Welcome Back To The Wireless Messaging News

Yahoo Messenger Is Shutting Down After 20 Years

June 08, 2018, 11:56:35 AM EDT
By Janko Roettgers, Variety

Shutterstock photo

Oath, the Verizon subsidiary that operates Yahoo, announced Friday that it will shut down Yahoo Messenger next month. Users won't be able to access the service after July 17 anymore, according to a message posted to the Yahoo help forums.

"We know we have many loyal fans who have used Yahoo Messenger since its beginning as one of the first chat apps of its kind," the message reads. "As the communications landscape continues to change over, we're focusing on building and introducing new, exciting communications tools that better fit consumer needs."

Yahoo released the first version of Messenger under the name Yahoo Pager in March of 1998. Since then, the service had been used by hundreds of millions of Internet users. In its heyday, Yahoo Messenger was directly competing with other popular messaging apps like ICQ, AOL's AIM and Microsoft Messenger.

But while these services were extremely popular on desktop PCs, they were quickly surpassed by other services on mobile devices, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Snapchat. Faced with declining usage, Oath also decided to shut down AIM in December.

Yahoo Messenger users have six months to download their chat history. The company said that it doesn't currently have a replacement for the service, but told users that they can sign up for an invite of its new group messaging app Squirrel.

Source: Nasdaq

Supreme Court adopts new rules for cellphone tracking

Published June 22, 2018
Technology
Associated Press

The Supreme Court says police generally need a search warrant if they want to track criminal suspects' movements by collecting information about where they've used their cellphones.

The justices' 5-4 decision Friday is a victory for privacy in the digital age.

That's a big change from the old days when authorities could go to the phone company and obtain information about the numbers dialed from a home telephone without presenting a warrant.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by the court's four liberals.

Source: FOX Business

Emergency Radio Communications Wireless Messaging Critical Messaging Two-way Radio Technology Telemetry Science Paging Wi-Fi

Wireless Messaging

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.

We need your help. This is probably the only weekly news source about paging and wireless messaging.

GLENAYRE INFRASTRUCTURE

Service Contracts

I 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

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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.

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.
Click here. 

Advertiser Index

Apple’s iOS 12 to Share iPhone Location Information
with 9-1-1 Centers

By Sandra Wendelken, Editor
Mission Critical Communications
Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Apple announced iOS 12, set for public release later this year, will allow U.S. iPhone users who call 9-1-1 to automatically and securely share their location data with public-safety answering points (PSAPs).

Photo courtesy Apple

The announcement could potentially refocus wireless 9-1-1 location to device-based solutions from network-based technologies.

“This is really where we ultimately need to go with call routing,” said Walt Magnussen, PhD, Texas A&M Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center (ITEC) director. “There is a strong consensus that hand-based location is better than network-based because smartphones are providing emergency call routing and emergency caller tracking.”

The FCC requires wireless carriers to locate callers to within 50 meters at least 80 percent of the time by 2021. iOS location services are capable of exceeding this requirement, even in challenging, dense, urban environments, an Apple statement said.

The new operating system will allow Apple to make these benefits available to local 9-1-1 centers. Apple is using the RapidSOS IP-based NG911 Clearinghouse to share Hybridized Emergency Location (HELO) location data with 9-1-1 centers. HELO, which Apple launched in 2015, estimates a mobile 9-1-1 caller’s location using cell towers and on-device data sources such as GPS and Wi-Fi access points.

There are two parts to location information from a wireless 9-1-1 call delivered to a PSAP. A wireless call’s Phase I location is the cell tower data, and Phase II data is the location of the caller. Phase 2 data takes longer to transfer to the PSAP than Phase 1 data. However, the RapidSOS system more quickly delivers the location data of iOS users to 9-1-1 centers that upgrade existing software.

“We want more of the Phase 2 data,” Magnussen said. “Ultimately what we want to do is to route off that. If I can get a more accurate location and faster, then I can do a better job of routing too.”

In keeping with Apple’s focus on privacy, user data cannot be used for any nonemergency purpose, and only the responding 9-1-1 center will have access to the user’s location during an emergency call. The data is encrypted from end to end, an Apple spokesperson said.

