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Apple Is Planning a 4K Upgrade for Its TV Box

By Mark Gurman and Anousha Sakoui
August 24, 2017, 2:54 PM CDT

Here's What's Known About Apple's 4K TV Set-Top Box

Apple is planning to unveil a renewed focus on the living room with an upgraded Apple TV set-top box that can stream 4K video and highlight live television content such as news and sports, according to people familiar with the matter.

The updated box, to be revealed alongside new iPhone and Apple Watch models at an event in September, will run a faster processor capable of streaming the higher-resolution 4K content, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t yet public. The 4K designation is a quality standard that showcases content at twice the resolution of 1080P high-definition video, meaning the clarity is often better for the viewer. Apple is also testing an updated version of its TV app, which first launched in 2016, that can aggregate programming from apps that already offer live streaming.

Apple is seeking to revive its video ambitions with the new product. Apple TV trails devices from Roku Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google in the U.S. set-top box market share with only 15 percent as of the end of March, according to a survey this month from Parks Associates. Apple Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri told Bloomberg News earlier this year that Apple TV sales had declined year-over-year in the 2016 holiday quarter. The iPhone maker has also lagged behind companies such as Amazon and Netflix Inc. in developing scripted shows and other video content.

In order to view 4K video, users will need to attach the updated Apple TV to a screen capable of showing the higher-resolution footage. Many recent TV models from Sony Corp., LG Electronics Inc., and Samsung Electronics Co. offer 4K output. The new box will also be able to play content optimized for TVs capable of playing High Dynamic Range (HDR) video, which produces more accurate colors and a brighter picture. In February, Bloomberg News reported that a 4K Apple TV model had gone into testing. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.

Apple, the world’s most valuable company, relies on the iPhone for more than half of its annual revenue. Its services business, which includes the App Store and Apple Music, is its fastest growing unit and generated 16 percent of the company’s sales in the most recent quarter.

At its developers conference in June, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said “you’ll be hearing a lot more about tvOS later this year,” referring to the Apple TV’s operating system. Cook also announced that Amazon Prime Video will be supported by the Apple TV beginning later in 2017. Apple last updated the Apple TV box in 2015 with a new remote control, an App Store and support from its Siri voice assistant. It added new software features, including the TV app, last year.

In order to play 4K and HDR content, Apple will need deals with content makers that can provide video in those formats. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant has begun discussions with movie studios about supplying 4K versions of movies via iTunes, according to people familiar with the talks. The company has also discussed its 4K video ambitions with content companies that already have apps on Apple TV, another person said. Popular video apps on the Apple TV that support 4K on other platforms include Vevo and Netflix.

Apple has also been working on its own content. The company has rolled out video series to its Apple Music service, including Planet of the Apps and Carpool Karaoke. Apple plans to invest an additional $1 billion in creating original video content, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month.

The company has also shown it’s overhauling its living room strategy with multiple key hires. In January, the company recruited Timothy Twerdhal, Amazon’s former chief for its Fire TV set-top box, to run the Apple TV box business. In June, the company hired Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, former Sony Pictures Television presidents, to head up its video programming efforts.

The new Apple TV will come as part of a major product blitz planned by the iPhone maker for this holiday season. The company is planning three new iPhone models, including a premium model that includes a 3-D facial recognition sensor for unlocking the phone, as well as a new Apple Watch that can connect to LTE cellular data networks, Bloomberg News has reported. Earlier this year, Apple rolled out upgraded iPad models with improved screens and Macs with faster processors. Apple will end the calendar year with the release of a new iMac desktop geared toward professionals and the HomePod Siri-controlled speaker, the company said in June.

— With assistance by Alex Webb Source: Bloomberg

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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 Messaging 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.

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FirstNet for Emergency Communications: 6 Questions Answered

Emergency workers will be able to preempt other users’ traffic on the network, and will be able to send and receive as much data as they need to during their emergency work.

BY LADIMER NAGURNEY, UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD; ANNA NAGURNEY, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST

AUGUST 18, 2017

Editor’s note: In the aftermath of 9/11, public safety officials in New York City and around the country realized that firefighters, police officers and ambulance workers needed to be able to talk to each other at an emergency scene — not just to their supervisors and dispatchers. The solution was nearly 16 years in coming, but on March 30, the First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet, was created. It’s one of the largest public-private partnership agreements ever, between the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (part of the U.S. Department of Commerce) and a group of companies led by AT&T. AT&T and its partners will develop and manage a nationwide wireless broadband network for use by first responders. Each U.S. state and territory is in the process of deciding whether it wants to build its own towers and wired connections or let the AT&T group do the construction. Ladimer Nagurney and Anna Nagurney, scholars of communications and network systems, respectively, explain what this multi-billion-dollar effort is, and what it means.

What is FirstNet?

The system nicknamed FirstNet was created by Congress in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. Under the contract with the government, the group led by AT&T will build, operate and maintain a new nationwide communications network, providing high-speed wireless communications for public safety agencies and personnel. The network will be protected against unauthorized intrusion and strong enough to withstand disasters that might damage other communications systems. Emergency workers will be able to preempt other users’ traffic on the network, and will be able to send and receive as much data as they need to during their emergency work.

Why do we need it?

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in 2001, public safety agencies found that the first responders had a hard time sharing critical information throughout their agencies, or between different responding organizations. In just one tragic instance, after the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, the Fire Department of New York ordered all firefighters to evacuate the north tower. But many firefighters didn’t hear the order over their radios — and city and Port Authority police officers didn’t communicate on the same frequencies, so they never had a chance to hear the warning.

Four years later, the same problems weakened officials’ response to Hurricane Katrina. Most of the early efforts to solve this problem focused on making sure emergency workers’ radios could communicate with each other properly. In the intervening years, though, first responders have increasingly used smartphones, tablets and computers. They need to do more than talk; they need to share data among those devices — such as building layouts, possible environmental hazards, information about who and where victims might be and even basic details like local weather conditions.

