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Welcome Back To The Wireless Messaging News
Radar gun that can tell if drivers are texting is in the worksThis is a technology that could save lives. By Christine Loganbill — May 29, 2018 A Virginia-based company is developing a new radar gun that not only detects speeding, but texting and driving as well The new radar guns detect radio frequencies emitted from cell phones. When a text message is sent, the phone emits a distinct frequency, allowing officers to see the violation. By pairing the new radar with Range-r technology, officers can discern which area of the vehicle the text was sent from. This helps eliminate false claims that the text message was sent by a passenger. ComSonics hopes that the new tech will keep the roads safe and driver’s eyes away from their phones. According to a National Safety Council report, texting and driving causes 330,000 crashes annually, making it six times more likely to cause an accident than drunk driving. This is a technology that could save lives.
Prism-IPX Systems
is growing and they are looking for more good software developers with communications experience. Additional information is available on their web site.
We need your help.
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This doesn't mean that nothing is ever published here that mentions a US political party—it just means that the editorial policy of this newsletter is to remain neutral on all political issues. We don't take sides.
A new issue of the Wireless Messaging Newsletter is posted on the web each week. A notification goes out by e-mail to subscribers on most Fridays around noon central US time. The notification message has a link to the actual newsletter on the web. That way it doesn’t fill up your incoming e-mail account. There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. Readers are a very select group of wireless industry professionals, and include the senior managers of many of the world’s major Paging and Wireless 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.
I regularly get readers’ comments, so this newsletter has become a community forum for the Paging, and Wireless Messaging 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. I spend the whole week searching the Internet for news that I think may be of interest to you — so you won’t have to. This newsletter is an aggregator — a service that aggregates news from other news sources. You can help our community by sharing any interesting news that you find.
Editorial Opinion pieces present only the opinions of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of any of advertisers or supporters. This newsletter is independent of any trade association. I don't intend to hurt anyone's feelings, but I do freely express my own opinions.
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GLENAYRE INFRASTRUCTUREI would like to recommend Easy Solutions for Support of all Glenayre Paging Equipment. This Texas company is owned and operated by Vaughan Bowden. I have known Vaughan for over 35 years. Without going into a long list of his experience and qualifications, let me just say that he was the V.P. of Engineering at PageNet which was—at that time—the largest paging company in the world. So Vaughan knows Paging. GTES is no longer offering support contracts. GTES was the original group from Vancouver that was setup to offer support to customers that wanted to continue with the legacy Glenayre support. Many U.S. customers chose not to use this service because of the price and the original requirement to upgrade to version 8.0 software (which required expensive hardware upgrades, etc.). Most contracts ended as of February 2018. If you are at all concerned about future support of Glenayre products, especially the “king of the hill” the GL3000 paging control terminal, I encourage you to talk to Vaughan about a service contract and please tell him about my recommendation. |
IT'S FREE * required field If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter just fill in the blanks in the form above, and then click on the “Subscribe” button. There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. It’s all about staying up-to-date with business trends and technology.
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macOS 10.13.5 now available for Mac, includes Messages in iCloudBy Zac Hall - Jun. 1st 2018 10:07 am PT
Apple has released a new version of macOS High Sierra that brings Messages in iCloud to the Mac. macOS 10.13.5 is now available for all compatible Macs through the Mac App Store. Release notes:
The release comes a few days after iOS 11.4 shipped for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Read our FAQ on Messages in iCloud here. Messages in iCloud can be turned on from the preferences section of the Messages app: Preferences → Accounts → Enable Messages in iCloud. Once enabled, Messages in iCloud has a few benefits. If you delete a message from your Mac, it will disappear from all Macs, iPhones, and iPads running the latest software update. The other benefit is all message history will appear when setting up a new Mac from scratch. This previously required restoring your Mac from a backup. macOS 10.13.5 is available for all Macs running macOS High Sierra from the Mac App Store. |
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Paging Transmitters 150/900 MHz The RFI High Performance Paging Transmitter is designed for use in campus, city, state and country-wide paging systems. Designed for use where reliable simulcast systems where RF signal overlap coverage is critical.
Built-in custom interface for Prism-IPX ipBSC Base Controller for remote control, management and alarm reporting.
Prism-IPX Systems LLC.
11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
Back To Paging
Still The Most Reliable Protocol For Wireless Messaging!
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The Wireless Messaging News
The Board of Advisor members are people with whom I have developed a special rapport, and have met personally. They are not obligated to support the newsletter in any way, except with advice, and maybe an occasional letter to the editor.