Even if a user has turned off an iPhone’s location services, location services are always active during a 9–1-1 call because the FCC requires that location service be available for all 9-1-1 calls. Additionally, PSAPs generally receive the telephone number of the caller from the carrier handling the call.

“Communities rely on 9-1-1 centers in an emergency, and we believe they should have the best available technology at their disposal,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “When every moment counts, these tools will help first responders reach our customers when they most need assistance.”

“I see this now as a policy issue as much as it is a technology issue,” Magnussen said, noting that if devices provide 9-1-1 data, the device companies likely will require the same indemnification that carriers and software companies have. FCC rules, which focus on wireless carrier requirements, likely must be updated as well.

The FCC adopted more stringent indoor 9-1-1 location accuracy rules in 2015. In May, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) told the FCC it is concerned about how the wireless industry is interpreting “dispatchable location” for 9-1-1 location accuracy purposes, within the framework of the FCC’s fourth report and order.

“We’re thrilled that Apple is giving 9-1-1 centers access to device-based location data via a thoroughly tested, standards-based approach,” said Rob McMullen, president of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). “This will accelerate the deployment of next-generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) for everyone, saving lives and protecting property.”

Mission Critical Communications

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.

• Commercial Paging systems.
• Healthcare Paging systems.
• Public Safety Emergency Services Paging systems.
• Demand Response Energy Grid Management.

Built-in custom interface for Prism-IPX ipBSC Base Controller for remote control, management and alarm reporting.

• Use as a stand-alone unit or in wide area network.
• Mix with other transmitter brands in an existing paging network.
• Adjustable from 20-250 watts.
• 110/240 VAC or 48VDC.
• Absolute Delay Correction.
• Remote Diagnostics.
• Configurable alarm thresholds.
• Integrated Isolator.
• Superb Reliability.
• Improved amplifier efficiency.
• Most reliable high-powered paging transmitter available.

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.

11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
Ph: 678-242-5290 Email: sales@prism-ipx.com
prism-ipx.com

Back To Paging

Still The Most Reliable Protocol For Wireless Messaging!

If you are reading this, your potential customers are reading it as well. Please click here to find out about our advertising options.

Providing Expert Support and Service Contracts for all Glenayre Paging Systems.

The GL3000 is the most prolific paging system in the world and Easy Solutions gladly welcomes you to join us in providing reliable support to the paging industry for many more decades in the future.

Easy Solutions provides cost effective computer and wireless solutions at affordable prices. We can help in most any situation with your communications systems. We have many years of experience and a vast network of resources to support the industry, your system and an ever changing completive landscape.

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Please see our web site for exciting solutions designed specifically for the Wireless Industry. We also maintain a diagnostic lab and provide important repair and replacement parts services for Motorola and Glenayre equipment. Call or  e-mail  us for more information.

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The Wireless Messaging News
Board of Advisors

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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You can help support The Wireless Messaging News by clicking on the PayPal Donate button above. It is not necessary to be a member of PayPal to use this service.

Newspapers generally cost 75¢ $1.50 a copy and they hardly ever mention paging or wireless messaging, unless in a negative way. If you receive some benefit from this publication maybe you would like to help support it financially?

A donation of $50.00 would certainly help cover a one-year period. If you are wiling and able, please click on the PayPal Donate button above.

BlackBerry Key2 gets July 13th release date, and preorders start on June 29th

Starting at $649.99, $100 more than the KeyOne

By Chaim Gartenberg
Jun 21, 2018, 9:00am EDT
The Verge

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

TCL’s BlackBerry Key2 now has a release date: it’ll be available on July 13th in the United States starting at $649.99 ($100 more than the KeyOne cost at launch), with preorders set to start at Amazon and Best Buy on June 29th.

The Key2 is an upgraded version of the KeyOne. TCL has updated the design a bit, slimming down the bezels and making the iconic physical keyboard slightly larger. But this isn’t a radical redesign. Specs have also been boosted since the KeyOne: there’s a more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chip (versus the 625 from the KeyOne), and both RAM and internal storage have been doubled from the previous model to 6GB of memory and either 64GB or 128GB of space.

