than 400,000 devices just six months after its official unveiling. It's selling about 7,000 a day, the company says, adding twice as many net new accounts over the period as Vonage, an Internet phoning pioneer. MagicJack's appeal is not only the price, which falls to just $20 for a second year of calls, but sound quality that's consistently good. And it's flat simple to install and use.

MagicJack's early success suggests a new threat to telephone companies, which are losing business to wireless phones and Internet calling. But it's still a pipsqueak in telecom, where cable companies are mounting the real threat with Internet phoning. The big guys are successfully bundling voice service with TV and broadband. Cablecos account for 80 percent of the 16.2 million Internet phone lines in U.S. homes, according to data from TeleGeography Research, which tracks the communications market.

Even Vonage has stumbled in trying to muscle in with Internet calling, often called VoIP (for "voice over Internet protocol"). Other Internet startups like SunRocket have simply disappeared, leaving customers scrambling to replace phone service. "VoIP has made and broken many companies along the way," says Jon Arnold, an independent analyst who follows the market.

Depending on an Internet startup for phone service can be dicey. But Borislow says magicJack is in the business for the long haul. He and Chief Executive Officer Don Burns funded much of the $25 million spent to build the company. Borislow made his money in the 1990s on cheap long distance through Tel-Save (later called Talk America). Burns made his fortune by creating "10-10" long-distance dialing.

After a few years as a young retiree, Borislow, now 46, dove back into telecom. He spent more than three years building a system of computers and switches that gives magicJack a private network for carrying calls. That amounts to unprecedented control over call quality for an Internet phone company, Borislow says. "It's a lot like a land line, but instead of connecting to AT&T, you connect to my network."

There have been stumbles. Some customers complained that tones from their phones wouldn't work on menu-driven services, such as those reached at an airline's 800 number. And the service had problems across wireless broadband connections sold by cellphone carriers. Borislow says those issues should be resolved in a software update sent automatically to all magicJack devices.

Customer service is available only through online chats, and has drawn poor reviews. Borislow says it's getting better and he plans to keep it online. For one thing, if a customer is able to reach customer service on the Web, that eliminates a poor Internet connection as the culprit behind any magicJack problems.

Here's how the whole thing works: The jack's magic is in an oversized thumb-drive that connects to the USB port of a computer. At magicJack's other end is a standard phone jack attached to a conventional handset. The device loads its own software, and in a couple of minutes users can be making and receiving calls with their old corded or cordless phone. MagicJack customers must keep their computer powered up to make and receive calls. But piggybacking on the PC (including Macs with Intel chips) helps keep costs down.

Skype, a popular Internet calling service, requires a software download and a PC's microphone and speakers to make calls. Or users can buy and install their own hardware. Vonage and other companies send a box that lets consumers plug a conventional phone directly into their broadband router. That can raise its own issues, and quality can vary. They also typically charge $20 a month for service.

The new RAVENAlert answers the need for a fast, intelligent, and dependable indoor alerting device. Features include:

• High volume audible alert.
• Large backlit screen.
• Clear voice via new text to speech technology.
• Compact Size. 5.5 X 5 inches
• Easy wall mount or sits upright on any flat surface
• Battery or line powered
• Vast grouping capability
• FLEX or POCSAG in all frequency bands
• UL Listed

COMPLETE ALERTING FOR:

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[Communications]

Disparate Solutions Work To Fill Communications Gap

Rather than a unified approach, the watershed funding for reliable and interoperable communications has led to commercial and proprietary solutions based on a range of wireless technologies.

Nancy Friedrich
ED Online — ID #19184
June 2008

More than seven years have passed since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Since that time, the world has witnessed the subway bombings in the UK, the train bombings in Spain, and multiple other attacks. Government agencies have boosted their resources to gather more intelligence and prevent such attacks. In addition, they continue to emphasize the need for interoperable communications. Problems with communications continue to arise during emergencies — in particular between different agencies (local, state, federal, etc.). Instead of a grand revamping of this country’s public-safety communications infrastructure and corresponding equipment, agencies have received somewhat sporadic upgrades. To fill the holes in communication stemming from both the networks and the radios, a number of companies have devised solutions that utilize wireless technologies, satellite communications, or Internet-protocol (IP) approaches.

Most “civilians” imagine that government agencies have proprietary, super-intelligent, futuristic networks that never fail. Yet the fact is that these agencies often have outdated equipment and their networks exhibit problems or fail to meet the agencies’ needs during disasters. As a result, the agencies’ best option is often to upgrade using an existing—and even commercial-based—solution. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), for example, recently chose Verizon Business (www.verizonbusiness.com) to build and manage a secure, global IP network. Through an agreement valued at $678.5 million over 10 years, Verizon Business will serve as primary service provider under the DHS OneNet program. It will help the 22 agencies that make up the DHS combine multiple, separate wide-area networks onto one common and secure IP network.

As part of this program, Verizon Business has committed to implementing a Security Operations Center (SOC) for DHS. It also will employ Emergency Communications Services (ECS)—a new service that is available to all government agencies under the DHS’ Networx Universal task order. ECS will enable the DHS to establish quick, mobile connectivity to any affected area within the US and its territories to help its disaster response and recovery efforts. Networx is the largest federal telecommunication contract ever awarded by the GSA and the federal government. Its goal is to provide federal agencies with a common vehicle for purchasing networking, professional, and technical services.

Although this contract will clearly benefit the DHS, communications between different agencies also remains critical. Here, commercial businesses also offer solutions. In April, for example, AT&T (www.att.com) announced an agreement with Federal Signal Corp. (www.federalsignal.com) to provide a technology platform that can enable instant first-responder notification and interoperable communications across a broad range of communications devices in a crisis situation. Specifically, AT&T will offer Federal Signal’s Codespear SmartMsg Communications Suite. It promises to make mission-critical communications easier, faster, and less expensive with a software-based platform that connects disparate public-safety agencies during emergency situations. Agencies are connected on a broad range of telephone, wireless, pager, two-way-radio, and other communications devices anytime and anywhere.

To provide reliable and effective communications during time-sensitive situations, SmartMsg uses multiple means of notifying users including e-mail and voice-based messages to subscribers’ wired and wireless phones. The application enables first-responder notification with fully integrated two-way voice, data, and video communications as well as data sharing between any agency or jurisdiction—regardless of the communications device or system. The suite also provides streaming-video capabilities and allows participants to monitor video from remote sources. This system can be deployed rapidly in stationary and mobile configurations. It occupies a small footprint and operates on both alternating-current (AC) and direct-current (DC) power.

Although the 9/11 attacks brought communication interoperability problems to light, terrorist attacks are not the only disasters in which such breakdowns can be detrimental. Such problems also are played out in natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina. Because of both its geography and susceptibility to hurricanes, the state of Florida is often at the forefront of disaster preparedness. Florida’s Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System (SLERS), for example, directly links subscribers to the state’s 800-MHz communication system. In doing so, it allows local, regional, state, and federal public-safety agencies to communicate on a single common network. This spring, SLERS added a number of public-safety providers to its list of subscribers. Subscribers include Dade County, Broward County Emergency Management Agency, Hillsborough County, and Sumter County Sheriff’s Offices. The SLERS system is the result of a unique public-private partnership between M/A-COM (www.macom.com), which was just acquired by Cobham plc (www.cobham.com), and the state of Florida. It accommodates more than 6500 users with 14,000 radios in patrol cars, boats, motorcycles, and aircraft wherever they are in the state. The all-digital radio network covers 60,000 square miles (including 25 miles offshore).

In addition, the Florida National Guard Emergency Response Network and National Guard Bureau recently announced the support of AGTFederal’s (www.appliedglobal.com) emergency-response communications systems. These communication command and control vehicles, dubbed Mobile Incident Site Systems, are capable of deployment over ground as well as by air (Fig. 1). They enable the guard to establish and maintain open lines of communications during manmade or natural disasters. The trailers include the latest in secure wireless mesh networking, voice-over- Internet-protocol (VoIP) telephony, video-teleconferencing systems, radio communications, and satellite-communications platforms. With these units, the Florida National Guard can deploy regional and nationwide communications systems that enable any first responders (both Department-of-Defense-affiliated and local, county, or state) to interact between various agencies and entities during real-world emergencies and ongoing training events.