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Russians hack Wi-Fi Routers: What to do right now By Paul Wagenseil Senior editor, security, privacy and gaming FBI warns hackers are targeting Internet routers Feds encourage anyone with an Internet router in their home or business to reboot the devices to help protect against sophisticated malware from Russian hackers. It's a pain in the neck, but you should probably factory-reset your home wireless router as soon as possible. You definitely need to do this if you own one of several Netgear, Linksys, TP-Link or MicroTik models. That's because at least 500,000 routers and other devices worldwide have been infected by sophisticated malware that likely comes from Russian state-sponsored hackers, as Cisco Talos labs disclosed last week. The malware, which Cisco Talos calls "VPNFilter," can steal personal information, redirect web traffic, infect other devices and — worst of all — even "brick" infected devices to make them unusable. The FBI said owners of any small-office/home-office (SOHO) routers should reboot their devices, but that won't fully get rid of the malware. (The FBI seized a web domain crucial to the malware's operations, but that may be only a temporary fix.) You actually have to reset the router to factory-default settings to make sure the VPNFilter malware is gone. Several specific router models are known to be affected by VPNFilter, but Cisco Talos fears those might just be the tip of the iceberg. Cisco Talos listed the definitively affected routers as the Linksys E1200, E2500 and WRVS4400N; the Netgear DGN2200, R6400, R7000, R8000, WNR1000 and WNR2000; and the TP-Link TL-R600VPN SafeStream VPN router. MicroTik Cloud Core routers, mainly used by enterprises, may be affected if they run versions 1016, 1036 or 1072 of the MicroTik RouterOS. Cisco Talos found that two QNAP networked-attached-storage (NAS) drives, the TS-251 and TS-439 Pro, were also affected by VPNFilter. But Cisco Talos isn't done with its research, "Given our observations with this threat, we assess with high confidence that this list is incomplete and other devices could be affected," Cisco Talos researchers wrote in a blog posting. "We recommend that users of SOHO routers and/or NAS devices reset them to factory defaults and reboot them," the posting said. "Due to the potential for destructive action by the threat actor, we recommend out of an abundance of caution that these actions be taken for all SOHO or NAS devices, whether or not they are known to be affected by this threat." All the routers affected by VPNFilter had previously disclosed vulnerabilities, and Cisco Talos assumes that the bad guys got in by exploiting those flaws. However, it's hard to detect the VPNFilter infection, and updated devices may have been infected before patches were applied, so it might be best to start from scratch. How to Factory-Reset Your Router Before you reset your router, do a little preparation. Write down the names of and passwords for your wireless networks. That way, you can set up the router again with the same information and all your devices will re-connect easily. Make sure that you have any router setup disks, instructions or software at hand if you need to refer to them. If you don't, you can get them from the router maker's website. You should also have an Ethernet cable; there's usually one in the retail box with the router. Finally, make sure that no one else, and no device, in your household is actively using the Internet connection, as the reset and setup process can take up to an hour. Next comes the actual reset. There's often a small pinhole button on the underside or back of the router that performs a factory reset if you press it with a pin or the end of a paper clip. If there isn't, check your router maker's website for specific factory-reset instructions. Press the button, or do what the router maker's website tells you do. Then follow the regular setup instructions. You'll probably have to run a setup program from a PC or Mac while connected to the router via an Ethernet cable. As indicated above, create the wireless network or networks using the same network names and access passwords as before, so that your Wi-Fi-enabled devices can connect painlessly. But make sure you change the default administrative password that came with the factory reset. You should also disable remote administrative access if you can. Then install the latest firmware updates for your router. We've got instructions on how to do this with the major router brands here. |
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| Prism-IPX Systems |
Critical Messaging that works
Secure . . . Dependable . . . and Encrypted |
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| Product Support Services, Inc. |
Repair and Refurbishment Services
Product Support Services, Inc.
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For Sale – Apollo Pilot XP A28 Alpha Numeric Pagers w/Charging Cradle
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Internet Protocol Terminal
The IPT accepts Internet or serial messaging using various protocols and can easily convert them to different protocols, or send them out as paging messages. An ideal platform for hospitals, on-site paging applications, or converting legacy systems to modern protocols.
Additional/Optional Features
Prism-IPX Systems LLC.
11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
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Paging Data Receiver PDR-4 The PDR-4 is a multi-function paging data receiver that decodes paging messages and outputs them via the serial port, USB or Ethernet connectors. Designed for use with Prism-IPX ECHO software Message Logging Software to receive messages and log the information for proof of transmission over the air, and if the data was error free.
Prism-IPX Systems LLC.
11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
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Wireless Network Planners
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Remote AB Switches ABX-1 switches are often used at remote transmitter sites to convert from old, outdated and unsupported controllers to the new modern Prism-IPX ipBSC base station controllers. Remotely switch to new controllers with GUI commands. ABX-1
ABX-3 switches are widely used for enabling or disabling remote equipment and switching I/O connections between redundant messaging systems. ABX-3
Common Features:
Prism-IPX Systems LLC.
11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
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Battle for 3.5 GHz Spectrum Gets More IntenseBy Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief CTIA President Meredith Attwell Baker is urging the FCC to finish rules for the 3.5 GHz portion of mid-band spectrum in time for the agency’s July meeting. The former FCC Commissioner is also pushing the agency to schedule an auction for that Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum in 2019. South Korea plans to auction its 3.5 GHz spectrum next month, Baker notes in a filing to the agency this week, and other countries are making similar plans. “Given that South Korea, China, and Japan are moving forward rapidly with mid-band spectrum, it is critical we move forward expeditiously to both finalize the rules and set an auction date for 2019,” says Baker. The future of the 3.5 GHz CBRS band has been fiercely contested between large carriers, who advocate for larger geographic areas and longer licensing terms and smaller carriers who argue to keep the rules the same to allow them to innovate. Baker referenced the compromise proposed in April by CTIA and the Competitive Carriers Association for what Baker calls “investment-friendly” changes, including longer license terms, license renewal expectation, and larger geographic area licenses. They proposed the agency should license Priority Access License (PAL) geographic license areas using Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the top 306 Cellular Market Areas (CMAs) and use county-based geographic area licenses in the remaining 428 CMAs. “We continue to work with the Commission and other stakeholders on the right geographic licensing approach, and believe that the CTIA-CCA approach represents a meaningful compromise that will maximize the value of the 70 megahertz of PAL spectrum,” writes Baker. But a group consisting of the Rural Wireless Association, the Rural Broadband Association, Ruckus Networks, Frontier Communications, Motorola and others, presented Commissioner Michael O’Rielly this week with what they say is a more inclusive compromise. They describe their coalition as “the largest yet” in this proceeding. “In the spirit of compromise, all of these diverse parties are willing to accept some obstacles to their own CBRS opportunities in order to ensure that the largest possible group of stakeholders can derive value from the 3.5 GHz band,” they say. They assert their proposed mix of large-area and small-area licensing under a compromise CBRS PALs framework will accommodate the needs of all stakeholders in the 3.5 GHz band. However, a collection of consumer organizations, calling themselves the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition, oppose any efforts to increase license size. They support neither compromise, saying: “A FCC policy aimed at redefining spectrum rights to fit the business model of very wide-area regional and national coverage networks is neither necessary nor appropriate in this band given the opposition of virtually every other stakeholder to effectively rigging the PAL auctions so that only large ISPs will have either the financial incentive or resources to win permanent and large-area PALs at auction.” The coalition adds: “Very large-area and expensive licenses are simply not a good fit for small cell, high capacity use cases, and are likely to result in spectrum lying fallow for many years, if not indefinitely, in low-density environments outside of central urban areas and well-trafficked venues.”