The front-facing camera is still an 8-megapixel shooter, but the rear camera is a new dual 12-megapixel camera system that’s become all the rage in the smartphone space these days. Other things haven’t been changed at all, like the 4.5-inch LCD screen (with a 3:2 aspect ratio because you have to have space for that keyboard, after all) and the beefy 3,500 mAh battery.

Both Amazon and Best Buy will be offering the Key2 unlocked (although TCL and BlackBerry say that the phone is optimized for GSM carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile) in silver and black options. NEXT UP IN CIRCUIT BREAKER The top 8 Chinese phones Amazon adds two new Motorola phones to its Prime Exclusive lineup This Nintendo Switch accessory lets you play classic arcade games vertically Loupedeck upgrades its photo editing console with better software support and more buttons Leica’s first watches are more than mere marketing Bose’s new $250 Sleepbuds play soothing sounds instead of music

The Verge

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Who We Are

Prism-IPX is a leader in providing reliable communications systems using modern designs to meet today’s demands for critical message alerting and delivery. Prism-IPX designs versatile and robust Critical Message Management systems using paging and other wireless technologies for high performance and dependable communications.

What We Make

Prism-IPX Systems products include full-featured radio paging systems with VoIP input, IP based transmitter control systems and paging message encryption. Other options include e-mail messaging, remote switch controllers, Off-The-Air paging message decoders and logging systems.

Contact Us  

iOS 12: How to customize Grouped Notifications

By Peter Cao - Jun. 21st 2018 4:52 pm PT

One of the headlining features for iOS 12 is the new Grouped Notifications feature. It’s not as simple as grouping by app, but it intelligently creates your groups. For example, you’re getting iMessages from several different threads, those will all come in individual groups. And if an email shows up in between? That’ll show up properly.

However, there are times where you don’t want grouped notifications for certain apps and would like to disable grouping for those apps. Follow along to know how….

iOS 12: How to customize Grouped Notifications

1. Head into Settings > Notifications.
2. Tap into the individual app where you’d like to change the notification settings.
3. At the bottom, tap on Notification Grouping.
4. By default, notifications are set to Automatic, which groups them intelligently. Your other options are By App, which will pile all your notifications for that one app into a single group, or Off, which reverts it to the classic style of showing every notification individually.

Rinse and repeat for all the apps in which you’d like to change the setting for.

Grouped Notifications are super useful but some apps you don’t want to be grouped. The good news is Apple gives you the option to change it.

For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how to guide as well as the following articles:

• iOS 12: How to set up Screen Time as a parent on a child’s iPhone or iPad
• watchOS 5: How to manage Walkie-Talkie contacts
• watchOS 5: How to set Siri voice volume
• iOS 12: How to permanently delete photos on iPhone
• watchOS 5: How to access the Internet from your wrist
• iPhone & iPad: How to show Safari tab icons in iOS 12
• watchOS 5: How to disable Start/End Workout reminders

Source:

9 to 5 Mac

Repair and Refurbishment Services

Product Support Services, Inc.
511 South Royal Lane
Coppell, Texas 75019
817-527-6322
sales@pssirl.com
www.pssirl.com

Click on the image above for more info about advertising here.

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

• Database of up to 5000 subscribers.
• 4 serial ports on board.
• Up to 8 phone lines (DID or POTS).
• Can be configured for auto-failover to hot swap standby.
• 1RU rack mount unit appliance—no moving parts.
• Easily secure legacy system messages leaving site for HIPAA compliance.
• Only purchase the protocols/options you need.
• Add Paging Encryption for HIPAA compliance on site.

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.

11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
Ph: 678-242-5290 Email: sales@prism-ipx.com
prism-ipx.com

Specialists in sales and service of equipment from these leading manufacturers, as well as other two-way radio and paging products:

	Motorola SOLUTIONS
	Motorola MOBILITY

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.

• Option—decode capcode list or all messages.
• Large capcode capacity.
• Serial, USB and Ethernet output.
• POCSAG or FLEX page decoding, special SA protocols.
• Receivers for paging bands in VHF, UHF, 900 MHz.
• Message activated Alarm Output.
• 8 programmable relay outputs.
• Send notifications of a system problem.