Soon, the Florida National Guard also will have an advanced satellitecommunications network in place. Proactive Communications, Inc. (PCI; www.proactivecommo.com) and Digital Consulting Services (DCS; www.webdcs.com) have announced the completion schedule for the final phase of the Florida National Guard’s mobile Emergency Response Network. The system will be operational by July for the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season. By adding four air-liftable vehicles to the system, the Emergency Response Network gives the National Guard the ability to rapidly establish a wireless incident-area network that can support first-responder communications at both the state and local level upon arrival at an incident. DCS and PCI are providing advanced satellite-network capabilities via access to a fully meshed satellite network through a satellite hub station. The network, which is not limited to use in Florida, will offer voice, video, and data for emergency-response command and control operations. It also will provide a path for next-generation Comms-on-the-Move (COTM) capabilities.

On the west coast, the city of San Jose, CA has chosen to upgrade its emergency communications with a private microwave-radio network from Harris Stratex Networks, Inc. (www.harrisstratex.com). With this $9.1 million contract, Harris will engineer, install, integrate, and provision this network, dubbed Emergency Communications (ECOMM). The ECOMM digital backbone will link 14 different 9-1-1 call centers in the county. It will therefore enable the high-speed sharing of dispatch services, records databases, and voice traffic. In doing so, it will enable first responders to improve local incident response times and better manage regional incidents. The project is funded by grants from the US Department of Justice and the DHS.

An example of a typical application for the ECOMM network is a unique computer-aided-dispatch (CAD) -to- CAD system. Using this system, a fire dispatcher can immediately identify available resources from adjacent jurisdictions or from previously established, manually managed resource-sharing protocols that could be dispatched in a critical emergency. This kind of rapid response will save valuable time compared with the current practices, which require a series of telephone calls and conversations to identify, request, and confirm the dispatch of resources.

This project also involves the deployment of interoperable, hybrid 700-/150-MHz mobile radio systems. The TRuepoint 6400 and 5000 radios form a flexible digital communications platform that is designed to conserve space while supporting a range of interfaces including TDM, Ethernet, and SONET. The newer TRuepoint 6400 offers standard and high-power transmitter options, which enable administrators to plan flexibly while reducing transmission costs. In addition, interfaces, capacity, and protection switching can be added easily and without interruption to operations. The ECOMM network will eventually link to other interoperable public-safety microwave systems that are being built in the greater San Francisco Bay region. They will extend from Monterey to Sacramento.

Over the last few years, Tyco Electronics’ M/A-COM business unit has armed many first-response agencies with its VIDA network. The VIDA network platform is an IP-based, interoperable radio-communications technology that promises to address the voice and data-communications needs of public-safety-radio users. The platform delivers interoperability without the intervention of console operators, IP consoles, and networking technology for both the P25 phase I and phase II standards. Now, the firm has come out with a high-power broadband-based version of VIDA based on WiMAX technology. The new VIDA Broadband WiMAX base and subscriber stations were specifically designed to support the deployment of 4.9-GHz private broadband networks for utility and public-safety agencies (Fig. 2). Aside from meeting the maximum power output allowed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), they can be combined with directional antennas for extended-range wireless transmissions. The networks can be deployed as simple point-to-point links or in complete point-to-multipoint networks covering larger installations or geographic areas.

With this equipment, utilities and other public-safety agencies can deploy wide-area private WiMAX networks for video surveillance, VoIP radio and telephony applications, and vehicular broadband-network connectivity. The WiMAX IEEE 802.16 standards provide both the Advanced Encryption Standards (AES) and Quality of Service (QoS) features that are required to support such applications. In doing so, they allow multiple public-safety services to co-exist and communicate on a single private network. The VIDA Broadband products operate on the licensed 4.9-GHz spectrum, which is reserved solely for public-safety applications. Yet the FCC has permitted utilities to access this spectrum for public-safety services. According to M/A-COM, utilities can and should use this spectrum to build wireless broadband networks that provide video surveillance of critical infrastructure like nuclear reactors, hydroelectric facilities, or power-transmission substations.

Due to the horror of the London train bombings, it is no surprise that the UK also is heavily vested in keeping its public-safety communications as updated as possible. For example, Northrop Grumman Corp. (www.northropgrumman.com) recently completed a public-safety-network trial in the UK. The trial, which was held in collaboration with NextWave Wireless (www.nextwavewireless.com) and led by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), aimed to demonstrate how mobile-broadband technology can help to improve the responsiveness of emergency services. Interestingly, it also enabled the real-time transmission of time-sensitive crime-scene forensics.

The trial was initiated through the NPIA’s mobile information programme. It took place in Lewes and was hosted by Sussex Police. At the heart of this trial was a mobile-broadband network powered by TD-CDMA technology from NextWave Wireless. Specifically, NextWave Wireless supplied the TDCDMA Node Bs base stations and related core equipment. It also provided installation, commissioning, and project-management-support services. For its part, Northrop Grumman designed the overall solution and provided project management, system integration services, and technical support for applications including CCTV cameras, shoulder-mounted video cameras, tablet PCs, an ANPR camera, and database control-room facilities.

Through this trial, the Sussex Police were able to test the public-safety solution in an operational setting. The police force used the network to successfully transmit streaming video from fixed and body-worn cameras and moving vehicles—even at speeds greater than 80 mph—to the command station at police headquarters. They also found that the network allowed Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) databases in police cars to be continuously updated in real time. By creating simulated crime scenes, the Sussex Police demonstrated how the network could serve them in managing multiple crime-scene investigations remotely. In such scenarios, they could leverage live video feeds and the rapid transmission of forensic evidence.

To support interoperability across the European Union, a separate project has selected a software-defined-radio (SDR) technology from Spectrum Signal Processing (www.spectrumsignal.com) by Vecima Networks (www.vecimanetworks.com). The European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) Sensors Radar Technologies and Cyber Security Unit (SERAC) will use Spectrum Signal Processing’s flexComm Waveform Design Studio for the research and development of SDR capability in the Wireless Interoperability for Security (WINTSEC) project. WINTSEC explores a mixture of complementary solutions to overcome the barriers for wireless interoperability across different security agencies. In doing so, it enables first responders with incompatible legacy radios to communicate in a crisis situation. Specifically, the JRC will be using the Waveform Design Studio to support a possible improvement of European Union (EU) communications interoperability in the area of security and first responders. The product also will be used to enhance the understanding of emerging technologies, mesh networks, and wideband communications. Finally, it will be utilized to better assess future threats to critical network infrastructures. The Waveform Design Studio provides an intermediate-frequency (IF) -to-Ethernet solution with complete run-time software including a software communications architecture (SCA) software stack, development-tool suite, system examples, and sample applications.

The Waveform Design Studio incorporates a single Xilinx Virtex-4 field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and multiple Texas Instruments (www.ti.com) TMS320C6416 digital-signal-processing (DSP) devices. They are all interconnected through high-performance communications fabrics, which are integrated into an Intel-based workstation. The Waveform Design Studio supports two receive and two transmit channels at industry-standard 10.7, 21.4, and 70 MHz IF with bandwidths in excess of 30 MHz. It also supports RF to Ethernet for high-frequency (HF) and very-high-frequency (VHF) bands.

These solutions form only a partial list of the wide array of products that have been designed to provide emergency communications while ensuring interoperability. Their range provides an idea of the scope of the technologies upon which such solutions have been built. Although Internet Protocol continues to be a strong basis for some of these networks, wireless solutions ranging from satcom to WiMAX clearly have the greatest potential for immediate deployment in a disaster zone. Yet these disparate solutions were individually created to overcome the problems of traditional public-safety networks. In the event of a grand-scale disaster, the question remains: Are these proprietary solutions capable of working with each other to provide emergency communications across counties, states, and different agencies? Hopefully, the need for such versatility was predicted and has been designed in so that emergency communications are ensured rather than disrupted.