FCC Releases More Capital for PR, USVI Network RestorationThe FCC on Tuesday okayed capital to speed up restoration of communications networks in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) that were destroyed during last year’s hurricanes. The Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking includes an immediate infusion of about $64 million in additional funding for short-term restoration efforts. The agency also seeks comment on injecting nearly $900 million in medium- and long-term aid to expand and improve broadband access across the islands. Island-based carriers asked the FCC for more help toward the end of 2017. Tuesday’s decision means in 2018, the Commission will continue to provide, at a minimum, current levels of high-cost support to carriers in Puerto Rico and USVI. Fixed carrier Puerto Rico Telephone Company will continue to receive approximately $36 million annualized and mobile carriers (Centennial Puerto Rico Operations Corp., Suncom Wireless Puerto Rico Operating Co., Cingular Wireless, Puerto Rico Telephone Company, PR Wireless Inc., and Worldnet Telecommunications, Inc.) will continue to receive about $79.2 million annualized, according to the Commission. In the USVI, fixed carrier Viya will continue to receive roughly $16.5 million annualized and mobile carrier Choice Communications will continue to receive approximately $67,000 annualized. Though the FCC initially anticipated offsetting advance payments against future support, it no longer thinks that’s prudent because “continuing difficulties in bringing service and power back to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have impeded and delayed restoration efforts,” says the agency in the item. Indeed, “Restoration efforts are still ongoing rather than largely complete and persistent power outages and other logistical challenges have made the continued operation of restored networks more expensive than some expected.” The Commission’s action also converts $65.8 million advanced to carriers on the islands last year, into new money by not recovering that funding from future Universal Service support payments. The Commission seeks public input on a plan to allocate some $259 million in medium-term aid to expand 4G LTE mobile broadband deployments on the islands. First stage capital is available to voice and broadband providers on the islands, subject to being designated an eligible telecom carrier. To participate, carriers must certify their eligibility no later than 14 days after the Order is published in the Federal Register. |
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| Source: | Inside Towers newsletter | Courtesy of the editor of Inside Towers. |
| BloostonLaw Newsletter |
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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.
FCC to Release MF-II Challenge Handset Lists; Confidentiality Requests Due June 4On May 25, the FCC issued a Public Notice providing notice of its intent to publicly release a list of the handsets designated by each mobile wireless provider in the Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) challenge process for challengers to use when conducting speed tests in areas deemed presumptively ineligible for MF-II support. Currently, this information is available only through the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC) challenge portal, which challengers may access only after agreeing to keep the information confidential. Carriers that submitted handset lists have until June 4 to submit requests for confidential treatment. The lists will be made publicly available on June 5 for those carriers that do not submit such requests. See the article below for more information. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Cary Mitchell. HeadlinesBlooston Rural Carriers File Comments on Rate of Return Reform ProceedingOn May 25, the initial round of comments was filed on the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, in which the FCC sought comment on revising the high-cost budget for RoR carriers, extending a new offer of model-based support, fully funding carriers that have already accepted A-CAM support and changing the budget control mechanism, as well as other related topics. Reply comments are due June 25. The Blooston Rural Carriers filed comments urging the FCC to adopt a minimum budget for HCLS/CAF BLS that more accurately reflects the real costs of rural broadband networks by eliminating arbitrary adjustments, as well as the implementation of a realistic inflation factor. This includes adopting a threshold support level uncapped by the Budget Control Mechanism (BCM) if not eliminating it entirely, and eliminating the RGF mechanism. At the same time, the Blooston Rural Carriers cautioned the FCC to tread carefully when considering whether to increase deployment obligations in exchange, proposing rather that the FCC fix these mechanisms first, in order to develop a data set warranting specific deployment obligations. The Blooston Rural Carriers also supported the FCC’s proposals to make a second model offer to so-called glide path carriers; increase funding under the initial A-CAM offer to $200 per location; and to extend a second model offer to all carriers, but only if these proposals did not result in a reduction in support for legacy mechanism carriers. Finally, the Blooston Rural Carriers support the maintenance of the current challenge process for areas that have 100% overlap with an unsubsidized competitor. Other commenters included NTCA, ITTA, the Small Company Coalition, USTelecom, WISPA, and WTA. Copies of the comments filed to date can be found here. Clients interested in participating in Reply Comments should contact the Firm promptly. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, Mary Sisak, and Sal Taillefer. FCC Announces Intention to Release MF-II Speed Test HandsetsOn May 25, the FCC issued a Public Notice providing notice of its intent to publicly release a list of the handsets designated by each mobile wireless provider in the Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) challenge process for challengers to use when conducting speed tests in areas deemed presumptively ineligible for MF-II support. Currently, this information is available only through the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC) challenge portal, which challengers may access only after agreeing to keep the information confidential. Carriers that submitted handset lists have unto June 4 to submit requests for confidential treatment. The lists will be made publicly available on June 5 for those carriers that do not submit such requests. When submitting standardized coverage data on qualified 4G LTE service for use in the MF II challenge process, each mobile wireless provider also submitted a list of readily available handset models that challengers could use to test such coverage. Because providers considered the coverage data to be competitively sensitive or proprietary, the FCC required that challengers access such data only through the USAC portal after agreeing to keep the information obtained through the portal confidential. In the Public Notice, the FCC found that making public the handset lists submitted by providers will facilitate the ability of parties without access to the challenge process portal to assess whether they wish to participate in the challenge process. However, since providers were not required to include with their handset list submissions a request that such information be withheld from public inspection, the FCC is providing those carriers the opportunity to do so before releasing the information. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Cary Mitchell. FCC Approves Additional Funding for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin IslandsOn May 29, the FCC announced that it has approved additional immediate $64 million in funding to accelerate the restoration of communications networks in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that were damaged and destroyed during the 2017 hurricane season. The FCC is also seeking comment on injecting almost $900 million in medium- and long-term funding into expanding and improving broadband access on the islands. To accomplish these goals, the Commission created the Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund (Bringing Puerto Rico Together Fund) and the Connect USVI Fund. “The Commission’s action today will not only help complete the recovery from last year’s devastating storms, but seeks comment on much-needed funding for long-term improvement and expansion of broadband throughout Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “During my visits to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, I saw that it was critical for the FCC to not only address today’s urgent needs, but to look ahead to support the broadband networks the islands need to thrive in the 21st Century.” The Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking includes:
To expedite buildout, opportunities for the first stage of funding are open to all facilities-based providers in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands of voice and broadband service, subject to receiving an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) designation. To participate, providers must certify their eligibility no later than 14 days after publication of the Order in the Federal Register. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and John Prendergast. Law & RegulationSenate Introduces Bill to Re-prioritize Unserved AreasOn May 25, U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Steve Daines (R- Mont.) have introduced the bipartisan Re-prioritizing Unserved Rural Areas and Locations for Broadband (RURAL Broadband) Act of 2018, which will prioritize federal funds that are used to provide broadband access to areas that are unserved with no access, before they are used to upgrade areas with existing service. Their bill is a significant step toward prioritizing unserved rural areas in Vermont and other states. The bill, if adopted, would amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to provide requirements on the use of assistance for broadband deployment, and for other purposes. Specifically, the bill expressly permits the use of RUS funding to provide retail fixed broadband service in areas in which there is no qualifying broadband-capable infrastructure owned or operated by another service provider; and prohibit the use of RUS funding by a service provider to provide retail fixed broadband service that would overbuild or otherwise duplicate qualifying broadband-capable infrastructure that another service provider is using to provide retail fixed broadband service in the same area. Roger Nishi, vice president of industry relations, Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom said: “Senator Leahy’s leadership in introducing this legislation demonstrates his consistent commitment to advancing rural broadband in Vermont and to promoting the efficient use of federal resources toward this goal. This bill will help ensure broadband programs are effectively coordinated and can enable delivery of robust and sustainable broadband services to as many rural Americans as possible.” Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of the Rural Broadband Association (NTCA) said: “Senators Daines and Leahy are proven leaders on rural broadband and have offered a thoughtful bill to ensure that necessary federal resources are coordinated for maximum impact in high cost rural areas in need of broadband. NTCA welcomes this legislation and appreciates these senators’ steadfast commitment to improving the quality of life in rural America by ensuring as many Americans as possible will be able to experience the benefits of broadband access.” BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Mary Sisak. Senate Introduces Bill to Improve Wireless Coverage MapsOn May 24, U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) introduced S. 2955, the “Mobile Accuracy and Precision Broadband Act” (MAP Broadband Act). If enacted, the bill would help improve the accuracy of the FCC’s mobile broadband coverage map to “ensure that federal resources are targeted to unserved communities that do not have access to reliable mobile broadband service.” According to a press release, the legislation would “address problems with the FCC’s Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) presumptive eligibility maps” and “address concerns with the FCC’s challenge process for the presumptive eligibility map.” Specifically, the “MAP Broadband Act” would require the FCC to:
“The FCC’s seriously-flawed mobile coverage map threatens to exclude many rural communities from much-needed wireless broadband support,” Senator Wicker said. “Ensuring that all Granite Staters have access to broadband is critical to the success of our people and businesses in the 21st century economy,” Senator Hassan said. “Bridging the Digital Divide and deploying high-speed Internet to rural communities continues to be a top priority for me and for my colleagues representing rural America,” said Senator Moran. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Cary Mitchell. Sen. Joe Manchin Granted Waiver to Participate in MF-II Challenge ProcessOn May 25, the FCC granted a request for waiver filed by U.S. Senator Joe Manchin III to participate as a challenger in the Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II) challenge process, subject to certain conditions. Specifically, Sen. Manchin filed a petition for a waiver of the rule limiting participation in the MF-II challenge process, as he is neither a governmental entity nor a service provider required to file Form 477 data. In granting the request for waiver, the FCC found that Sen. Manchin has a bona fide interest in the challenge process “because the promotion of 4G LTE service throughout the state of West Virginia is an issue with which he has a long record of engagement.” The FCC also found that Sen. Manchin has plausible ability to submit the necessary data because he has “assigned an employee to review the technical requirements of the challenge process” and that said employee “has demonstrated an understanding of the technical requirements, asking Commission staff a series of questions about the requirements.” As a condition of participation, Sen. Manchin is required to “purchase an appropriate service plan and an approved handset from each unsubsidized service provider in the areas he wishes to challenge” and “personally certify, under penalty of perjury, that:
BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Cary Mitchell. IndustryFCC Grants 800 MHz Waiver Request for SprintBy letter dated May 30, the FCC granted a modification request by Sprint Corporation (Sprint) that will allow Sprint to deploy its 800 MHz wideband operations in certain portions of the San Antonio — Texas National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) Region 53 before 800 MHz Band reconfiguration has been completed in that Region. According to the letter, granting the Modification Request will permit LTE deployment in a total of 39 counties, “providing Sprint’s subscribers access to these valuable broadband wireless services while protecting the remaining public safety entities from harmful interference.” In 2014, Sprint sought and was granted a waiver of Section 90.209(b) that permitted it to deploy LTE in 30 counties in the San Antonio — Texas NPSPAC Region, subject to several conditions. Since then, Sprint states that it has deployed LTE broadband services at nearly 300 sites in those counties under its conditional waiver of Section 90.209(b). However, contended Sprint, certain San Antonio — Texas NPSPAC Region public safety licensees have not completed their retunes. Sprint explained that many of these remaining retunes will take place in, if not before, early 2018 when “the Mexican-side retunes will clear the path for U.S. licensees to retune to their replacement frequencies.” Accordingly, Sprint sought modification so that it may accelerate its broadband deployment by also operating LTE sites in the nine additional San Antonio — Texas NPSPAC Region counties in which 800 MHz rebanding is now complete. FCC Announces Completion of Transition to New Porting AdministratorOn May 29, the FCC issued a Press Release announcing the successful completion of the transition to the new Local Number Portability Administrator (LNPA), Telcordia Technologies, doing business as iconectiv. The LNPA operates the system that allows consumers to keep their telephone numbers when they switch communications service providers, thereby promoting consumer choice and competition among those companies. It also provides critical services to our nation’s law enforcement and public safety communities. “I’m pleased that, after years of hard work and extensive preparation, we have successfully transitioned to a new and less expensive LNPA,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “This change should reduce costs for consumers. I applaud the work of all involved in this complex endeavor, especially the dedicated staff in the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, and Office of General Counsel. I thank them for working tirelessly to ensure a seamless and on-time transition for the communications industry, the law enforcement and public safety communities, and most importantly, the American public.” DeadlinesMAY 31: FCC FORM 395, EMPLOYMENT REPORT. Common carriers, including wireless carriers, with 16 or more full-time employees must file their annual Common Carrier Employment Reports (FCC Form 395) by May 31. This report tracks carrier compliance with rules requiring recruitment of minority employees. Further, the FCC requires all common carriers to report any employment discrimination complaints they received during the past year. That information is also due on May 31. The FCC encourages carriers to complete the discrimination report requirement by filling out Section V of Form 395, rather than submitting a separate report. BloostonLaw Contacts: Richard Rubino. MAY 31: FCC FORM 395, EMPLOYMENT REPORT. Common carriers, including wireless carriers, with 16 or more full-time employees must file their annual Common Carrier Employment Reports (FCC Form 395) by May 31. This report tracks carrier compliance with rules requiring recruitment of minority employees. Further, the FCC requires all common carriers to report any employment discrimination complaints they received during the past year. That information is also due on May 31. The FCC encourages carriers to complete the discrimination report requirement by filling out Section V of Form 395, rather than submitting a separate report. BloostonLaw Contacts: Richard Rubino. JULY 2: FCC FORM 481 (CARRIER ANNUAL REPORTING DATA COLLECTION FORM). All eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) must report the information required by Section 54.313, which includes outage, unfulfilled service request, and complaint data, broken out separately for voice and broadband services, information on the ETC’s holding company, operating companies, ETC affiliates and any branding in response to section 54.313(a)(8); its CAF-ICC certification, if applicable; its financial information, if a privately held rate-of-return carrier; and its satellite backhaul certification, if applicable. Form 481 must not only be filed with USAC, but also with the FCC and the relevant state commission and tribal authority, as appropriate. Although USAC treats the filing as confidential, filers must seek confidential treatment separately with the FCC and the relevant state commission and tribal authority if confidential treatment is desired. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Sal Taillefer. JULY 2: MOBILITY FUND PHASE I ANNUAL REPORT. Winning bidders in Auction 901 that are authorized to receive Mobility Fund Phase I support are required to submit to the FCC an annual report each year on July 1 for the five years following authorization. Each annual report must be submitted to the Office of the Secretary of the FCC, clearly referencing WT Docket No. 10-208; the Universal Service Administrator; and the relevant state commissions, relevant authority in a U.S. Territory, or Tribal governments, as appropriate. The information and certifications required to be included in the annual report are described in Section 54.1009 of the FCC’s rules. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Sal Taillefer. JULY 31: FCC FORM 507, UNIVERSAL SERVICE QUARTERLY LINE COUNT UPDATE. Line count updates are required to recalculate a carrier's per line universal service support, and is filed with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). This information must be submitted on July 31 each year by all rate-of-return incumbent carriers, and on a quarterly basis if a competitive eligible telecommunications carrier (CETC) has initiated service in the rate-of-return incumbent carrier’s service area and reported line count data to USAC in the rate-of-return incumbent carrier’s service area, in order for the incumbent carrier to be eligible to receive Interstate Common Line Support (ICLS). This quarterly filing is due July 31 and covers lines served as of December 31 of the previous year. Incumbent carriers filing on a quarterly basis must also file on September 30 (for lines served as of March 31); December 30 (for lines served as of June 30, 2014), and March 31, for lines served as of September 30 of the previous year). BloostonLaw contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Mary Sisak. JULY 31: CARRIER IDENTIFICATION CODE (CIC) REPORTS. Carrier Identification Code (CIC) Reports must be filed by the last business day of July (this year, July 31). These reports are required of all carriers who have been assigned a CIC code by NANPA. Failure to file could result in an effort by NANPA to reclaim it, although according to the Guidelines this process is initiated with a letter from NANPA regarding the apparent non-use of the CIC code. The assignee can then respond with an explanation. (Guidelines Section 6.2). The CIC Reporting Requirement is included in the CIC Assignment Guidelines, produced by ATIS. According to section 1.4 of that document: At the direction of the NANPA, the access providers and the entities who are assigned CICs will be requested to provide access and usage information to the NANPA, on a semi-annual basis to ensure effective management of the CIC resource. (Holders of codes may respond to the request at their own election). Access provider and entity reports shall be submitted to NANPA no later than January 31 for the period ending December 31, and no later than July 31 for the period ending June 30. It is also referenced in the NANPA Technical Requirements Document, which states at 7.18.6: CIC holders shall provide a usage report to the NANPA per the industry CIC guidelines … The NAS shall be capable of accepting CIC usage reports per guideline requirements on January 31 for the period ending December 31 and no later than July 31 for the period ending June 30. These reports may also be mailed and accepted by the NANPA in paper form. Finally, according to the NANPA website, if no local exchange carrier reports access or usage for a given CIC, NANPA is obliged to reclaim it. The semi-annual utilization and access reporting mechanism is described at length in the guidelines. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Gerry Duffy. Calendar At-a-GlanceMay June July August
LMCC Requests Modification of T-Band FreezeThe Land Mobile Communications Council (LMCC) has requested that the FCC modify the application filing freeze for applications requesting modification of existing licenses in the T-Band (470-512 MHz Band). The current freeze was adopted by the FCC in 2012 in order to prevent further changes to the licensing structure of the band in advance of the spectrum auctions that will be required under the Middle-Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. As a result, incumbent licensees – whether public safety or industrial — have been unable to modify their radio systems without a rule waiver from the FCC. In order to allow incumbent licensees in this band to make adjustments to their operations, LMCC has proposed that existing T-Band licensees located within a 50-mile radius of a defined T-Band market be permitted to:
We anticipate that the FCC will seek public comment prior to taking action on this proposal. We encourage our clients with licenses in the T-Band (470-512 MHz Band) to support the LMCC proposal. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Richard Rubino Comments on 4.9 GHz Further Not ice of Proposed Rulemaking Due July 6The FCC has published its Sixth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in WP Docket No. 07-100 in the Federal Register: Amendment of Part 90 of the Commission’s Rules. In this FNPRM, the FCC seeks comment on several alternatives to stimulate expanded use of and investment in the 4.9 GHz band. Comments are due July 6, 2018 and reply comments are due August 6, 2018. The FCC’s proposals for the 4.9 GHz band include:
Clients interested in filing comments or reply comments should contact the firm for more information. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast, Cary Mitchell and Richard Rubino FCC Issues Citation for Unauthorized Operation on Private Radio FrequenciesAs we have previously reported, the FCC has been stepping up its enforcement actions against individuals and companies that are operating pirate radio stations — meaning radio facilities without a license. While most efforts have centered on frequencies in the FM radio band, the FCC recently took action against Rand Redhots, LLC for operating a radio system on the frequency 465.0375 MHz at a drive-through window. We wish to remind our clients that it is important to make sure that all radio operations are covered by a license and that the stations are being operated consistent with the parameters specified on the license. If there are any issues, you should contact our office promptly so that we can assist in the preparation of a license correction to bring your station into regulatory compliance. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Richard Rubino FCC Grants Waiver to Permit Travelers Information Radio Station in MiamiThe City of North Miami Beach Florida requested a waiver for a new Travelers Information Station (TIS), which would operate on the frequency 1610 kHz in the AM radio band. In particular, North Miami Beach requested a waiver of Rule Section 90.242(a)(2)(i), which requires a separation of 15 kilometers between a TIX transmitter and the 0.5 mV/m daytime contour of an adjacent channel AM broadcast station. In justifying its waiver request, the City noted that it satisfied the distance requirement with respect to the closest point at which the contour for AM Broadcast station WPOM at Riviera Beach, Florida falls over land. However, because an orthogonal measurement would be less than the required 15 kilometer distance, a waiver is required. The FCC noted that while alternative frequencies are available, the City demonstrated that the frequency 1610 kHz is the only channel that will provide satisfactory TIS operations. This is because the only location that the City had for the antenna is on a flat roof of a city owned building and that “TIS antennas require ground planes installed beneath the vertical portion of the antennas due to AM’s long wavelengths.” In granting the waiver, the FCC noted that the application of its rules regarding orthogonal measurements would frustrate the underlying purpose of the rule – which is to ensure interference free operation. At the outset, the FCC noted that its AM interference rules do not apply to areas entirely over sea water and that the separation of 19 kilometers to the contour’s closest point on land gives the FCC confidence that the TIS station will not interfere with the reception from Station WPOM. Further, the FCC noted that the City has been operating in this manner pursuant to a grant of Special Temporary Authority since October 19, 2017 without any interference complaints. That, taken together with the purpose of TIS stations — which is to ensure the safety of the traveling public — demonstrates the public interest in fostering TIS station deployment. The City noted that in the wake of Hurricane Irma, this TIS station was used to “provide emergency and life-saving communications during and after this and other extreme weather events where large portions of the city are without power or have a weak cellular service.” In addition to providing traveler’s advisory information, the City would be able to use the station to communicate with the public in the event of an emergency. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Richard Rubino FCC Seeks Revocation of Metro Two-Way, LLC Land Mobile LicensesThe FCC has taken the unusual step of issuing a Show Cause Order in order to hold a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge in order to “determine whether Metro Two-Way, LLC (“Metro”) is qualified to be and to remain a Federal Communications Commission . . . licensee”, including whether its four Trunked Industrial/Business Pool Service licenses should be revoked and its pending application denied. Metro provides two-way radio communications services in Los Angeles, California — an area in which there is significant spectrum congestion. Metro has been engaged in litigation at the FCC since 2014, when a competitor filed a Petition to Dismiss or Deny its application. At the time of the initial Petition, an allegation was made that the real party in interest behind Metro was actually Acumen Communications — which had received numerous violation notices from the FCC and was then under investigation by the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau. Metro had stated that it was not related to Acumen and provided relevant supporting documentation from the California Secretary of State that Mr. Mosquera was the sole member of Metro. However, the Commission notes that Mr. Mosquera was an officer and the sole shareholder of Acumen Communications (an entity whose licenses the FCC revoked earlier this year, in part for failing to properly disclose Mr. Mosquera’s felony convictions). Issues being designated for hearing include whether Mr. Mosquera directly or indirectly controls Metro, and whether Metro engaged in a misrepresentation/lack of candor in its FCC applications. There are three teaching points from this case:
Please contact our office if you have any questions. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Richard Rubino FCC Issues $120 Million Fine for Spoofed RobocallsThe FCC has fined Adrian Abramovich $120 million for malicious spoofing that was part of his massive robocalling operation aimed at selling timeshares and other travel packages. The caller ID spoofing operation made almost 100 million spoofed robocalls over three months. Specifically, Mr. Abramovich, of Miami, Florida, or companies he controlled, spoofed 96 million robocalls in order to trick unsuspecting consumers into answering and listening to his advertising messages. To increase the likelihood that consumers would answer his calls, Mr. Abramovich’s operation made calls that appeared to be local—a practice known as “neighbor spoofing.” The messages indicated that the calls came from well-known travel or hospitality companies such as Marriott, Expedia, Hilton, and TripAdvisor, and prompted consumers to “Press 1” to hear about “exclusive” vacation deals. Those who did were transferred to foreign call centers where live operators attempted to sell vacation packages—often involving timeshares—at destinations unrelated to the named travel or hospitality companies. The Commission received numerous consumer complaints about these calls. In addition, the Commission heard from companies such as TripAdvisor, which received complaints from consumers who believed the robocalls had come from the company. Medical paging provider Spōk also complained after its network was disrupted by these calls, thus interfering with hospital and physician communications. Both companies actively helped the investigation. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast, Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy and Richard Rubino Senate Introduces 180 Day Shot Clock for FCC Merger ReviewOn May 15, 2018, Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules Act, or SMARTER Act, a bill that would require the FCC to issue a decision within 180 days of receiving a completed merger application. According to a press release, the bill is designed to address the Senators’ perception that the FCC’s merger review procedures “create an open-ended process that fuels uncertainty and is potentially insulated from judicial review.” The bill also requires the FTC to go through the same procedures that the Department of Justice must go through when enforcing antitrust law. In a statement, Commissioner Michael O’Rielly said: “I commend Senators Lee, Hatch, Tillis, and Grassley on the introduction of The SMARTER Act of 2018. Among other improvements, the bill includes two key reforms to the FCC’s merger review process that I have longed championed: setting a non-aspirational, 180-day shot clock for agency review of license transfers and addressing the abusive practice of designating an application for hearing to the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), which effectively serves to kill a transaction.” Commissioner Brendan Carr said: “I applaud Senator Lee for working to ensure that good government is the law of the land. With the SMARTER Act, Senator Lee would put the Federal Communications Commission on a shot clock and thus codify the agency’s commitment to open, transparent, and timely decision making.” BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast, Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy and Richard Rubino. FCC Imposes $22,000 Forfeiture for Signal Jammer OperationThe FCC has issued a Forfeiture Order imposing a $22,000 penalty against Ravi’s Import Warehouse, Inc., (Ravi’s) for operating a cellular phone jammer in its commercial establishment in Dallas, Texas, in willful violation of the Communications Act. The penalty included an upward adjustment for egregious behavior: namely, attempting to sell the signal jammer in question to the FCC field agent. In April, 2017, an agent from the FCC’s Dallas Field Office (Dallas Office) responded to a complaint from an AT&T representative asserting that an AT&T base station was receiving interference from what appeared to be a signal jammer. While the agent was en route to the general location of the suspected signal jammer, the AT&T representative separately, and using his own equipment, determined that the jammer was likely located within Ravi’s commercial establishment. When the agent arrived on the scene, the AT&T representative was already present and stated that shortly after Ravi’s security personnel noticed the AT&T representative’s presence, the jammer ceased operating. In the presence of the AT&T representative, the agent spoke with the owner of Ravi’s, who admitted to the agent that Ravi’s used a signal jammer as a means of preventing its employees from using mobile phones while at work. The owner further stated that she disposed of the jammer shortly before the agent’s arrival, and refused to voluntarily retrieve and surrender the device to the agent or to identify the specific dumpster in which she disposed of the device. Instead, the owner offered to sell the signal jammer to the agent. The agent declined the offer and issued a Notice of Unlicensed Radio Operation informing Ravi’s that the operation of a signal jammer is illegal. According to the Forfeiture Order, the $22,000 included a $5,000 upward adjustment based on the egregiousness of the owner’s attempt to sell the jamming device to the agent. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Richard Rubino Cloned Radio Nets 19 Year Old Two Felony Guilty Pleas, Loss of Amateur Radio License and $3,000 FineCameron Thurston’s troubles began when he cloned a radio to make it appear as though it was authorized to Oscoda County, Michigan and therefore which allowed him to transmit on the Michigan Public Safety Communications Network (MPSCS) operated by the Michigan State Police since it recognized the radio as an authorized subscriber unit. Over the course of an almost two year period, Mr. Thurston transmitted on the MPSCS system almost 1,000 times with an average transmission of 4.8 seconds. These push-to-talk transmissions prevented other users on the talk group from being able to transmit. Mr. Thurston’s activities were discovered during a routine traffic stop when a police officer noticed the radio equipment in Mr. Thurston’s car. On January 31, 2018, Mr. Thurston pleaded guilty to one felony count of Computers-Unauthorized Access and one felony count of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime. Both offenses arose out of Mr. Thurston’s activities surrounding the cloning of the radio equipment. Because of Mr. Thurston’s age, the nature of his offenses and his willingness to provide the Michigan State Police with information regarding the methods used to clone the Oscoda County radio, the Court imposed diversion — which if successfully completed will result in the dismissal of the criminal case. Based upon the Court’s action, Mr. Thurston entered into a consent decree with the FCC for unauthorized operation and has agreed to, among other things, to surrender his amateur radio license, pay a $3,000 civil penalty over the course of the next 36 months. Further, Mr. Thurston has agreed not to reapply for an amateur radio license for two years and will pay an additional civil penalty of $17,000 if in the next 20 years the FCC determines that he has operated on or caused interference to the MPSCS or otherwise has violated the terms of the consent decree or his diversion program with the State of Michigan. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Richard Rubino FCC Announces Webinar for State and Local Governments Addressing Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency AlertsThe FCC’s Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau and the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau will hold a free webinar on Thursday, June 21, 2018 at 2:00 PM ET. The webinar will focus on issues concerning emergency alerting systems that affect state and local governments, such as how these systems work, who is eligible to initiate alerts, and the targeting of messages to particular geographic areas — as well as the latest developments at the FCC. If you are interested in attending this webinar, you can register at https://fccevents.webex.com/fccevents/onstage/g.php?MTID=e204c1227f16818505160288eca493190. The FCC will send a confirmation email to you once you have registered. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Richard Rubino
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Eagles Guitarist Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, Promotes Amateur Radio in Media AnnouncementsLegendary rock guitarist Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, of the Eagles is featured in a just-released set of ARRL audio and video public service announcements promoting Amateur Radio. ARRL will provide the 30- and 60-second PSAs to Public Information Officers (PIOs) to share with their Section's television and radio stations. The ARRL Media and Public Relations Department also will provide these announcements files directly to interested television and radio outlets, and the announcements are available for downloading from the ARRL website for members to use in promoting Amateur Radio at club meetings and public presentations, such as ARRL Field Day on June 23-24 (PSAs specifically for ARRL Field Day also are available). Those PSAs will also be available for download from the ARRL website, so that members can present them at club meetings and other public gatherings
Walsh, who visited ARRL Headquarters last year for taping, wanted to deliver two main messages in his PSAs: Get involved in Amateur Radio, and become a member of ARRL. The messages highlight the tremendous service that radio amateurs provide to communities, and convey how ARRL advocates on behalf of Amateur Radio on a wide range of legal and political issues. An ARRL Life Member and longtime radio amateur, Walsh personally has been a strong supporter and advocate of ARRL and Amateur Radio, and his ham shack is just as impressive as his home recording studio. "I want to give back to the hobby that has given me so much enjoyment," he said. The setting for the PSAs was W1AW, which Walsh was especially eager to revisit. The occasion also offered him an opportunity to see equipment he'd donated to W1AW years earlier. Walsh's past on-the-air forays on W1AW have always attracted enthusiastic pileups. While at W1AW, he spent some chatting with station manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, about the station's operations. Walsh is a well-known collector of vintage Amateur Radio equipment. Creating the videos were Media and Public Relations Assistant Michelle Patnode, KC1JTA; freelance videographer/photographer Chris Zajac, and former Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, who also recorded a tag line for ARRL Audio News with Walsh. Tips for getting audio PSAs on the air are available on the PSA for promotions web page. |
| Source: | The ARRL Letter for May 31, 2018 |
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| THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK |
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“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” |
| VIDEO OF THE WEEK |
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“Natural Mystic/Just a Little Bit Coming June 1st • Playing For Change • Song Around The World”
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| Source: | YouTube | To learn more about the work of the PFC Foundation, visit http://www.playingforchange.org |
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