• Synthesized Receiver Tuning.
• Selectivity better than 60 dB.
• Frequencies 148-174, 450-470, 929-932 MHz.
• Image Rejection better than 55 dB.
• Spurious Rejection better than 55 dB.
• Channel Spacing 12.5 or 25 kHz.
• Power 5VDC.
• Receiving Sensitivity 5µV at 1200 bps.

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.

11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
Ph: 678-242-5290 Email: sales@prism-ipx.com
prism-ipx.com

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

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.

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

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:

• RJ45 for A, B and Common connectors.
• Manual push button or use Prism IP commands to switch one or more relays.
• Single or Dual Port Control card for IP or Serial connection.
• Form C relay—control local connection.
• Power Loss Indicator.
• Rear Panel Connector for controlling the switch externally.
• Power Source: 5VDC for ABX-1; 12VDC for ABX-3.

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.

11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
Ph: 678-242-5290 Email: sales@prism-ipx.com
prism-ipx.com

Friday June 22, 2018	Volume 6 | Issue 122

Thune Eyes Quick Starks Committee Vote

Senate Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) is aiming for a committee vote next week on the nomination of Geoffrey Starks, a Democrat, as an FCC Commissioner. Thune penciled-in a vote on June 27, according to the committee; He then plans to send the nomination to the full Senate floor, paired with the nomination of GOP Commissioner Brendan Carr for a second term, reports Politico. Thune urged Starks to answer follow-up questions from committee members by COB Monday after his Wednesday nomination hearing, Inside Towers reported.

The Wireless Infrastructure Association urged swift Senate confirmation, stating that Starks’ testimony “showed him to be a knowledgeable nominee who understands the vital role wireless infrastructure will play in the deployment of 5G technology.” WIA also noted Starks emphasized the need for more spectrum and the need to have modern cell-siting procedures in place.

Carr was confirmed in August 2017 to fill former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s term, which expires at the end of this month. But Carr’s renomination to a full five-year term starting July 1 has been on hold after the Senate panel approved it in January.

American Tower Rescinds Amendment to Agreement Effective Immediately

By Jim Fryer, Managing Editor, Inside Towers

American Tower issued a statement today saying they have decided “effective immediately, not to go forward” with implementing the “First Amendment to Master Contractor Agreement.” The response was to the contractor program announced on May 31 that limited vendors to performing any services for other companies within a half mile radius of an American Tower property.

In a statement shared with Inside Towers, AMT said they support their customers' efforts to enable the next-generation of wireless technologies and are committed to working in partnership with their contractors to achieve this result.

The letter to vendors issued today (in its entirety):

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.

REMINDER: Form 481 Now Due July 16, but Certain Data Still Due July 2

On June 6, the FCC issued an Order granting, on its own motion, a limited waiver of the filing deadline for the annual FCC Form 481 until July 16. According to the Order, the FCC is currently seeking approval of the most recent modifications to this information collection, including the changes to section 54.313 and FCC Form 481, from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

However, this limited waiver does not extend to the requirement that all ILEC recipients of high-cost support report “all of their rates for residential local service for all portions of their service area … to the extent the sum of those rates and fees are below the rate floor… and the number of lines for each rate specified.” Affected ETCs filed such rates last year on the Rate Floor Form and should do so again by July 2, 2018.

BloostonLaw is experienced in preparing and filing Form 481, as well as meeting the FCC’s requirements to obtain confidentiality for the filings. Carriers interested in obtaining assistance should contact the firm.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer.

Headlines

FCC Issues Guidance on 2019 Lifeline Recertification

On June 19, the FCC issued a Public Notice providing guidance regarding the process for those eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) who wish to elect the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to perform Lifeline recertification for their subscribers in 2019. All ETCs interested in having USAC perform the recertification process on their behalf, including those that have previously elected to use USAC for recertification, must notify USAC by August 31, 2018. ETCs that do not make an election by August 31, 2018 will be responsible for conducting recertification of their subscribers, except for those subscribers where the National Verifier, a state Lifeline administrator, or another state agency is responsible for the annual recertification of Lifeline eligibility.