MOTOROLA OEM
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'Serving the Paging industry since 1987'

DHS Hoping Fee Hike Will Deter Cell Phone Use

06/12/08
by Stacye Lee
Dublin, Georgia
The Courier-Herald

Administrators are hoping a fee hike for infractions regarding cell phone and pager use by Dublin High School students while on campus will be felt where it means the most for many teens — their pockets.

The change in the 2008-09 student handbook reflects a $10 increase — from $15 to $25 — if a cell phone is confiscated during school hours. The Dublin Board of Education approved the handbook during a regular meeting Monday.

“The $15 did not have an impact on the student,” Superintendent Dr. Elaine Connell said.

Students are allowed to have cell phones and pagers while at school as long as they are turned off and are kept out of sight, according to the policy.

Schools continue to struggle with the use of electronic devices by students during the school day.

“Many times it’s parents calling or texting their children,” said DHS principal Tim Scott.

According to the policy, punishment for the first infraction is to confiscated the cell phone for five days, a $25 fine and a conference with a parent or guardian. The second infraction results in the confiscation of the cell phone for 10 days, a $25 fine, two days out-of-school suspension and a parent or guardian conference before the student can return to school. After the third infraction, the phone is confiscated, the student receives five days out-of-school suspension, and a parent/guardian is called in for a conference.

Scott said cell phone, pager and other electronic device use by students during class is distracting and requires a teacher to take time away from instruction. Some students use cell phones to cheat on class work and tests. He suggested the school follow the same policy as those set by administrators of the SAT and ACT, whereby if a cell phone or other electronic devise is discovered during the test, the test is declared null and void.

Technology to track cell phones saves lives, but is it enough?

By Carlos Mayorga
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 06/09/2008 12:15:58 AM MDT

Husband and wife Keith and Sally Jo Zuspan talk in their Sandy home about his stroke in May and the search to find him by his cell phone signal. (Jim Urquhart/The Salt Lake Tribune)

When Sally Jo Zuspan called her husband, Keith, one evening last April, she could tell something was wrong.

He had pulled over on his way home from work somewhere between his Salt Lake City office and home in Sandy, having suffered a stroke, impairing his vision and speech.

Minutes passed and Zuspan became desperate. She had determined he was in a parking lot, and drove around for about 30 minutes trying to find him. With no address, she didn't call 911. Finally, she pulled over at a gas station and used a land-line phone to make the emergency call.

Last year, 285,841, or 74 percent of emergency calls received at the Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center (VECC), which handles most of the calls in Salt Lake County, were from cell phones. The national average is slightly more than 50 percent, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

For dispatchers at 911 call centers, finding a cell phone caller who does not know his location can be difficult.

Keith Zuspan was fortunate. When VECC dispatcher Vanessa Cremeans answered, she was able to help find his general location by his phone number and and assistance from a representative at his wireless company. They determined the closest cell tower to his location, somewhere in the Ft. Union area of Midvale. Finally, Keith Zuspan was able to say "Wingers," and an ambulance located him near the restaurant.

"I was so happy we were able to find him," Cremeans said, adding that Zuspan's case is not the first time the center has had such success.

When a person on a land-line telephone calls 911, the caller's name and address automatically appear to the dispatcher, allowing the center to quickly notify emergency services. But technology allowing 911 call centers to pinpoint a wireless caller does not exist. Like the situation with Keith Zuspan, 911 centers are only able to determine a caller's location in an area within several city blocks.

Cremeans said that incidents in which a caller cannot give verbal clues of location are infrequent. Typically, callers can name an address or street, or give description of nearby businesses or landmarks. But as more Americans rely on wireless phones, incidents that would require 911 centers to scramble to find a location may become more common, she said.

VECC Client Services Coordinator Geana Randall said because of the high volume of incoming calls from wireless phones, the center needs better technology to more accurately know callers' locations. Current technology is not as reliable in locating people in tall buildings and wooded, rural areas. Future technology could provide more accurate data, including the use of an additional coordinate to help rescuers locate someone based on their elevation, Randall said.

The Association of Public-Safety Communication Officials (APCO), an organization dedicated to improving the accuracy and performance of 911 call centers, lobbied the FCC to develop more guidelines requiring wireless companies to report vulnerabilities and to work with 911 centers to improve performance.

Last September, the FCC adopted new standards that require wireless companies to work within a five-year period more closely with 911 centers to improve performance and to fix communication issues that slow down response times. Stephen Wisley, APCO technical services manager, said some wireless carriers appealed the new regulations and were recently granted a stay of appeal, putting a halt to the new regulations, which could have taken effect as early as 2008.

Fortunately for 49-year-old Keith Zuspan, paramedics were able to get him to the hospital in time to receive medication to break up the stroke-causing clots. Had he gone much longer without treatment, the stroke could have done permanent damage. Now, Zuspan goes back and forth between regular appointments with his eye doctor, who told him it could take up to a year to get close to 100 percent eye sight again, and a speech therapist. Although he lost some vocabulary, including memory of simple words like "straw," which he had to re-learn, doctors told him that as long as he keeps taking regular blood-thinning drugs, there is little risk of another stroke.

"It's an uphill battle," he said. "But as long as I keep moving forward, the final outcome is going to be good."

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Earthquake planners create communications network

By William Jackson
Government Computer News
06/11/08

The Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC), a state and federal partnership for mitigating loss of life and damage from earthquakes, has formed a satellite mutual-aid radio talk group to provide interoperable communications for public safety officials during disasters.

Mobile Satellite Ventures LP (MSV), of Reston, Va., will provide the satellite link and communications hardware. The service will provide interoperable push-to-talk radio and satellite phone service that will not be affected if terrestrial communications infrastructure is knocked out or becomes congested during emergencies.

CUSEC covers an eight-state area that includes the seismically active New Madrid and Wabash Valley seismic zones. It is funded by Federal Emergency Management Agency and state and local members in addition to corporate sponsors. Member states are Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

“The need to have redundancy in communications systems is amplified by the large area of the earthquake threat and the multi-jurisdictional issues,” said CUSEC Executive Director Jim Wilkinson.

Although California’s seismic zones are better known, the New Madrid fault produced three of the most powerful earthquakes in the United States in 1811 and 1812, and it is still the most active seismic zone east of the Rocky Mountains.

“Push-to-talk is incredibly spectrally effective,” said Jim Corry, vice president of government solutions at MSV. “It requires very little satellite resources to talk to a lot of people.” Push-to-talk traffic also never touches the public switched telephone network that carries terrestrial telephone traffic, and it is not affected by natural disasters.

MSV is a joint venture between Mobile Satellite Ventures LP, owned by SkyTerra Communications Inc., and Mobile Satellite Ventures (Canada) Inc.

The consortium will manage participation in the CUSEC-1 talk group by federal, tribal, state and local public safety officials in addition to authorized private-sector users. The satellite will act much like a repeater for a traditional radio in push-to-talk mode. The signal is sent from a ground set to one of two MSV satellites in geo-synchronous orbit over North America, which relays it to the ground station. There, the network identifies the radio and the talk group being used, looks for other talk group members who are on the air, summons their radios to a common frequency, then sends the signal back up to a satellite and down to the radios of the talk group. The system also can be used to make satellite phone calls.

The ground set used to make calls is mobile but not portable. It consists of a 9-inch automatic tracking L-band antenna and a handset, both connected to a transceiver somewhat larger than a laptop PC.

CUSEC, formed in 1983, is part of the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program. In addition to FEMA, federal member agencies include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Geological Survey, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Energy and Transportation departments.

The New Madrid seismic zone extends along the Mississippi River from Alabama and Arkansas to Kentucky and Missouri. Thirty quakes have been recorded in the zone since April, the largest being a 2.8-magnitude quake centered near Dell, Ark., May 9. The most recent was a 1.8 magnitude quake June 8 near Tiptonville, Tenn.