Another change over time is our understanding of who first responders are. It’s not just police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel. Other public agencies also are involved from the very early stages of a crisis, including transit agencies and environmental protection workers. Private companies are needed too, handling damage or interruptions to utilities services such as electricity, water, gas, telephone, cable TV and cellular service.

All of those groups need wireless communications at or near a disaster site. At the moment, they must compete with the general public: People inside the disaster area are often trying to seek help by calling 911 or texting friends or relatives. They may even post videos and photos of what is happening to social media sites. Loved ones elsewhere also flood communications networks, checking in as “safe” and trying to contact people they know who might be affected, to make sure they’re OK too. After the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, for example, all the major cellular networks got overloaded by the number of people trying to make calls and send texts at the same time. (This even happens during nonemergency situations, such as concerts and sporting events.)

What’s more, many mobile broadband companies limit the amount of high-speed data a user can consume in a given month, either cutting off traffic or slowing it down significantly. But a first responder using a camera-equipped drone to inspect, say, a dam that might be breached needs unlimited high-speed communications to get real-time information that can protect both first responders and the public.

Who will pay for it?

The Federal Communications Commission has been rearranging the frequencies television channels use to broadcast their signals, making room in the electromagnetic spectrum for additional wireless broadband services. The agency recently auctioned off the rights to use some of those frequencies to 50 winning bidders including T-Mobile, Dish and Comcast, raising US$19.8 billion.

Of that, $6 billion will be paid to the AT&T group, which will spend that money, plus an additional $40 billion, to build and operate the network.

Money will also come from payments from emergency response agencies, which will have to buy a FirstNet service plan for each device, at prices expected to be similar to today’s mobile pricing. That revenue will also help fund the network, cover the companies’ investments and help generate enough of a profit that the AT&T group has promised to repay the $6 billion to the U.S. Treasury after the FirstNet contract expires in 25 years.

What will happen when there’s not an emergency?

When there is no emergency in an area, the bandwidth on the FirstNet network in that area will be available to AT&T to sell to private or corporate customers. This revenue, in addition to that from the first responder users themselves, is expected to pay for FirstNet.

What do other countries do about this problem?

Because of the close relationship between the U.S. and Canadian broadband services, Canada is creating a Public Safety Broadband Network using the same frequency spectrum and protocols as the U.S. so that agencies on both sides of the border can connect to each other easily.

The U.K. is building an Emergency Services Network, expected to begin partial operation near the end of 2017. South Korea expects to complete its public safety wireless network in time to be used during the 2018 Winter Olympics. Several other countries have networks that are in various stages of design and construction.

FirstNet is supposed to last 25 years. What does that mean, and how will it happen?

As broadband wireless technology improves, our devices and networks will too, including FirstNet.

The effort is also expected to promote technological innovations. Already, some of the technical solutions that serve first responders, such as the ability for devices to connect directly to each other, have been incorporated into LTE standards. Some apps developed for first responders may also release versions useful to others.

It’s hard to know what we’ll need in 25 years — just as 25 years ago, it would have been very hard to envision the technical details of today’s interconnected world. But building FirstNet will help protect and serve both first responders and the public during emergencies — and it will enhance communications in times of peace and prosperity.

Ladimer Nagurney, Professor of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Hartford and Anna Nagurney, John F. Smith Memorial Professor of Operations Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

By Chris Smith @chris_writes
August 24th, 2017 at 9:47 AM
BGR.com

Samsung just introduced the most expensive mass-market smartphone in the world, the Galaxy Note 8 that’s currently available for preorder. While Samsung and its partners are ready to throw in quite a few freebies to convince you to buy it during the preorder period, the phone’s unlocked price remains at $929.99 or more, which is a lot higher than what you’d expect to pay even for a premium handset. That price makes the iPhone 8’s rumored $1,000 price tag seem a bit more reasonable, and a new report says that you should indeed expect an entry price of $999 for the device.

Tucked away in an article titled Dear iPhone: Here’s Why We’re Still Together After 10 Years, the well-sourced New York Times reveals that the iPhone 8 will be priced at around $999, according to people briefed on the product. The report goes on to mention several of the iPhone 8’s signature features, including the all-screen design, facial recognition, and wireless charging.

Reports earlier this week revealed the potential dates for Apple’s fall iPhone event and maybe even the actual release date for the iPhone 8, but they’re yet to be confirmed.

Other rumors said that the iPhone 8 will be available in three configurations, including 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB of storage. Each model will have 3GB of RAM, the same report said. A price of $999 for the 64GB iPhone 8, which keeps it just shy of $1,000, would imply that the most expensive iPhone 8 would retail for $1,199.

If the $999 prediction is accurate, it also suggests that Apple may keep the current iPhone pricing structure in place for the iPhone 7s model. Prices range from $649 (32GB iPhone 7) to $969 (256GB iPhone 7 Plus). The most expensive iPhone 7s Plus should still be cheaper than the entry-level iPhone 8, to make it more interesting to buyers not ready to pay $1,000 for a new phone.

On the other hand, while Apple has never offered incentives to buy a new phone like Samsung does, the company does have the iPhone Upgrade Program that can be used to make the iPhone 8 more affordable. Carriers are also expected to make it easier for buyers to buy Apple’s most expensive phone to date. Like this one.

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Creators Update on two-thirds of Windows 10

Early indications are that Surface buyers prefer hybrids to conventional laptops.

PETER BRIGHT — 8/24/2017, 11:32 AM
ars TECHNICA

Surface Laptop. Credit: Justin Wolfson

Last month Microsoft removed the throttle that was limiting the rollout of the Creators Update, opening it up to every compatible machine. As a result, penetration of this latest version of Windows has gone from 50 percent to 65 percent, according to the numbers provided by AdDuplex.

