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Burch Falkner Passes Away

“Burch H. Falkner, age 83 of Pinson, AL, passed away on July 4, 2019. He is preceded in death by his parents, Burch and Florence Falkner; son, Joel Falkner. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne J. Falkner; daughters, Sandi Freeman (Mark), Kay Gilliland, Jill Falkner, and daughter by love, Candice Staggs; grandchildren, Michael Neal, Ashley Neal, Jenna Neal, Bradley Gilliland, Candace Paige Wyatt; great-grandchildren, Mara, Cam, Tanner, Camden, and Makenzie. Funeral service will be held Monday July 8th, 2019 at 12 pm at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home in Trussville, Al. Visitation will be held one hour prior. Officiating, Phil Rich. Published in The Birmingham News on July 7, 2019” [source]

Burch was a frequent content-contributor to this newsletter as well as an advertiser. He was highly respected by friends and colleagues in the paging and two-way radio industries. My condolences to his many friends and especially to his family. This is a great loss.

Here is a clip from one of his web sites, written by an employee:

We have been involved with electronics since our founder was chosen by the US Army to serve in the Korean War. They did a good job on him taught him electronics, let him fight the Korean war in Berlin and provided him with skills that were of no apparent value in the civilian world. When he returned to the USA, he did what any other red-blooded public service oriented unemployed young man would do. He became a fireman with the City of Birmingham Fire Department, at Station 1 no less!

While he was employed as a fireman, he also got involved in Broadcasting (known locally as Dr. Bop or Hopalong Harvey depending on the station and audience). He also became a technical writer. He actually wrote the refueling manual for the Redstone rocket (claims he never did understand how it worked). From this odd combination of talents military (actually the US Army Security Agency), communications, media, and writing, came the individual known as our founder, namely Burch Falkner. Just to balance things out, he went to a couple of colleges including the University of Maryland and Samford University (among others), where he almost got a degree in Industrial Management (whatever that is). Now our multi talented founder had managerial skill in addition to his creative side.

Over the years, Burch worked for a lot of people including General Electric, Boeing, Sylvania and others, more or less using his skills in an entrepreneurial manner. Finally, in 1981, he decided to go it on his own. His first company, known as Nu-Way Marketing shifted from an emphasis in working with broadcasters to public safety. The company name was changed to Falcon Direct, one of the first direct sellers of communications in the USA. [source]

We need your help. This is the only remaining news source dedicated to information about Paging and Wireless Messaging.

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NO POLITICS HERE

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.

We are having a cold spell in Southern, Illinois

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.

TIME TO HUDDLE UP

Let's get together and share ideas. Our competitors are not other paging companies, they are other technologies.

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.

Service Monitors and Frequency Standards for Sale

Motorola Service Monitor

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Efratom Rubidium Standard

(Images are typical units, not actual photos of items offered for sale here.)

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Advertiser Index

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

		Motorola SOLUTIONS
	WE ARE STILL STOCKING AND SELLING THE UNICATION ELEGANT PAGERS Contact us for price and availability please

Passive Audio Amps For Smart Phones

If you see a horn that catches your fancy let me know and I will build an amp for you.

By Brad Dye Click here to enlarge the above image.

Pricing

Small Brass Horn	Hardwood base.	$199
Medium Brass Horn	Hardwood base.	$249
Large Brass Horn	Hardwood base.	$299
Gramophone	Under construction — fancy walnut base — gunstock quality — with several coats of semi-gloss polyurethane finish.	$599
Polished Cow Horn	Design not yet finalized.	$149
Horn of Plenty (Cornucopia)	Popular model, temporarily out of stock.	$399
Trombone Player	This has a large wooden base covered with beautiful African Zebrawood wood veneer and filled with 25 lbs of lead shot for stability and vibration damping. With several coats of semi-gloss polyurethane finish.	$599
Prices do not include the actual cost of shipping.

For questions or to order, click here .