The less-well-known Wabash Valley fault area extends north from the Ohio River along the Indiana and Illinois border. Although not as active as the New Madrid region to the south, it has produced more powerful quakes in recent months. The most powerful recent event was a 5.2 magnitude quake near Mount Carmel, Ill., April 18, which sparked the creation of the Illinois Seismic Safety Task Force. The most recent was a 3.6 magnitude quake June 5 near Allendale, Ill.

Hispanic leaders work to improve emergency communications

June 13, 2008
By ROSA RAMIREZ
Staff Writer
Daytona Beach News-Journal

PIERSON — No one was prepared for the devastation and chaos brought by the three hurricanes that hit Volusia County in 2004. People spent days and weeks without potable water and electricity.

And when assistance finally arrived, it came later than it should have in largely rural Northwest Volusia, Hispanic leaders say.

As Hispanics across the county prepare for the 2008 hurricane season — which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30 — with canned food, bottled water, first-aid kits, flashlights and emergency training, leaders are working to improve their emergency communications.

Five Hispanics, including heads of three local advocacy groups, met Wednesday in Pierson to make an emergency communications plan, brush up on emergency training they received and identify weak areas.

They hope to meet with Spanish-language media to ask them to make up-to-date hurricane, strong wind, and tornado warnings.

Ana Bolaños, director of the Alianza de Mujeres Activas or Alliance of Active Women in Seville, said the gusty winds last week were so strong that vehicles traveling on U.S. 17 there had parked on the side of the road.

"English-language stations had warnings for viewers and when I went on Univision, there was nothing," said Bolaños Wednesday. "That's a great disservice to the Spanish-speaking community, which are their main consumers."

"We need to let them know the warnings are essential so people know they need to prepare right away," said Marcos Crisanto, who heads the Pierson office of the Farmworker Association of Florida.

Lisa Doig, a Community Emergency Response Team trainer who has been working with the Spanish-speaking Volusia community since 1994, said the group has come a long way since the deadly 2004 storms.

Some 15 Spanish-speakers, including leaders of three Hispanic advocacy groups, have completed the CERT training. CERT volunteers learn, for example, how to do a search and rescue, take vital signs and organize a team during an emergency.

Lidia Miranda of Pierson and her 16-year-old son, Erik, are CERT volunteers. Miranda took her two other children, Rafael, 9, and Janette, 10, to the workshop. "It's important for the entire family to be prepared and know what to do in case of an emergency," she said. "I want my children to learn to become responsible for their own safety at an early age."

The CERT group meets on a regular basis to brush up on emergency training.

Shelley Szafraniec, a spokeswoman for Volusia County Fire Services, said the county also stepped up efforts to strengthen communications with Hispanics in the county.

In 2000, the county began to distribute the Disaster Preparedness Guide in English and Spanish. And in 2006, it formed the Multicultural Communication Task Force to better provide information on all types of hazards, not simply hurricanes or tornadoes, Szafraniec said. They are now working to place signs in English and Spanish for beachgoers on the dangers of rip currents.

"I think we have made a lot of inroads," Szafraniec said.

There were two main lessons learned after the 2004 storms.

"There's a geographical barrier and a barrier of language," Doig said Wednesday.

Debris blocking parts of U.S. 17, the main road leading to Northwest Volusia, made it difficult for assistance to arrive there. More help was needed there than first aid responders were able to provide, the leaders said.

Hispanic residents in Pierson and Seville felt they needed to learn how to take care of themselves and their neighbors.

Many point to Doig as being instrumental in helping them get disaster-ready.

Doig has trained several groups, all Spanish-speaking residents, on CERT skills. She organizes workshops regularly to keep CERT volunteers up to date with the training they received and has helped them get supplies for an emergency.

She even purchased the group two fire extinguishers and brought them two stretchers the county donated to the CERT team.

Recently, the United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties recognized her efforts by naming her "Outstanding Disaster Response Volunteer of the Year."

Crisanto said the Spanish-speaking CERT team will benefit the entire community during an emergency.

"It's to help all groups, not just Latinos," he said. "The 2004 hurricanes affected all of us."

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TAPS—Texas Association of Paging Services is looking for partners on 152.480 MHz. Our association currently uses Echostar, formerly Spacecom, for distribution of our data and a large percentage of our members use the satellite to key their TXs. We have a CommOneSystems Gateway at the uplink in Chicago with a back-up running 24/7. Our paging coverage area on 152.480 MHz currently encompasses Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Kansas. The TAPS paging coverage is available to members of our Network on 152.480 MHz for $.005 a transmitter (per capcode per month), broken down by state or regions of states and members receive a credit towards their bill for each transmitter which they provide to our coverage. Members are able to use the satellite for their own use If you are on 152.480 MHz or just need a satellite for keying your own TXs on your frequency we have the solution for you.

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Emergency 911 call centers moving toward unified communications

By Shamus McGillicuddy, News Editor
12 Jun 2008
SearchUnifiedCommunications.com

Avaya is trying to bring modern unified communications and call center technology to the nation's antiquated emergency 911 call centers. This week it announced the Avaya Public Safety Communications Solution product package.

Today's 911 call centers, known as public safety answering points (PSAPs), are based on analog technologies that don't work well, if at all, with emerging communications media such as text messaging and instant messaging, according to Guy Clinch, director of government industry solutions for Avaya.

"That severely limits not only their ability to deal with modern forms of communication, but it also puts us in a dangerous position from the standpoint of the limitations of government being able to respond to emergencies," Clinch said.

Avaya's new product is aimed at solving some of those problems. Clinch said that Avaya's Public Safety Communications Solution is built on the company's IP telephony platform, with a combination of servers and gateways designed for reliability. This technology will help PSAPs deal with non-voice communications for the first time, and it will also let them leverage modern call center technologies to become more effective.

"Most people don't know that 911 today is only connected via an analog network," said Jeff Robertson, executive director of the 911 Industry Alliance, an association of vendors that advocates for new technologies and government support of emergency communications services.

Robertson said that 99% of PSAPs in the nation today use an analog centralized automatic message accounting (CAMA) trunk, a network that dates back to the 1960s, to communicate with the outside world.

"It was great for landline phones and payphones," he said, "but the minute you enter mobility, text messaging, multimedia, OnStar and other things, it doesn't handle that well, if at all."

Almost none of the nation's PSAPs have the ability to receive text messages, instant messages, video, photos or emails because of their analog infrastructure, Robertson said. This is a huge problem, considering that a growing percentage of the country's population thinks it can reach 911 this way. The 911 Industry Alliance recently conducted a survey which found that 75% of the nation's youth think they can reach 911 via a text message.

"During the Virginia Tech shooting, plenty of text messages were sent to 911," Robertson said. "But there is not a 911 center in the nation that can receive a text message today, let alone a multimedia message. It's something the public expects today, but we don't have it. Those messages go nowhere. They just get rejected, and the problem is the person doesn't know that."

Avaya's IP telephony technology would provide the infrastructure that PSAPs need to be able to handle these new forms of communication, Robertson said.

"We don't expect PSAPs to rip and replace everything," Clinch said. "We expect to go in and over time transition from where they are today to a future state where they will be able to deal with next-generation communications. We do that by giving them most of the building blocks today and allowing them to adapt over time to that evolving environment."

PSAPs also need modern call center technologies to help them handle an increased volume of calls caused by the proliferation of personal communications, Robertson said.

"When I was a police officer, if we had an accident, it was a big deal if we got two calls from people who left their cars and ran to a house to make a call," he said. "Now, if there is a fender bender, a PSAP gets 30, 40 or even 50 calls, because everybody has got a cell phone and wants to report it. This puts a huge strain on people who have to take those calls."

Avaya's call center technology offers PSAPs the ability to do intelligent queuing, Robertson said. If 50 people call from one location, the system can interpret those calls as all relating to one incident and can assign priority to a call from another part of town. All those calls would get answered eventually, but the one call relating to a separate incident in another part of town wouldn't have to wait for all 50 other calls to get processed. Robertson said that in most PSAPs, many of those callers would just encounter a busy signal.

Clinch said that Avaya's technology will also help small PSAPs work collaboratively to scale their capacity during major emergencies.