With the Fall Creators Update due next month, at this point it seems likely that the deployment of the Creators Update won't be complete by the time the Fall Creators Update is released. This is a slower pace than the previous major update, the Anniversary Update. That was first released in July last year, and five months later it was at about 86-percent penetration.

The reason behind Microsoft's conservative deployment schedule isn't entirely clear, but perhaps it's simply a desire to avoid some of the problems that met the Anniversary Update's release. The Anniversary Update had some notable hardware incompatibilities, for example. While these problems were eventually fixed, this only occurred after a number of customer systems were (temporarily) broken. By being much more careful about which hardware the Creators Update was sent to, the rollout was much smoother. The one exception was systems with Intel's Clover Trail Atom processors: these won't ever be updated to the Creators Update and are stuck on the Anniversary Update forever.

The AdDuplex numbers also give a detailed breakdown of which models of Surface people are using. The Surface Pro 4 is, unsurprisingly, the most widely used Surface device—it was Microsoft's mainstream Surface offering for an extended period of time, so this isn't altogether surprising. What is a little more noteworthy is that the 2017 Surface Pro has about 2.5 times more usage than the Surface Laptop. These machines have been on the market for the same amount of time, and intuitively, Surface Laptop is the easier sales pitch: it's a thoroughly conventional laptop rather than the hybrid of tablet and laptop that the Surface Pro represents.

These early indicators would suggest, however, that Surface buyers know what they want and that they value the flexibility offered by the Pro over the lappability and familiarity of the Laptop.

PETER BRIGHT Peter is Technology Editor at ars. He covers Microsoft, programming and software development, Web technology and browsers, and security. He is based in Brooklyn, NY.

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Dear iPhone: Here’s Why We’re Still Together After 10 Years

By BRIAN X. CHEN
AUG. 23, 2017

Minh Uong/The New York Times

Dear iPhone:

It’s hard to believe we’re still together after 10 years, which is eons in the tech industry.

What’s the glue that keeps us together? For one, I rarely get lost now that I always have a GPS device in my pocket. After lots of practice with your camera, I’ve become a decent photographer. And I’m more punctual and responsive thanks to constant access to my calendar and email.

Since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, the smartphone has become a close — if not the closest — digital pal for millions of people around the world. With more than 1.2 billion iPhones sold to date, it has also become one of the best-selling gadgets ever. And even though Apple’s phones typically cost several times more than rival handsets, the company is No. 2 in sales in the smartphone industry after Samsung Electronics.

“People spend hours on it every day, so they can justify paying more for what they believe to be the best device,” said Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, who has studied Apple for years and called the company’s positioning of the iPhone “unique.”

Yet the iPhone is now in a precarious position. Gone is the thrill of downloading yet another app. It isn’t as exciting anymore if the screens of the gadget get bigger or the device becomes thinner. And the middle age of the iPhone is reflected in its sales, which dipped for the first time last year. It doesn’t help that Apple also faces fierce competition, especially in markets like China and India where people are flocking to cheaper smartphones that are increasingly capable and attractive.

Many eyes are now on Apple’s 10th anniversary event for the iPhone, which is expected to be held next month. There, Apple is set to introduce major upgrades for the next iPhones, which could stoke our appetites again for the gadget. Or not.

Chief among the changes for the new iPhones: refreshed versions, including a premium model priced at around $999, according to people briefed on the product, who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Apple made room for a bigger screen on that model by reducing the size of the bezel — or the forehead and the chin — on the face of the device. Other new features include facial recognition for unlocking the device, along with the ability to charge it with magnetic induction, the people said.

Here’s a look back at the last 10 years of why the iPhone still has us in its grip — so much that people keep coming back for more.

Apple has sold more than 1.2 billion iPhones to date. Credit Beck Diefenbach/Reuters

Support at Apple Stores

The role of Apple stores in keeping people loyal to iPhones cannot be overstated. The Apple stores include the so-called Genius Bar for getting repairs, so when things go wrong with an iPhone, you can simply schedule a repair appointment at the nearest location.

The Genius Bar is a boon to average people who need occasional help with their tech. Getting support directly from Apple means you may have your problems resolved immediately, rather than having to bring the phone to a wireless carrier or mail the phone to a repair center and wait for it to return, like you typically have to do with phones made by other companies.

Stronger Security

Security experts agree that the iPhone’s operating system is architecturally more secure than Android. The main reason is that Apple’s iOS can only run apps that Apple approved to be distributed in the App Store. By contrast, Android phones are capable of running software from outside of Google’s official app store, and apps from unauthorized sources are more likely to carry malware.

The trade-off for stronger security, of course, is flexibility. Android users are free to tinker with their devices using custom software, while iPhone customers can only use apps that play by Apple’s rules.

“The iPhone is still arguably the best phone for regular people who just want their device to work without having to worry about lots of technical settings or malware,” said Jan Dawson, an independent analyst for Jackdaw Research.

Software updates are another factor in security. Apple issues its own software updates, making it easy for iPhones to get the latest security enhancements. By contrast, Android device makers have to coordinate software updates with carriers, making the process more complicated and time consuming.

The upshot: About 87 percent of Apple devices are running the latest iOS today, while only about 13 percent of Android users are running Nougat, the latest Google operating system.

High Privacy Standards

For the last few years, Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, has emphasized the company’s commitment to privacy. Apple, he said, derives most of its profit from sales of hardware, not trading your user data. To further prove his point, Apple engaged in a major legal battle last year with the F.B.I., resisting the agency’s request to weaken iPhone encryption for a criminal investigation.

Some critics have poked holes in Apple’s privacy commitment. For one, the company collects plenty of data about how people use technology, including information that can be used for marketing and advertising services.

Still, privacy advocates, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Electronic Privacy Information Center, have praised Apple for making efforts to protect consumer privacy with features like built-in encryption and browsing technologies that block advertising trackers.