For the 2019 recertification process, ETCs will perform their elections via an online form. USAC will re-certify subscribers by mailing each subscriber a letter that provides the notice required by the FCC’s rules, informing the subscriber that the subscriber has 60 days to re-certify his or her continued eligibility to receive Lifeline service or the subscriber will be de-enrolled from the Lifeline program. The letter will also explain the recertification process and how the subscriber may confirm his or her eligibility. USAC will send reminders to consumers via robocall, e-mail or U.S. mail during the 60-day period to prompt a response. Any subscriber response submitted after the 60-day deadline will not be processed, and the subscriber will be considered ineligible for the program and will be de-enrolled.

USAC will use the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) to determine subscriber anniversary dates and retrieve the necessary subscriber information to facilitate the recertification process. USAC will begin recertification no earlier than 150 days before a subscriber’s anniversary date. Starting with the 2019 recertification period, USAC no longer will be manually processing, compiling, and sending results to ETCs. Instead, it will update NLAD with the results of the recertification, including all information required for ETCs to complete the FCC Form 555. USAC will automatically de-enroll from NLAD subscribers who do not re-certify within five business days after the end of the 60-day recertification window. Within that five-day window, USAC will provide notice to those subscribers, informing them that they have been de-enrolled from their Lifeline benefit due to a failure to re-certify their eligibility and steps that the consumer can take to re-enroll if they remain eligible.

Because the USAC recertification process will rely on the Lifeline Claims System and NLAD data to automate the recertification process, starting in 2019, USAC will not be performing recertification for subscribers in NLAD opt-out states. ETCs with subscribers in NLAD opt-out states should follow the recertification process, if any, for those states, or re-certify subscribers in accordance with Commission rules and prior FCC guidance.

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

FCC Votes to Approve Rural Health Care Funding Increase

On June 14, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced that that Commissioners Carr and O’Rielly have voted in favor of his proposal to increase funding for the Universal Service Fund’s Rural Health Care Program by $171 million a year.

As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, Chairman Ajit Pai circulated a draft order that would take immediate action to increase funding for the Universal Service Fund’s Rural Health Care Program. Specifically, Chairman Pai’s proposal would increase the program’s current annual funding cap from $400 million to $571 million. This increase represents what the funding level would be today had the cap established in 1997 included an inflation adjustment. The order would apply the increased cap to the current funding year. The order would also allow unused funds from prior years to be carried forward to future years.

“Telemedicine is vital in many communities that may not otherwise have access to high-quality health care, and the Federal Communications Commission has an important role in promoting it. I want to thank Commissioners O’Rielly and Carr for their support as the FCC takes the critical step of updating its Rural Health Care Program. It will help rural health care providers deliver critical telemedicine services to Americans across the country,” said Chairman Pai. “I’m also pleased to see such strong bipartisan backing for my proposal in Congress and among the health care community.”

“Too many Americans living in our country’s rural communities are at risk of falling behind when it comes to high-quality, affordable healthcare. It often is difficult to find specialists in many rural communities and even basic care can be out of reach, as we see rural hospitals closing by the dozen. The FCC’s Rural Health Care Program can help make a difference,” said Commissioner Carr.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Cary Mitchell and John Prendergast.

Law & Regulation

Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing for FCC Nominee Starks

On June 20, the U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, convened a hearing to consider Mr. Geoffrey Adam Starks, of Kansas, to be a Member of the FCC. Mr. Starks currently serves as assistant bureau chief of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau where he is responsible for enforcing the Commission’s rules, orders, licensing terms, and conditions. Prior to his tenure at the FCC, he worked for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General from 2013 to 2015 where he provided advice to the Deputy Attorney General on domestic and international law enforcement.

In a statement, Chairman Thune said:

Since Chairman Pai has become the chairman of the FCC, he has made a number of important reforms to improve the agency’s processes and transparency, including publicly releasing text of all agenda items in advance of Commission meetings and instituting a process of sharing documents with other commissioners before discussing them publicly. It is my hope that this spirit of openness, transparency, and collaboration at the FCC is continued, and it is my hope that Mr. Starks will embrace this approach if confirmed.