"Most important is our ability to use IP technology to allow us to bridge distances between those independent centers and allow us to aggregate those centers on a geographical basis," Clinch said. "An example of this is in Galveston County, Texas. Two years ago, Galveston County had eight independent centers taking 911 calls. Depending on where you were, if you called 911, your call would go to one of those eight centers, and there was no ability for those centers to be able to back up one another. We put an IP telephony backbone and server-gateway strategy in that turned those eight independent call centers into a single virtual center."

"There's a lot of different initiatives being put forward right now, but it's clear that a couple of [things] need to happen: next-generation messaging and the ability to efficiently route and take calls," said William A. Stofega, research manager of VoIP services at IDC. "This [is] all something that's got to happen, and it's going to happen. And the state governments and all the different parts that make up emergency 911 are looking for these types of solutions."

Avaya is the first major vendor to bring a modern IP-based product suite to the 911 industry, Stofega said. There are some smaller vendors that have offered point products, and Nortel has a new product on the market. "But it's more marketed to corporate call centers than public safety," he said. "Avaya has done some special things that public safety requires, and then there are the third-party Avaya partners that are improving on that."

For instance, Avaya has integrated its technology with Intelligent Workstation technology from PlantCML to bring advanced contact center functionality to PSAP operators.

Avaya also has partnered with NICE Systems, a provider of secure call recording and analytics technology, since all calls and interactions in PSAPs must be recorded. It has also partnered with Raytheon's JPS Communications division, which will allow PSAP telephones to communicate with the land-based radios of first responders and public safety agencies, something that would have been a great help during the September 11 attacks on New York City.

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Starbucks settles T-Mobile WiFi lawsuit

June 12, 2008
By Lynnette Luna
Fierce Broadband Wireless

Days after T-Mobile filed a lawsuit against Starbucks accusing it of breach of contract because it's allowing AT&T to provide customers with free WiFi access in its cafes, Starbucks announced it has reached an agreement with AT&T and T-Mobile. The AT&T promotion provides two hours of free WiFi to Starbucks customers who purchase a Starbucks Reward Card with a minimum of $5 credit on it. Customers must use their Starbucks Card at least once a month.

T-Mobile, which was the seven-year exclusive paid WiFi provider for Starbucks before the coffee chain transitioned to AT&T, filed a complaint earlier this week charging Starbucks with secretly devising the promotion with AT&T to provide free WiFi in its stores even though T-Mobile still has the right to exclusively sell and promote its WiFi service in Starbucks until the transition to AT&T is complete. Currently only two Starbucks stores have made the transition, the lawsuit said.

It's unclear what type of agreement Starbucks entered into with AT&T and T-Mobile but it appears the lawsuit won't go to trial. According to a T-Mobile spokesperson, "T-Mobile, AT&T, and Starbucks have entered into a memorandum of understanding to resolve their disputes and are committed to providing a high quality WiFi experience for customers.

Fort Bend County Purchases Emergency Satellite Communications System

by John Pape
FortBendNow.com
June 12, 2008

With the hurricane season only two weeks old, Fort Bend County Emergency Management officials have purchased a new satellite-based communications system to use during a disaster when land-based communications are down.

The county recently purchased an ECSC portable SatMAX emergency communications system from Houston-based Echo Communications System. Terms and cost of the new system were not immediately available.

The new system helped bring the county into compliance with state-mandated emergency response coordination in the case of a natural or man-made disaster. The mandate focuses on having reliable communications between state and federal agencies, hospitals, law enforcement and first responders.

Assistant Fort Bend County Emergency Management Coordinator Danny Jan said the SatMAX system helps ensure constant satellite telephone communication during and after a disaster.

“The Echo SatMAX system is a critical component of our disaster communications plan and is ready if any or all other means of terrestrial communications are compromised,” Jan said.

The provider of the system, Echo Satellite Communications, specializes in wireless, non-line-of-sight satellite voice and data communications. It provides communications systems to law enforcement, the military, governmental agencies, first responders and industrial users.

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Must be new math. . .

June 13, 2008

Mark E. Crosby President and CEO, EWA

You will note in an article below that the FCC has once again increased the application processing and regulatory fees that are to be collected starting this coming September when "Private Land Mobile Radio Service" applications/renewals are submitted to the FCC. For shared use of radio spectrum, the annual fee was $10 in 2006, and in 2008, it will be $20. For exclusive use of radio spectrum, the annual fee was $20 in 2006 and in 2008, it will be $40. According to my calculations, that's a 100% increase in two short years. Remember that number for a moment.

This whole idea of the FCC paying its own way as a Federal Agency was Congress' back in 1989 when it authorized the FCC to impose and collect application processing fees, and directed the Commission to prescribe charges for certain types of application processing or authorization services it provides to communications entities. That seemed to work out so well that in 1993 Congress authorized the FCC to also recover the annual costs of its enforcement, policy and rulemaking, user information and international activities.

I have carefully reviewed the FCC docket in this matter looking for clues that would justify a 100% increase in 24 months. One thing I found was a reference to a Commission Annual Report on PLMRS that indicated at the end of fiscal year 1994 that "there were 1,087,267 licensees operating 12,481,989 transmitters in the PLMR bands below 512 MHz". I sure hope they didn't use this data to estimate the percentage share of regulatory activities in 2008! Everybody in the industry knows those statistics are woefully inaccurate today probably by half or more given the tremendous growth and appeal of certain commercial offerings. Everybody also knows that the level of regulatory activity for PLMRs has not increased by 100% since 2006! Many FCC professionals that were working on policy matters for both Business/Industrial and public safety are now working exclusively on public safety. In other words, the staff hasn't increased 100% either.

I also found that the FCC is predicting that 1,150 applications will be filed for exclusive use, and 11,500 applications will be filed for shared use. That 10% relationship is about right, but the volume seems a bit low, even if they were to adjust from the 1994 usage data. It shouldn't be that difficult to know how many applications and renewals are being processed and to then determine the costs associated with processing those applications. I didn't find anything else in the item that provided any substantive justification.

The FCC is expecting $2,760,000 in fees from the PLMRS in 2008. New math or old math, I'm having trouble figuring how they got there. EWA requested that the FCC refrain from adopting its 2008 proposed regulatory fee increase until it has made public a detailed analysis in support of the new fees. We certainly have the right to ask, but I doubt that they have the data we seek that would justify this latest fee increase.

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• January 11, 1997—Telstar 401 suffers a short in the satellite circuitry—TOTAL LOSS
• May 19, 1998—Galaxy 4 control processor causes loss of fixed orbit—TOTAL LOSS
• September 19, 2003—Telstar 4 suffers loss of its primary power bus—TOTAL LOSS
• March 17, 2004—PAS-6 suffers loss of power—TOTAL LOSS
• January 14, 2005—Intelsat 804 suffers electrical power system anomaly—TOTAL LOSS

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News Story Hand-Held RF Field Strength Meter is battery operated. June 9, 2008 - Measuring 4 x 1.8 x 9 in. and weighing less than 2.0 lb, Model 2640 features frequency range of 100 kHz to 2,000 MHz, noise floor of -110 dBm to detect weak signals, and basic spectrum analyzer functionality. It has 2 GHz frequency counter, phase-locked loop for precise frequency tuning, detachable antenna, and back-lit display. Meter supports RS-232C serial communication, detects wide band and narrow band FM, AM, and SSB signals, and scans and displays up to 160 channels.

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Release date: May 15, 2008

Hand-Held RF Field Strength Meter Has Frequency Range of 100 kHz to 2.0 GHz

B&K Precision Corporation's Model 2640 is a battery operated, hand-held RF Field Strength Meter capable of measuring RF levels and electric field strength. The synthesizer-based design provides reliable measurements across a wide reception range of 100KHz to 2000MHz, a remarkably low noise floor of -110 dBm to detect weak signals, and basic spectrum analyzer functionality. Priced at only $2,250.00, the hand-held RF Field Strength Meter is ideal for users to test, install and maintain Mobile Telecommunications Systems, Cellular and Cordless Phone, CB Paging, Paging Systems, Cable and Satellite TV Systems, as well as antenna site measurements and maintenance.