Apple’s Tight Ecosystem

IPhones work well with other Apple devices like Macs and the Apple TV. Once you invest in other Apple products, it’s tough to leave the ecosystem. The Apple Watch makes it especially tough: It requires an iPhone to work properly. So if you were to switch to Android, prepare for your smart watch to transform into a dumb watch.

Less sticky is Apple’s ecosystem of apps and web services. For every major Apple app, including Apple Maps, Apple Music and Apple Photos, there are alternatives like Google Maps, Spotify and Google Photos. It’s difficult to resist using iMessage, Apple’s default text messaging service. But there are plenty of alternatives like WeChat, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Signal.

A Trusted Brand

The iPhone has become a brand associated with reliability and satisfaction. A survey conducted last December by the research firm 451 Research found that among smartphone owners, iPhone customers were the most satisfied, followed by owners of devices from Samsung, Motorola and LG.

Mr. Sacconaghi of Sanford C. Bernstein said Apple had created a “brand halo” for the iPhone by positioning it as a premium product with easy-to-use software and high-quality features, components and capabilities. Notably, among current iPhone customers surveyed by 451 Research, 91 percent of those who planned on buying a new smartphone in the near future said they intended to buy another iPhone.

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DiCal is the digital paging system developed and manufactured by Swissphone. It is designed to meet the specific needs of public safety organizations. Fire and EMS rely on these types of networks to improve incident response time. DiCal systems are designed and engineered to provide maximum indoor paging coverage across an entire county. In a disaster situation, when one or several connections in a simulcast solution are disrupted or interrupted, the radio network automatically switches to fall back operating mode. Full functionality is preserved at all times. This new system is the next level of what we know as “Simulcast Paging” here in the U.S.

Swissphone offers high-quality pagers, very robust and waterproof. Swissphone offers the best sensitivity in the industry, and battery autonomy of up to three months. First responder may choose between a smart s.QUAD pager, which is able to connect with a smartphone and the Hurricane DUO pager, the only digital pager who offers text-to-voice functionality.

Bluetooth technology makes it possible to connect the s.QUAD with a compatible smartphone, and ultimately with various s.ONE software solutions from Swissphone. Thanks to Bluetooth pairing, the s.QUAD combines the reliability of an independent paging system with the benefits of commercial cellular network. Dispatched team members can respond back to the call, directly from the pager. The alert message is sent to the pager via paging and cellular at the same time. This hybrid solution makes the alert faster and more secure. Paging ensures alerting even if the commercial network fails or is overloaded.

Swissphone sets new standards in paging:

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Audit of York County 911 planned after paging issue

By: Gordon Rago, grago@ydr.com
Published 3:02 p.m. ET Aug. 22, 2017 | Updated 3:46 p.m. ET Aug. 22, 2017

York County officials plan to pursue a series of "action steps" following a meeting earlier this month where fire and EMS members aired concerns they have with the 911 paging system.

Part of the plan includes an operations audit of York County 911, President Commissioner Susan Byrnes said in a statement, shared online this week.

Ira Walker Jr., fire chief in Stewartstown, said he received an email from Byrnes last week with the outlined goals. He said on Tuesday that he responded by thanking her for listening during the Aug. 9 meeting and responding with a plan.

"It's nice to see that the county commissioners are all in," Walker said.

Some York County fire chiefs, including Walker, urged county and state officials at the meeting to look into paging problems and to bring in an outside consultant.

Chad Deardorff, president of the York County Chiefs' Association and a York City fire deputy chief, addresses a room of state and local officials Wednesday night after issues with the county's 911 paging system. (Photo: Gordon Rago, York Daily Record)

Chad Livelsberger, chief of Wrightsville Fire and Rescue, called for an audit and said the county is not where it should be in 2017 when it comes to paging and radio.

"If I can call my cell phone across the country to China and talk to someone in China, but I can't talk on a two-way radio a mile away, we have some serious issues," he said at the meeting.

The meeting was called after the county's paging system went down on July 29. Shortly after the outage, county spokesman Mark Walters told reporters that the outage stemmed from a firmware issue that prevented dispatchers from connecting to a GPS signal so they could reach fire and EMS.

Fire chiefs said they had problems receiving pages to 911 calls, while others said issues went beyond paging.

Essentially, county dispatchers relay details of emergency calls to departments after a 911 call comes in over a digital paging system.

Firefighters and emergency services personnel often rely on paging to be notified of calls, since they cannot always be very close to a 911 scanner, fire officials have said.

That is a "complex filtration system," Walters said this week, adding that the first responders on the receiving end of calls are essential in the process.

To that end, the county plans to set up a community advisory board for 911, according to Byrnes's statement. The board will include first responders. Walker said he volunteered to be on the board.

As far as the audit, county commissioners will have to vote and approve on the agency that conducts it, Walters said Tuesday. A proposal is being reviewed to hire a consultant, he said, but he couldn't yet guarantee if the matter would be on the agenda at the Sept. 6 commissioner's meeting.

One of the main areas of focus will be on technology and looking at what equipment is being used.

Walters said the county had been talking about reviewing York County 911 prior to the Aug. 9 meeting, after Eric Bistline, former director of the Department of Emergency Services, retired around December of last year.

Other action steps include establishing a redundancy system as well as exploring other secondary options.

Friday, August 25, 2017	Volume 5 | Issue 167

AT&T and FirstNet Project Debate “Public Safety Grade” Definition

There appears to be disagreement among some factions of the public safety world about whether a definition exists for a “public-safety-grade” communications network. AT&T told Urgent Communications in a recent statement, the carrier will meet FirstNet’s requirements for its nationwide public-safety broadband network, but is “hesitant to say that there is complete definition set in stone.”

Urgent Communications reported AT&T’s statement comes in response to the criticism by the National Public-Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) around two assertions that a definition of “public-safety-grade” systems does not exist. NPSTC claims Chris Sambar, senior vice president of AT&T – FirstNet, and FirstNet CEO Mike Poth misspoke regarding the matter during a recent U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing.