Completed nomination questionnaires are available at www.commerce.senate.gov/nominations.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Cary Mitchell and John Prendergast.

TRS Consumer Complaint Summaries Due July 2

On June 15, the FCC issued a Public Notice reminding states and providers of interstate telecommunications relay services (TRS) that they must submit their annual consumer complaint log summaries covering the 12-month period from June 1, 2017 through May 31, 2018, on or before Monday, July 2, 2018. The FCC requires state TRS programs and interstate TRS providers to collect and maintain a log of consumer complaints that allege violations of the federal TRS mandatory minimum standards. State TRS programs are required to log all complaints made to the state agency, as well as those made to the state’s TRS provider. Both state and interstate TRS providers must file summaries of their respective complaint logs with the FCC annually.

Complaint log summaries pertain to complaints received from June 1, 2017, through May 31, 2018, and include at a minimum, the total number of interstate relay calls by type of TRS (i.e., traditional TRS, speech-to-speech (STS), captioned telephone service (CTS), Internet protocol (IP) CTS, IP relay service (IP Relay), and video relay service (VRS)), the number of complaints alleging a violation of the federal TRS mandatory minimum standards, the date of the complaint, the nature of the complaint, the date of its resolution, and an explanation of the resolution.

The FCC also reminds certified state TRS programs, interstate TRS providers, and TRS providers that have state contracts that they must submit to the FCC the name of a contact person or office, or both, for the receipt of inquiries and complaints from consumers about the certified state TRS program’s intrastate service or, as appropriate, about the TRS provider’s service. The submission must include, at a minimum, the name and address of the state or TRS office that receives complaints, grievances, inquiries and suggestions; the voice, TTY, fax number, e-mail address, and web address for that office; and the physical address to which correspondence should be sent.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy.

Industry

NLAD Now Available in Six New States

On June 18, the FCC issued a Public Notice that the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier database (National Verifier) is now operational in Colorado, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. As of June 18, 2018, ETCs in these six states can begin using the National Verifier to verify the eligibility of consumers applying for Lifeline service. The National Verifier’s launch today is a soft launch, which means that ETCs may begin using the National Verifier for eligibility determinations but may also continue to use existing eligibility determination processes. The FCC established the National Verifier in the 2016 Lifeline Order to make eligibility determinations and perform a variety of other functions necessary to enroll subscribers into the Lifeline program. The National Verifier has been designed to verify Lifeline subscriber eligibility, conduct checks to prevent duplicate benefits, re-certify subscriber eligibility, and calculate support payments to eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs).

Sprint and T-Mobile Submit Public Interest Statements to FCC

On June 18, T-Mobile US, Inc. and Sprint Corporation filed their Public Interest Statement in their bid to seek consent from the FCC to transfer control of the FCC authorizations, radio licenses, and spectrum leases held by Sprint’s subsidiaries from Sprint to T-Mobile. According to the filing, T-Mobile will invest nearly $40 billion to combine the complementary spectrum, sites, and assets of T-Mobile and Sprint to deliver nationwide 5G, anticipating that by 2024, network will have approximately double the total capacity and triple the total 5G capacity of T-Mobile and Sprint combined, with 5G speeds four to six times what they could achieve on their own. Rural areas are told they can expect enhanced customer service through 600 or more new stores and up to five call centers located to serve rural areas and small towns. A copy of the 678 page filing can be found here.

Deadlines

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 16: 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 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-Glance

June
Jun. 21 – Deadline to elect revised model-based support.
Jun. 25 – Reply comments are due on RoR Reform FNPRM.
Jun. 25 – Petitions to suspend 15-Day Tariff Filings are due.
Jun. 26 – 7-Day Tariff fillings are due.
Jun. 27 – Petitions to suspend 7-Day Tariff Filings are due.
Jun. 28 – Replies to Petitions to suspend 15-Day Tariff Filings are due.
Jun. 29 – Replies to Petitions to suspend 7-Day Tariff Filings are due.