The Model 2640 provides field technicians and engineers with a cost-effective measurement tool for basic signal investigations at only a fraction of the cost of a full-featured conventional spectrum analyzer. The instrument's user-friendly interface combined with convenient presets such as predefined filter settings and other special functions (e.g. squelch) commonly used in analog communication systems make the 2640 easy to use.

The instrument supports RS-232C serial communication and comes with AK2640 software and interface cable that allows full control of the Model 2640 via a PC through the RS-232 interface. The software allows the saving, recalling, and analyzing of current and saved waveforms. The Model 2640 can save up to 100 waveforms and states in its internal memory.

The Model 2640 Handheld RF Field Strength Meter offers a number of outstanding features that facilitate quick and easy measurements:

• Hand held and battery operated portability
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• Phase-locked loop for precise frequency tuning
• Up to 160 channels may be scanned and displayed
• Detachable antenna included
• Back-lit display
• Storable setups and displays
• RS-232 Interface

Compact and light weight, The instrument weighs less than 2.0 pounds including battery, and measures a compact 4" wide, by 9" high by 1.8" deep, Priced at an MSRP of $2,250.00 and available for immediate delivery, the Model 2640 Handheld RF Field Strength Meter comes with a professional carrying case, AC adapter, rechargeable batteries, ear phone, N to BNC adapter, BNC coaxial cable, rubber antenna, RS-232 cable and interface software.

For the name and location of an authorized distributor near you, contact B&K Precision Corporation, 22820 Savi Ranch Parkway, Yorba Linda, California, 92887, Tel: (714) 921-9095, Fax: (714) 921-6422 or visit our Web site at www.bkprecision.com.

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Minilec Service, Inc. Suite A 9207 Deering Ave. Chatsworth, CA 91311

Minilec Service

June 5, 2008 7:23:42 PM CDT

Washington, D.C. - Today, CTIA filed an ex parte letter with the FCC detailing its concerns with proposed service and technical rules for AWS spectrum bands. The FCC has scheduled a June 12 vote to adopt service and technical rules for 35-40 MHz of Advanced Wireless Service (AWS) spectrum in the 2 GHz band – the H Block 1915-1920 MHz and 1995-2000 MHz; and the AWS-3 spectrum 2155 – 2180 MHz. The proposal for both blocks will cause interference into existing adjacent commercial mobile spectrum bands crucial for the deployment of mobile wireless broadband. Further, the proposal for the AWS-3 spectrum is distinctly tailored to advance the particular business model of one company — a business model with a history of failure — and in effect imposes a government subsidy for free broadband. In its letter, CTIA urges the Commission to take additional time to craft technical and service rules that will protect adjacent AWS-1 and PCS licensees and the millions of wireless subscribers who rely on their service.

Please go to files.ctia.org/pdf/080605_AWS_Ex_Parte.pdf for a copy of the letter and call or e-mail Joe Farren with any questions, jfarren@ctia.org or 202-736-3240.

###

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BloostonLaw Telecom Update

Published by the Law Offices of Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & Prendergast, LLP

[Selected portions reproduced here with the firm's permission.]

www.bloostonlaw.com

Martin Takes AWS Item Off Of Open Meeting Agenda, But Plans To Consider It At July Open Meeting

Responding to industry concerns, including concerns raised by our rural telco clients and entities such as MetroPCS, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin last week removed the item on service rules for Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum in the 2155-2180 MHz band from the June 12 open meeting agenda. Martin agreed that more time was needed to look at that issue. However, he plans to consider the item at the July meeting, which has not yet been scheduled.

As noted previously, the AWS item would essentially set the stage for another auction (BloostonLaw Telecom Update, May 28). Martin’s “wireless broadband plan” would require the winning bidder(s) to offer free broadband service under an aggressive build-out schedule—that is, reach 50% of the population in four years, and 95% of the population by the end of the license term (a difficult burden for most rural areas). Given the concerns and opposition to the item, however, this is not necessarily what will be included in the final presentation at the July meeting.

The 25 megahertz at issue encompasses the 2155-2180 MHz (technically known as the AWS-3 band). In an Ex Parte presentation, CTIA-The Wireless Association stated that there were serious interference concerns about the FCC’s proposal regarding the AWS-1 bands (1710-1755 MHz/2110-2155 MHz) and the “H Block” or AWS-2 bands (1915-1920 MHz/1995-2000 MHz).

CTIA said that the FCC proposal would put at risk hundreds of millions of devices already in the hands of consumers, and “undermine the significant efforts and investment made by the Commission, other U.S. Government agencies, carriers and manufacturers over the past decade to allocate, license, and deploy service in the AWS-1 band.” CTIA believes the proposed technical rules put these efforts, quite literally, to the tune of billions of dollars of investment at risk. Despite claims by some, CTIA said, the proposed order is not the only alternative for the spectrum. As the record demonstrates, it stated, parties have called on the Commission to make AWS-3 available as downlink spectrum for asymmetric pairing to enable more robust wireless broadband offerings to compete with cable and wireline.

Additionally, CTIA noted, citing several BloostonLaw rural clients, “Many smaller entities are eager to access AWS-2 paired spectrum to deploy wireless broadband.” The Commission should balance the benefits of the various plans, taking into account the interference risks of each plan as part of the calculus, CTIA said.

Further, CTIA said that “it is not at all clear that the AWS-3 licensee would extend coverage beyond today’s wireless providers. Given the rapid deployment of 3G wireless services, existing providers will likely exceed the 95 percent population coverage requirement long before the ten-year deadline proposed here. Moreover, to the extent unserved areas remain, there is no reason to believe that the AWS-3 licensee’s build-out will reach these areas sooner than current systems.”

BloostonLaw contacts: Hal Mordkofsky, John Prendergast, and Cary Mitchell.

Verizon Wireless Proposes To Purchase Alltel Corp.

Verizon Wireless has entered into an agreement with Alltel Corporation and Atlantis Holdings LLC, an affiliate of private investment firm TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners, to acquire Alltel Corporation in a cash merger. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone. Under the terms of the agreement, Verizon Wireless will acquire the equity of Alltel for approximately $5.9 billion. Based on Alltel’s projected net debt at closing of $22.2 billion, the aggregate value of the transaction is $28.1 billion. This will create a company with 80 million subscribers, making Verizon the largest wireless carrier in the nation. The parties are targeting completion of the merger by the end of the year, subject to obtaining regulatory approvals.

However, there may be certain challenges for obtaining regulatory approvals. As noted by RCR, Alltel had to divest some properties following its 2006 acquisition of Western Wireless. And those markets were subsequently acquired by Rural Cellular Corp.(RCC), which Verizon is now in the process of acquiring. The U.S. Justice Department just recently determined that Verizon would have to divest some properties in New York, Vermont, and Washington for approval of the RCC merger. Additionally, Alltel, which operates both CDMA and GSM systems in rural markets, has roaming agreements with major carriers such as Verizon, AT&T Mobility, and Sprint Nextel. Thus, FCC regulatory approval may carry some form of divestiture and roaming conditions.

Our clients should therefore be alert for spectrum and network acquisition opportunities that may be created by any divestitures mandated as part of the merger process. It should be noted, however, that the standard for divesting overlapping wireless properties has changed in recent years. With the elimination of the CMRS spectrum cap and cellular cross-ownership rule, the mere overlap of coverage between two merging entities does not mandate divestiture. Instead, the FCC will evaluate competitive impact given the circumstances of the merger.

Once this Verizon-Alltel transaction closes, the companies said in a statement, customers of both companies will have access to an expanded range of products and services, including a premier lineup of basic and advanced devices and an expanded IN Network calling community. Alltel customers also will benefit from advanced services including over-the-air downloadable music from a three-million-song library, and a network that is nationwide, for a uniform coast-to-coast experience. They also will be able to take advantage of industry-leading consumer policies, including Test Drive and Worry Free Guarantee.

“This move will create an enhanced platform of network coverage, spectrum and customer care to better serve the growing needs of both Alltel and Verizon Wireless customers for reliable basic and advanced broadband wireless services,” said Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless president and chief executive officer.