However, during a panel discussion at APCO 17 in Denver last week, FirstNet CTO Jeff Bratcher clarified the issue, stating “That is in the build plan” as well as hardening, according to Urgent Communications.

NPSTC noted that 16 public-safety-related associations jointly published a 115-page definition of public-safety-grade systems and facilities for broadband back in May 2016. And in March 2016, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) initiated a process to create a formal American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for the public-safety-grade definition. According to a statement by NPSTC, “APCO anticipates the standard to be published [in] Spring 2018.

Wireless Communication Solutions

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• PURC or direct connect
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Paging Data Receiver (PDR)

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Other products

Please see our web site for other products including Internet Messaging Gateways, Unified Messaging Servers, test equipment, and Paging Terminals.

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A Problem

The Motorola Nucleus II Paging Base Station is a great paging transmitter. The Nucleus I, however, had some problems.

One of the best features of this product was its modular construction. Most of the Nucleus' component parts were in plug-in modules that were field replaceable making maintenance much easier.

One issue was (and still is) that two of the modules had to always be kept together. They are called the “matched pair.”

Motorola used some tricks to keep people in the field from trying to match unmatched pairs, and force them to send SCM and Exciter modules back to the factory for calibrating them with precision laboratory equipment.

The serial numbers have to match in the Nucleus programing software or you can't transmit [in simulcast mode] . Specifically the 4-level alignment ID parameter contained in the SCM has to match the Exciter ID parameter.

Even if someone could modify the programing software to “fudge” these parameters, that would not let them use unmatched modules effectively without recalibrating them to exact factory specifications.

So now that there is no longer a Motorola factory laboratory to send them to, what do we do?

I hope someone can help us resolve this serious problem for users of the Nucleus paging transmitter.

Please let me know if you can help. [ click here ]

[Thanks to Tom Harger Chief Engineer at Contact Wireless for the correction above in red. ]

Selected portions [sometimes more — sometimes less] of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update and/or the BloostonLaw Private Users Update — newsletters from the Law Offices of Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & Prendergast, LLP — are reproduced in this section of The Wireless Messaging News with kind permission from the firm. The firm's contact information is included at the end of this section of the newsletter.

ISPs Must Electronically (Re)designate Agent to Preserve Copyright Act Safe-Harbor Eligibility

In December 2016, the U.S. Copyright Office introduced an online registration system and electronically generated directory to replace its paper-based system and directory. Accordingly, the Copyright Office no longer accepts paper designations. Moreover, any agent designated prior to December 2016 must be re-designated electronically by December 2017 to preserve their status as designated agents.

Registering an agent with the Copyright Office allows an ISP to be eligible for safe-harbor protection from monetary damages for unknowingly storing infringing material on its network. ISPs that registered an agent prior to December 2106 must re-register electronically by December 2017. Again, ISPs that do not have an agent are strongly encouraged to register as soon as possible. BloostonLaw is available to act as agent. Please contact us by return email if you would like us to register as your service agent.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy, Sal Taillefer, and John Prendergast.

Headlines

FCC Extends Deadline on AT&T Petition for Forbearance

On August 18, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau issued an Order extending by 90 days the date by which AT&T Services, Inc.’s (AT&T’s) petition for forbearance will be deemed granted in the absence of a FCC decision that the petition fails to meet the standards for forbearance under section 10(a) of the Communications Act. Accordingly, the date on which the AT&T Petition will be deemed granted in the absence of a FCC denial is December 29, 2017. With this extension, interested parties may continue to make ex parte presentations to the FCC on this matter.

As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, AT&T filed a petition pursuant to section 10 of the Act requesting that the FCC forbear “from the tariffing requirements of the Act and its rules as to all tandem switching and tandem-switched transport charges on all traffic to or from [local exchange carriers (LECs)] engaged in access stimulation.” The petition also asks that the FCC forbear from enforcing “all of its rules that allow LECs to tariff a charge billed to [interexchange carriers] for toll-free database queries.”

Pursuant to section 10(c) of the Act, a petition for forbearance is automatically deemed granted if the FCC does not deny the petition within one year after the FCC receives it, unless the FCC extends the one-year period. The FCC may extend the initial one-year period by an additional 90 days if the FCC finds that an extension is necessary to meet the requirements of section 10(a). According to the FCC’s Order, the AT&T Petition “raises significant questions about whether forbearance from the application of numerous statutory and regulatory requirements in the provision of telecommunications services meets the statutory requirements set forth in section 10(a) of the Act” and that “additional time is required to fully examine whether the forbearance requested by AT&T meets those statutory requirements.”

Please contact the firm promptly if you wish to submit ex parte comments on the AT&T petition.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Mary Sisak.

FCC Eliminates Certain ETC Reporting Requirements Effective September 22

On August 23, the FCC published in the Federal Register its Report and Order on eliminating several rules regarding the annual reporting requirements for eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) that receive high-cost universal service support (i.e., Form 481). Accordingly, the rules in question are eliminated effective September 22.

As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the following rules have been eliminated:

• The rule requiring that ETCs’ annual reports include detailed information about any outages affecting voice service for at least 30 minutes that they have experienced in the prior calendar year.
• The rule requirement that ETCs report the number of service requests they receive but do not fulfill.
• The obligation that ETCs annually report the number of complaints per 1,000 subscribers for voice and broadband services.
• The requirement to report annually information regarding the pricing of their voice and broadband service offerings.
• The requirement that an ETC certify its compliance with applicable service quality standards and consumer protection rules.
• The requirement of filing duplicate copies of Form 481 with the FCC and with states, U.S. Territories, and/or Tribal governments. However, we note that the elimination of duplicate filings is contingent upon USAC’s successful implementation of an electronic database.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy, Mary Sisak, and Sal Taillefer

Law & Regulation

Senators Call for Further Investigation of Lifeline Program

On August 15, Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Tom Carper (D-DE) requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) refer to the FCC and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) details on the specific instances of possible fraud it has identified in the Lifeline program, which provides low-income households with discounts on telephone and broadband service. The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Senator Portman, requested that the GAO investigate the Lifeline program, and the ensuing GAO report found extensive problems with the Lifeline program, including that phone companies approved Lifeline applicants with fictitious eligibility information 63 percent of the time and received up to $1.2 million per year in federal subsidies for enrolling fictitious or deceased individuals.