July Jul. 2 – FCC Form 481 Data for Lines Below Rate Floor is due.
Jul. 2 – FCC Form 690 (Mobility Fund Phase I Auction Winner Annual Report) is due.
Jul. 2 – Reply Comments are due on USF Equipment Spending Safeguards.
Jul. 2 – Reply comments are due on A-CAM BDS Migration NPRM.
Jul. 3 – 15-Day and 7-Day Tariff Filings effective.
Jul. 3 – Reply comments are due on Over-the-Top VoIP Compensation Petition.
Jul. 5 – Reply comments are due on Status of Gov’t Relocation from AWS Bands.
Jul. 6 – Comments are due on Expansion of 4.9GHz Band Use NPRM.
Jul. 9 – Reply comments are due on Robocall Database FNPRM.
Jul. 16 – FCC Form 481 (Carrier Annual Reporting Data Collection Form) is due.
Jul. 31 – FCC Form 507 (Universal Service Quarterly Line Count Update) is due.
Jul. 31 – Carrier Identification Code (CIC) Report is due.

August
Aug. 6 – Reply comments are due on Expansion of 4.9GHz Band Use NPRM.
Aug. 6 – Comments or oppositions due on USTelecom Petition for Forbearance.

September
Sep. 5 – Replies are due on USTelecom Petition for Forbearance.

Experiments Look to Leverage Low-Latency HF to Shave Microseconds off Trade Times

06/20/2018

Experimental operations now under way on HF appear aimed at leveraging low-latency HF propagation to shave microseconds from futures market trades and gain a competitive edge in a field where millionths of a second can mean winning or losing. Bloomberg on June 18 reported on a secretive antenna facility near Maple Park, in Kane County, Illinois, and speculated that futures traders might be looking to take advantage of lower-latency HF propagation over state-of-the-art microwave links and undersea cables, where even the slightest path delay could compromise a transaction. The facility is not far from a major futures data center. As the Bloomberg article explained, “Rapidly sending data from there to other important market centers can help the speediest traders profit from price differences for related assets. Those money-making opportunities often last only tiny fractions of a second.”

Radio amateur Bob Van Valzah, KE9YQ, said in a May blog post that he recently stumbled onto the first evidence of HF radio futures trading at a site in West Chicago, Illinois. There, he spotted HF log-period dipole arrays on a pole, and a microwave dish he determined was aimed at a Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) data center. Additional research led him to the antenna facility in Maple Park, Illinois, which also sported a microwave dish that appeared aimed in the direction of the CME data center. Two approximately 170-foot towers on the site support a directional wire array for HF. Van Valzah is a performance engineer on leave from the high-frequency — no pun intended — trading field.

Bloomberg said the company behind the Kane County project is New Line Networks, LLC, a joint venture of Chicago-based Jump Trading, LLC, and New York-based Virtu Financial, Inc. While no FCC Part 5 Experimental license appears to have been assigned to New Line Networks, WH2XVO is assigned to partner Virtu Financial, which assumed the license from Services Development Company LLC.

Sites listed on the license are Aurora and Chicago, Illinois, in addition to Homer, Alaska, and Secaucus, New Jersey — home to several financial firms and right across the Hudson River from many more in New York City. Part 5 Experimental license WI2XAJ has been assigned to Toggle Communications, which is using the West Chicago site and appears to be experimenting with a similar system from other sites. Other entities may also be conducting similar experiments.

The Experimental licensed systems use a variety of frequency shift-keying modes, including FSK, AFSK, QPSK, and 8-PSK, on frequencies ranging from about 6 MHz to 24 MHz and power levels from 20 kW ERP to nearly 50 kW ERP, depending on the Experimental license in question. Van Valzah pointed out in his blog post that, while HF is low bandwidth, unreliable, and expensive, “you can’t beat it for latency.”

Speculation is that the systems are taking advantage of software-defined radio (SDR) techniques and technology. Transmitter equipment information on the Experimental license application for WH2XVO was redacted from the public filing.

ARRL reached out to the point of contact listed on the WH2XVO application but has not heard back. — Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio News for some information.

Poverty

“Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.”

—Mother Teresa

“Natural Mystic – Just a Little Bit”