Alltel serves more than 13 million customers in markets in 34 states. This includes 57 primarily rural markets that Verizon Wireless does not serve. The transaction puts the Alltel markets and customers on a path to advanced 4th generation services as Verizon Wireless deploys Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology throughout its network over the next several years. Alltel’s customers also will reap the benefits of Verizon Wireless’ Open Development initiative, which welcomes third-party devices and services to use the Verizon Wireless network.

Verizon Communications, the owner of the majority stake in Verizon Wireless, expects that the transaction will be immediately accretive, excluding transaction and integration costs. “This is a perfect fit, with Alltel’s high-value post-paid customer base, its solid financials, our common network technology, and significant, readily attainable synergies,” said Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon chief executive officer and chairman of the Verizon board. “Verizon Wireless’ acquisition of Alltel clearly provides opportunities for enhanced value for Verizon shareholders.”

Alltel President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Ford will continue in his current position as head of Alltel until the merger is completed.

“Both Alltel and Verizon Wireless have long track records of delivering a high-quality customer experience in the marketplace,” Ford said. “The combination of our two companies will continue and improve upon that heritage as, together, we can more quickly deliver an expanded range of innovative products and services to our customers.”

Verizon Wireless expects to realize synergies with a net present value, after integration costs, of more than $9 billion driven by reduced capital and operating expense savings. Synergies are expected to generate incremental cost savings of $1 billion in the second year after closing. Alltel and Verizon Wireless both use a common network technology, which provides advantages of a seamless transition for Alltel customers, ease in integrating the two companies’ networks, and scale efficiencies in operating the larger integrated network.

BloostonLaw contacts: Hal Mordkofsky, Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and John Prendergast.

FCC STILL PLANS HEARING ON WIRELESS TERMINATION FEES FOR JUNE 12: Despite dropping the Advanced Wireless Service (AWS) item from its open meeting agenda (see story on page 1), the FCC plans to go ahead with a hearing on wireless termination fees on June 12. Immediately following that 10 a.m. hearing, it will hold its open meeting. At our deadline, the following items were scheduled to be considered: (1) a Report and Order concerning the current 5-year registration period for Do-Not-Call Registry; (2) a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comment on issues concerning the provision of Speech-to-Speech, a form of Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS); (3) a Report and Order and Further NPRM Concerning a Ten-Digit Numbering Plan for Internet-Based TRS; and (4) an Order that would address the Skype Communications S.A.R.L. Petition to Confirm a Consumer’s Right to Use Internet Communications Software and Attach Devices to Wireless Networks. With respect to the Skype petition, which advocates implementing wireless “Carterfone” rules, it is expected that the Commission will dismiss or deny this because Chairman Kevin Martin has indicated that he believes the industry has already gone far enough to adopt “open platform” principles that render Skype’s petition moot (BloostonLaw Telecom Update, May 28). BloostonLaw contacts: Hal Mordkofsky, Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and John Prendergast.

[Editor's note: Please see the following news report for further information on this topic.]

AUGUST 1: FCC FORM 502, NUMBER UTILIZATION REPORT. Any wireless or wireline carrier that has been assigned an NXX code (10,000 numbers) or one or more 1,000 number blocks; and any wireless or wireline carrier that has received from the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) or from another carrier one or more 1,000 number blocks must file Form 502. Such carriers should apply for an Operating Company Number (OCN) from NANPA if they do not already have one. Make sure you send your data to Gerry Duffy at BloostonLaw.

This newsletter is not intended to provide legal advice. Those interested in more information should contact the firm.

Source: Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy and Prendergast, LLP
For additional information, contact Hal Mordkofsky at 202-828-5520 or halmor@bloostonlaw.com

FCC examines mobile termination fees

by Grant Gross
IDG News Service
Jun 12, 2008 3:05

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission should abolish early-termination fees because they’re unfair to customers, two mobile phone customers and a state regulator said Thursday.

Early-termination fees, or ETFs, charged by wireless carriers are “unique and frankly predatory,” Molly White, a corporate consultant from Portland, Oregon, told the FCC.

“I do not sign time-sensitive contracts and agree to early termination fees with any other utility with whom I do business,” said White, who had to pay an ETF for her personal phone service when former employer Nike provided a mobile phone to her. “The cellular industry appears to have built an elaborate system of additional fees, early termination clauses and hardware purchase requirements, all with the intentional appearance of offering the consumer, me, a deal, while ultimately locking me into a long-term service agreement.”

A second mobile phone customer, Harold Schroer, asked the FCC to take action on ETFs, but also requested that the agency not end class-action lawsuits against the carriers in exchange for abolishing ETFs, as has been proposed by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. In late 2007, after two senators introduced legislation that would regulate ETFs, Martin said he wanted to examine ETFs charged by mobile carriers and broadband providers.

Schroer, part of a class-action lawsuit against Verizon Wireless, told the FCC that the 4 million Verizon customers represented in the lawsuit paid about $500 million in ETFs.

“We are seeking a refund of every penny of that money,” said Schroer, a resident of New York state. “I never signed a contract [with Verizon], nor was I ever requested to sign a contract.”

In 2003, Schroer cancelled a Verizon contract extension that was recommended by a sales representative, and he refused to pay the $175 ETF. Verizon then reported him to credit agencies, resulting in higher interest rates on credit cards and in him being turned down for new credit, he said. Bill collectors harassed him, he added.

Schroer complained to the FCC, but staffers there told him the agency had no authority over New York contract law, he said. “When I came to this commission for help, you sent me away,” he said. “When I’m now about to get my day in court somewhere else, the commission purposes to step in and prevent me from doing that.”

The FCC shouldn't take half steps such as requiring that ETFs be prorated based on how long the customer has had service or requiring that wireless carriers give customers more information about pricing plans and fees, said Anne Boyle, the chairwoman of the Nebraska Public Service Commission. Instead, the FCC should prohibit wireless carriers from offering plans with ETFs, she said.

Wireless carriers would benefit from the elimination of ETFs, Boyle said. “For some time, the wireless industry has ranked among the highest in the nation for consumer complaints,” she said. “Many [complaints] are related to misunderstandings, misstatements and confusing, non-negotiable contracts.”

Other witnesses at the hearing said ETFs help subsidize the cost of mobile handsets and allow customers to get cheaper rates than pay-as-you-go plans. “Term contracts allow the consumer to take advantage of bundled services at competitive prices and the latest devices they choose in exchange for a commitment to keep the service for usually one or two years,” said Tom Tauke, Verizon’s executive vice president of public affairs policy and communication.

Verizon would support an FCC policy governing ETFs as long as the agency also took away the “patchwork” of state regulation on the fees, Tauke added.

Verizon would support an FCC policy that set reasonable ETFs, required more information be provided about ETFs, that they be prorated and have test-drive periods, Tauke said. “While we continue to question the necessity of some of these provisions, we nevertheless believe that an FCC-adopted national policy … is workable for the wireless industry,” he said.

Verizon has listened to customer demand and began prorating ETFs in November 2006, Tauke said. The carrier also allows customers a test-drive period for new service, usually 30 days, and customers who cancel service within that time period are not charged an ETF, he added.

But one witness questioned the assertion from some wireless carriers that ETFs cover the costs of subsidizing mobile handsets. Lee Selwyn, president of the Economics and Technology consulting firm, said his calculations show that mobile carriers subsidized an average of $14.33 per handset in 2006, while ETFs were in the $150 to $200 range.

Selwyn, who testified last month on behalf of customers in a class-action lawsuit against Sprint Nextel in California, said Sprint lost less than $10 per customer when customers ended their contracts early.

Wireless providers have long used handset subsidies as a marketing tool, Selwyn added. “Over time, as the volume of handsets being manufactured mushroomed and the product costs plummeted, the magnitude of such subsides diminished to the point where it has all but disappeared,” he said.

Martin Champions Changes to ETF Practice

By Teresa von Fuchs
WirelessWeek
June 13, 2008

At a public hearing yesterday, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin outlined his plan to regulate the fees wireless carriers charge consumers for ending contracts early. Called early termination fees (ETFs), Martin said the fees, which range from $150 to $225 per contract, are “a significant sum for a subscriber to pay who is dissatisfied with the quality of service,” and that the practice, “can lock people into a service they really want to leave.”