The Senators’ letter asks the GAO to share information from its investigation with the FCC and FCC OIG so the agency and its inspector general can further investigate and pursue enforcement actions as warranted, including imposing fines and banning providers from the program. The Senators also noted that the FCC should implement GAO’s recommendations on how to conduct better oversight over the Lifeline program.

“GAO found numerous examples of [Lifeline] program funds being used to subsidize ineligible or fraudulent subscribers,” wrote the Senators. “Addressing systemic weaknesses in Lifeline management and oversight, along with the referral of each instance of potential fraud identified by GAO, will ensure that the waste, fraud, and abuse that [GAO] identified is eliminated.”

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Mary Sisak.

Senator Announces Rural Broadband Funding Act

Earlier this month, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced the Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Program Act (B-CROP Act). According to a press release, this bipartisan bill, introduced by Senator Gillibrand and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), would “make grant funding available for rural broadband projects in high-need areas to be awarded in combination with the current loan funding available through USDA’s Rural Utilities Service.”

“There is no doubt anymore that students in today’s world must have access to high-speed internet in order to get ahead, but there are still too many families in the Fulton-Montgomery region that lack access to this essential technology,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Program Act would bring much-needed federal funding to rural communities that want to install broadband internet but don’t have the resources to do it on their own. I am proud to lead this bipartisan legislation in the Senate, and I urge all New Yorkers to join me in raising their voices about the importance of broadband internet in our rural communities.”

Specifically, the B-CROP Act does the following:

• Allows for grants of up to 50 percent of a project’s cost, and up to 75 percent for remote, high-need areas, to be awarded in combination with the current loan funding available through USDA’s Rural Utilities Service.
• Helps enhance the economic feasibility of projects serving rural and tribal areas.
• Gives highest priority to projects in areas that are currently unserved by high-speed broadband.
• Coordinates with the FCC’s Universal Service High-Cost Support programs to complement those federal investments, responsibly spending taxpayer money.
• Increases the authorized funding for RUS’s Broadband programs to $50 million per fiscal year.
• Provides adequate resources to private sector providers, including corporations, LLCs, cooperatives or mutual organizations, state or local governments, and Indian tribes or tribal organizations, to expand broadband access to unserved rural areas.
• Gives partnership projects special attention, including initiatives that leverage matching funds and that work with anchor institutions like health centers, libraries, colleges, universities, and other educational entities.

BloostonLaw has assisted clients in obtaining Federal grant money in the past, and will be monitoring this legislation for potential opportunities.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and John Prendergast.

Industry

AT&T-Time Warner Deal Challenged by Brazil Antitrust Agency

On August 22, Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade) indicated that the AT&T/Time Warner merger deal poses a high risk to competition, which may end up delaying the final approval process. Bloomberg Technology reports that according to a recommendation published by the staff of Cade, the transaction as originally presented should be rejected unless the companies agree to changes that may include asset sale. However, Cade did not specify what properties might need to be divested. The Cade board has until Nov. 22 to issue a final ruling, though that deadline can be extended by 90 days.

According to an article in Deadline, AT&T indicates it will “work with Cade to clarify any issues they may have to promptly reach a final resolution on the matter,” and notes that by referring the case to the Cade board for review, the deal “has taken one more step in its path to conclusion in the Brazilian market.”

Deadline also reports that AT&T said that the combination with Time Warner “will not bring anti-competitive impacts to the market” but rather “will enlarge the options of content available for them and raise their access to information and entertainment. The operation also contributes for the market competitiveness, improving the offer of high quality services to customers, and stimulates the development of the audiovisual sector in Brazil.”

Verizon Increases Limitations on Unlimited Plans

On August 22, CNBC News reported that Verizon is raising the price of its unlimited plan while introducing a slightly cheaper, more limited version. The full unlimited plan limits video quality to 720p for phones, while the more limited unlimited plan caps video quality at 480p. Verizon will also reportedly slow the speeds of people on the more limited unlimited plan when the network is congested, whereas it will only do that on less limited unlimited plan when a customer uses more than 22 gigabytes in a month.

At $75, Verizon’s cheaper plan costs more than T-Mobile’s comparable offering at $70, reports CNBC, and Sprint’s HD video offering at $60.

So much for ‘unlimited.’

Deadlines

AUGUST 29: COPYRIGHT STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS. The Copyright Statement of Accounts form plus royalty payment for the first half of calendar year 2017 is due to be filed August 29 at the Library of Congress’ Copyright Office by cable TV service providers.

BloostonLaw Contact: Gerry Duffy.

SEPTEMBER 1: FCC FORM 477, LOCAL COMPETITION AND BROADBAND REPORTING FORM. Three types of entities must file this form.