Wireless carriers argue that the fees are necessary to recoup the cost of subsidizing handset prices, but in recent years, consumers have launched several class action suits challenging the fairness of the practice. Martin said that the fees can be “a legitimate means of recovering legitimate costs,” but warned, “they shouldn't be abused.”

Martin’s plan would have ETFs be directly related to the actual cost of the handset, meaning a cancellation fee for a $500 handset would be considerably more than the fee for a $50 handset. As expected, the commissioner also called for fees to be pro rated based on the time remaining on a contract, and the customers be allowed to see their first bill before they are subjected to fees. Martin also called for contracts to be a “reasonable length of time,” and that extending a contract does not necessarily include renewing the termination fee.

A decision was not yet made as to whether the commission will adopt new regulation over the fees; which body should be allowed to regulate ETFs has been hotly debated, as states currently have some say over contract terms and fees. Should the FCC adopt federally regulated rules for the cancellation fees, states would lose the right to hear class action suits from consumers over such issues.

“I respect the important role states play in protecting consumers,” Martin said. “However, I am skeptical that plaintiff class action lawsuits are the most effective way to guarantee these protections.”

Martin also said he believes it’s important for the commission to discuss “what are reasonable practices as they relate to early termination fees,” as industries such as cable and Internet providers have adopted cancellation fee practices similar to the wireless industry.

The chairman reportedly said that he hopes the commission can arrive at “an initial decision” on how to regulate the fees in July or August.

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The EA1 is the solution for remotely activating public warning signage. Examples include tornado sirens, flash flood warnings, fire danger, Amber Alert, icy roads, etc. The EA1 can also send text messages to scrolling signs. This can occur in conjunction with the activation of audible alarms and visual strobes. This is ideal for public notification in buildings, schools, hotels, factories, etc. The group call feature allows for any number of signs or flashing lights to be activated at the same time over a wide geographic area. In addition, the EA1 Emergency Alert is the perfect solution for low cost yet highly effective alerting of volunteer fire fighters in their home. When activated the EA1 will emit an audible alarm and activate the power outlet on the units faceplate. A common setup is to simply place the EA1 on a table and plug a lamp into the faceplate. When paged from dispatch or any touch tone phone the EA1 will awaken the fire fighter to a lit room. As an option the EA1 can be ordered with a serial cable, allowing for attachment of a serial printer. When paged the alphanumeric message will be printed out at the same time the alarm sounds and the outlet is activated. The EA1 is an ideal complement to alphanumeric belt pagers common to volunteers.

The FAS-8 is designed for activating one or more relays in a firehouse and if desired, printing the alphanumeric message to a serial printer. For this application the FAS-8 is set to activate upon receiving the proper paging cap code sent from 911 dispatch. Up to eight different devices can be activated all with individual time functions. The most common devices to turn on include the PA amplifier, audible wake up alarm, and house lights. The most common device turned off is the stove. The FAS-8 can accept up to 8 different cap codes and have separate relay and time functions per cap code. This allows for different alerting to be accomplished at the same physical location depending upon which cap code is sent. This can be very helpful when fire crews and medical crews are housed in the same building.

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From: Campbell O'Keeffe
Subject: 4G application: Making popcorn with your cell phone? Scary . . . .
Date: June 12, 2008 1:27:38 PM CDT
To: Brad Dye

Here is a link to several videos that may cause one to re-think the effects of handset emf radiation.

Campbell

J. Campbell O'Keeffe
jcokeeffe@comcast.net
770-740-0259 (house)

Click here, World-News: Popcorn with the cell phone - Popcorn mit dem Handy

Editor's note: I got suckered in on this hoax too. (Sorry Campbell—me too.) I tried popping a kernel of corn with my cellphone—nothing happened—so I looked it up on the web and found that this claim had been de-bunked as an “Urban Legend” by: Snopes.com

Physicist Debunks Cellphone Popcorn Viral Videos

By Jenna Wortham June 09, 2008 | 5:37:20 PM

YouTube videos that show a group of friends apparently cooking kernels of popcorn with their cellphones have been viewed more than a million times since they were uploaded last week.

The clever parlor trick [...] looks amazing enough, but there's a hitch: It's not physically possible, according to University of Virginia physics professor Louis Bloomfield.

"[The videos] are cute," said Bloomfield in a phone conversation Monday. "But that's never gonna happen."

In a microwave oven, energy excites the water inside popcorn kernels until it turns into highly pressurized gas, causing the kernels to pop. If mobile phones emitted that much energy, the water in the fingers of people holding them would heat up.

"It would hurt like crazy," Bloomfield said. "Cellphones probably warm your tissues, but studies indicate that's not injurious."

Bloomfield, author of How Everything Works: Making Physics Out of the Ordinary, dismissed theories bubbling up in comment threads about the videos that suggest harmonious vibrations are heating the corn.

"Ringing the phones doesn't help because they're interfering with each other and receiving a signal [from a cellphone tower] — not transmitting it," he said. Furthermore, while it is possible to heat with sound, it's not likely to happen at the low volume emitted by a mobile phone. "It would be like gathering opera singers together to sing, and trying to make the corn pop," Bloomfield said.

So, what's really causing the kernels to ricochet off the table in the YouTube clips? Bloomfield suggests tricky video editing or even a covert heating element beneath the table. Debunker website Snopes.com also points out that cooking popcorn with cellphones is impossible (same goes for eggs).

The popcorn videos, like the slew of YouTube clips showcasing ordinary people performing extraordinary feats that came before them, has the distinct markings of a viral-marketing campaign. Let's look at the facts.

First, all four videos — French, Japanese and two American editions — were posted to the YouTube accounts of users bobtel08 and benzin513 (with French descriptions) within several days of one another.

Second, a cryptic bit of commentary posted alongside one of the videos says: "We tried but didn't make it . . . maybe only with phone brands or models???" It could be a subtle hint to get viewers to notice the phones more than the stunt. And, indeed, several comments have suggested the phones all appear to be similar makes and models, possibly Nokia's or Sony Ericsson mobiles.

For now, however, the clandestine origin of the videos is under wraps. Bobtel08, benzin513 and Nokia did not immediately respond to Wired.com's requests for comment, and a representative from Sony Ericsson North America said he wasn't aware of the videos at all.

Source: Underwire

With best regards,

Newsletter Editor

73 DE K9IQY

Brad Dye, Editor
The Wireless Messaging Newsletter
P.O. Box 13283
Springfield, IL 62791 USA

“Your greatness is measured by your kindness; your education and intellect by your modesty; your ignorance is betrayed by your suspicions and prejudices, and your real caliber is measured by the consideration and tolerance you have for others.”

—William J. H. Boetcker

William J. H. Boetcker (1873 – 1962) was an American religious leader and influential public speaker.

Born in Hamburg, Germany, he was ordained a Presbyterian minister soon after his arrival in the United States as a young adult. He quickly gained attention as an eloquent motivational speaker, and is often regarded today as the forerunner of such contemporary "success coaches" as Anthony Robbins.

An outspoken political conservative, Rev. Boetcker is perhaps best remembered for his authorship of a pamphlet entitled The Ten Cannots; originally published in 1916, it is often misattributed to Abraham Lincoln. The error apparently stems from a leaflet printed in 1942 by a conservative political organization called the Committee for Constitutional Government; the leaflet bore the title "Lincoln on Limitations" and contained some genuine Lincoln quotations on one side and the "Ten Cannots" on the other, with the attributions juxtaposed (the mistake of crediting Lincoln for having been the source of "The Ten Cannots" has been repeated many times since, most notably by Ronald Reagan in a speech he gave at the 1992 Republican convention in Houston).

There are several minor variants of the pamphlet in circulation, but the most commonly-accepted version appears below:

• You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
• You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
• You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
• You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
• You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
• You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
• You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
• You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
• You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.
• And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.

Source: Wikipedia