1. Facilities-based Providers of Broadband Connections to End User Locations: Entities that are facilities-based providers of broadband connections — which are wired “lines” or wireless “channels” that enable the end user to receive information from and/or send information to the Internet at information transfer rates exceeding 200 kbps in at least one direction — must complete and file the applicable portions of this form for each state in which the entity provides one or more such connections to end user locations. For the purposes of Form 477, an entity is a “facilities-based” provider of broadband connections to end user locations if it owns the portion of the physical facility that terminates at the end user location, if it obtains unbundled network elements (UNEs), special access lines, or other leased facilities that terminate at the end user location and provisions/equips them as broadband, or if it provisions/equips a broadband wireless channel to the end user location over licensed or unlicensed spectrum. Such entities include incumbent and competitive local exchange carriers (LECs), cable system operators, fixed wireless service providers (including “wireless ISPs”), terrestrial and satellite mobile wireless service providers, MMDS providers, electric utilities, municipalities, and other entities. (Such entities do not include equipment suppliers unless the equipment supplier uses the equipment to provision a broadband connection that it offers to the public for sale. Such entities also do not include providers of fixed wireless services (e.g., “Wi-Fi” and other wireless ethernet, or wireless local area network, applications) that only enable local distribution and sharing of a premises broadband facility.)
2. Providers of Wired or Fixed Wireless Local Telephone Services: Incumbent and competitive LECs must complete and file the applicable portions of the form for each state in which they provide local exchange service to one or more end user customers (which may include “dial-up” ISPs).
3. Providers of Interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Service: Interconnected VoIP service is a service that enables real-time, two-way voice communications; requires a broadband connection from the user’s location; requires Internet-protocol compatible customer premises equipment; and permits users generally to receive calls that originate on the public switched telephone network and to terminate calls to the public switched telephone network. Interconnected VoIP providers must complete and file the applicable portions of the form for each state in which they provide interconnected VoIP service to one or more subscribers, with the state determined for reporting purposes by the location of the subscriber’s broadband connection or the subscriber’s “Registered Location” as of the data-collection date. “Registered Location” is the most recent information obtained by an interconnected VoIP service provider that identifies the physical location of an end user.
4. Providers of Mobile Telephony Services: Facilities-based providers of mobile telephony services must complete and file the applicable portions of this form for each state in which they serve one or more mobile telephony subscribers. A mobile telephony service is a real-time, two-way switched voice service that is interconnected with the public switched network using an in-network switching facility that enables the provider to reuse frequencies and accomplish seamless handoff of subscriber calls. A mobile telephony service provider is considered “facilities-based” if it serves a subscriber using spectrum for which the entity holds a license that it manages, or for which it has obtained the right to use via lease or other arrangement with a Band Manager.

BloostonLaw contacts: Ben Dickens and Gerry Duffy.

SEPTEMBER 30: FCC FORM 396-C, MVPD EEO PROGRAM REPORTING FORM. Each year on September 30, multi-channel video program distributors (“MVPDs”) must file with the FCC an FCC Form 396-C, Multi-Channel Video Programming Distributor EEO Program Annual Report, for employment units with six or more full-time employees. Users must access the FCC’s electronic filing system via the Internet in order to submit the form; it will not be accepted if filed on paper unless accompanied by an appropriate request for waiver of the electronic filing requirement. Certain MVPDs also will be required to complete portions of the Supplemental Investigation Sheet (“SIS”) located at the end of the Form. These MVPDs are specifically identified in a Public Notice each year by the FCC.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer.

OCTOBER 16: 911 RELIABILITY CERTIFICATION. Covered 911 Service Providers, which are defined as entities that “[p]rovide[] 911, E911, or NG911 capabilities such as call routing, automatic location information (ALI), automatic number identification (ANI), or the functional equivalent of those capabilities, directly to a public safety answering point (PSAP), statewide default answering point, or appropriate local emergency authority,” or that “[o]perate[] one or more central offices that directly serve a PSAP,” are required certify that they have taken reasonable measures to provide reliable 911 service with respect to three substantive requirements:

1. 911 circuit diversity;
2. central office backup power; and
3. diverse network monitoring by October 15. Certifications must be made through the FCC’s portal.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Mary Sisak and Sal Taillefer.

NOVEMBER 1: FCC FORM 499-Q, TELECOMMUNICATIONS REPORTING WORKSHEET. All telecommunications common carriers that expect to contribute more than $10,000 to federal Universal Service Fund (USF) support mechanisms must file this quarterly form. The FCC has modified this form in light of its decision to establish interim measures for USF contribution assessments. The form contains revenue information from the prior quarter plus projections for the next quarter. Form 499-Q relates only to USF contributions. It does not relate to the cost recovery mechanisms for the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund, the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA), and the shared costs of local number portability (LNP), which are covered in the annual Form 499-A that is due April 1.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer.

Calendar At-A-Glance

August
Aug. 25 – Form 399 is due for filers that did not previously file due to technical issues.
Aug. 28 – Deadline for EAS participants to register with ETRS and file Form One.
Aug. 28 – Comments are due on Rural Call Completion NPRM.
Aug. 29 – Copyright Statement of Accounts is due.
Aug. 30 – Reply comments are due on Broadband Title I Reclassification NPRM.

September
Sep. 1 – FCC Form 477 due (Local Competition and Broadband Report).
Sep. 7 – Comments are due on Section 706 NOI.
Sep. 11 – Comments are due on RoR Overlap Map.
Sep. 13 – Comments are due on USF Contribution Forbearance Petition.
Sep. 13 – Comments are due on Slamming NPRM.
Sep. 18 – Comments are due on Connect America Phase II auction procedures.
Sep. 22 – Reply comments are due on Section 706 NOI.
Sep. 25 – Reply comments are due on Rural Call Completion NPRM.
Sep. 27 – Nationwide EAS test; deadline for participants to file ETRS Form Two.
Sep. 28 – Reply comments are due on USF Contribution Forbearance Petition.
Sep. 30 – FCC Form 396-C (MVPD EEO Program Annual Report).

October
Oct. 3 – Comments are due on Mid-Band Spectrum NOI.
Oct. 13 – Reply comments are due on Slamming NPRM.
Oct. 16 – 911 Reliability Certification
Oct. 18 – Reply comments are due on Connect America Phase II auction procedures.

November
Nov. 1 – FCC Form 499-Q (Quarterly Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet) is due.
Nov. 1 – Reply comments are due on Mid-Band Spectrum NOI.
Nov. 13 – Deadline for EAS test participants to file ETRS Form Three.

Solar Eclipse QSO Party a Hit, Science Conclusions Await Additional Analysis

08/24/2017

The 2017 Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP) is history, and, while logs are still coming in, the preliminary participation numbers look good, according to Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, of HamSCI.

“Although the final numbers are not yet in, preliminary reports show that over 670,000 spots were detected by the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN), and over 542,000 spots were reported to PSKReporter [PSK Automatic Propagation Reporter] during the SEQP,” Frissell told ARRL on August 22. “These numbers will increase as data is processed. The PSKReporter statistics page shows that today [August 21] had the highest amount of activity of any day currently available on the website.”

Frissell said overall, the event went well, and he heard a lot of on-the-air activity during the 8 hours the SEQP was running.

“It will take some time to get a more scientific analysis of this, but we should have some results by the middle of this semester,” said Frissell, who is an associate research professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Frissell and others are investigating whether the sudden absence of sunlight during the eclipse — and especially of solar ultra-violet and x-rays — would briefly change the properties of the upper atmosphere.

Despite more than 60 years of research, “open questions remain regarding eclipse-induced ionospheric impacts,” Frissell explained in a paper, “HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse,” that he’ll deliver this year at the ARRL-TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC).

He is encouraging anyone who took part in the SEQP to submit a log by September 30. Once their logs are submitted, SEQP participants will get a PDF Certificate of Participation. Frissell, who was in Gilbertsville, Kentucky to observe the eclipse, said, “Totality was beautiful.”

At Maxim Memorial Station W1AW, the focus was more on keeping on top of any emergency situations that could arise from the thousands of visitors converging along the narrow strip of totality. ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, and his assistant Ken Bailey, K1FUG, checked into and monitored the SATERN Net on 20 meters. They also monitored the interoperability channel 1 on 60 meters for coordination with federal partners. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, checked into WL2K nodes on 40 meters for any possible traffic. “Also, during this time, we went outside to look at the eclipse!” Carcia added.

Many Amateur Radio special event stations were also on the air along the path of totality on August 21.

Veteran Broadcast Listener (BCL) Bill Feidt, NG3K, in Maryland, conducted an informal propagation experiment on the AM Broadcast Band, listening on 1070 kHz, which, he reported, “came alive with many signals,” at about 1830 UTC. “It was pretty much a jumble,” he told ARRL. “But just before 1900 UTC, I was able to identify WNCT in Greenville, North Carolina, which became quite strong and dominant for a few minutes.” WNCT’s 50-kW daytime signal is aimed away from Maryland.

Elsewhere, using the S meter on his Panasonic RF-4900 receiver, 88-year-old John S. Erickson of Schenectady, New York, the father of ionospheric researcher Phil Erickson, W1PJE, recorded the signal strength of WWV time signals on 10 and 15 MHz every 10 minutes. His results show that nighttime conditions, where WWV got stronger on 10 MHz and weaker at 15 MHz, occurred before local eclipse passage on long paths. His data are being passed on to HamSCI for analysis.

“RF Seismograph” Sees Little Effect

An initial analysis of solar eclipse RF Seismograph measurements by Alex Schwarz, VE7DXW, and his Modulation-Demodulation Software Radio (MDSR) group has suggested that the effect of the brief interruption in solar radiation within an approximately 70-mile-wide strip had minimal overall effect on radio propagation. The Scanning RF Seismograph is a real-time HF propagation monitoring tool.

“The Solar Eclipse RF Seismograph exclusively showed that propagation changes, but not to the extent that folk tales report,” Schwarz and the MDSR team said in a news release. “During the eclipse we measured in three locations, and two did not show any changes in the way propagation behaves. On the third station, at an elevation of 900 meters, the 40-meter band came up, but that is not any different from regular 40-meter behavior.”

The team believes that increased absorption on the low bands from high solar activity may have been a factor in the measurement’s not yielding expected results. “The small band of darkness could not compensate for the thicker D Layer,” the MDSR news release said.

Frissell told Schwarz that he’d be “very hesitant to make these conclusions so quickly and based on observations from a single point of reference.” “We know from past experiments that there are significant ionospheric changes resulting from the eclipse. Even from a citizen-science standpoint, many of these changes have been documented. We are hoping to see these effects on a larger scale.” Frissell pointed to observations made during the 1999 eclipse in the UK by Ruth Bamford at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

“I think more work needs to be done before any firm conclusions can be made,” he told ARRL. “I believe we will be able to see an effect in our observations.”

Brad Dye, Ron Mercer, Allan Angus, Vic Jackson, and Ira Wiesenfeld are friends and colleagues who work both together and independently, on wireline and wireless communications projects.

Click here for a summary of their qualifications and experience. Each one has unique abilities. We would be happy to help you with a project, and maybe save you some time and money.

Note: We do not like Patent Trolls, i.e. “a person or company who enforces patent rights against accused infringers in an attempt to collect licensing fees, but does not manufacture products or supply services based upon the patents in question.” We have helped some prominent law firms defend their clients against this annoyance, and would be happy to do some more of this same kind of work.

Some people use the title “consultant” when they don't have a real job. We actually do consulting work, and help others based on our many years of experience.

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“If you would know the road ahead, ask someone who has traveled it.”
— Chinese Proverb

Wireless Network Planners
Wireless Specialists

R.H. (Ron) Mercer Consultant 217 First Street East Northport, NY 11731
Telephone: 631-786-9359
www.wirelessplanners.com
wirelessplannerron@gmail.com

Playing For Change Band
en las calles de Buenos Aires

Published on Nov 6, 2015
El grupo musical multicultural que comenzó en la calle, hoy viaja por todo el mundo y es furor en las redes sociales, tocó “Stand By Me” — una de sus canciones emblema — el jueves 5 de noviembre de 2015 en la Plaza Vaticano al lado del Teatro Colón.