Lauttamus Communications, Inc. Acquires Tri-City Communications

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

US based critical communications supplier & paging operator Lauttamus announced that it has Tri-City Communications, Inc., a leading provider of two-way land mobile radios, mobile video systems, wide area network coverage and electronic solutions.

Based in Barberton, OH, near Akron, Tri-City provides emergency services products to mission critical customers including Radio Communications, Custom Engineering and Professional Services and has been in operation nearly 50 years.

“I am pleased to be able to sell my business to a top-notch company like Lauttamus, and I also wanted to sell to a company that I knew would take care of our customers”, said Ann Sutton of Tri-City Communications.

“The acquisition of successful regional companies like Tri-City helps us to continue our expansion in key growth markets. With this acquisition Lauttamus will now provide services to customers in 32 states,” said Paul Lauttamus, President, Lauttamus Communications. “Gary Sutton grew this business by focusing on customer service and customized electronic solutions. The Tri-City team is a welcome addition to the Lauttamus family of companies and brings us outstanding communications and security expertise, in addition to expanded resources.”

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.

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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.

• We treat our customers like family. We don’t just fix problems . . . We recommend and implement better cost-effective solutions.
• We are not just another vendor . . . We are a part of your team. All the advantages of high priced full-time employment without the cost.
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Experts in Paging Infrastructure

• Glenayre, Motorola, Unipage, etc.
• Excellent Service Contracts
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• Making systems More Reliable and MORE PROFITABLE for over 30 years.

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.

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.

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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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Northern Beaches Hospital [Australia] report reveals 'inadequate' planning and 'significant risk'

By Sarah Gerathy
Updated Tue at 3:04am

PHOTO: Sydney's Northern Beaches Hospital has been under the microscope since it opened last year . (ABC News)

A damning government report has outlined "inadequate" planning and preparation for last year's opening of the $600 million Northern Beaches Hospital. The report, which was made public seven months after investigators first visited the facility, catalogues a series of fundamental flaws in the hospital's first weeks of operation, such as:

• Staff shortages on medical and surgical wards after hours
• A lack of senior supervisors
• An unreliable paging system
• Delays in delivering abnormal test results, increasing the chances results will be missed
• Poor handover processes creating clinical uncertainty among junior doctors

The report, written in December 2018 by the Health and Education Training Institute (HETI), accredits hospitals to enable the institution to supervise and train junior doctors.

Issues at the hospital received widespread media attention in the weeks after its opening, but the NSW Government dismissed them as "teething problems."

Last month, a cancer patient had the wrong side of his bowel removed at the hospital.

The director of nursing Moran Wasson also resigned in June, while chief executive Deborah Latta resigned two days after the hospital opened.

PHOTO: The hospital says it has boosted support and training for junior doctors . (ABC News: Nicole Chettle)

The report's author, Dr Martin Mackertich, said over-worked and stressed junior doctors were holding the hospital together.

"The current situation is unsustainable," Dr Mackertich wrote.

"[It's] only working because of the significant commitment of JMOs (junior medical officers) to continue providing a service under adverse conditions.

"Morale amongst JMOs is low, and quick clear progress on issues will need to be demonstrated and maintained to regain their trust in the organisation."

A second report written following a site visit in January said the hospital had made improvements to address some concerns, such as purchasing a new paging system, improving staffing levels and the introduction of better handover protocols.

However the report noted there was still a "less than ideal reliance on locum [stand in or temporary] staff" after hours and there was "further work required" to improve some operational issues.

The report also expressed concern that a new cohort of inexperienced doctors, due to start this year, could pose a "significant risk" because trainees with "corporate memory" would have moved on.

The hospital's operator HealthScope said in a statement that it has boosted training and support for junior doctors and increased staff levels over the past six months.

"NBH [Northern Beaches Hospital] secured Provisional Accreditation from HETI prior to the hospital's opening. This accreditation has been maintained since," NBH interim medical director Simon Woods said.

"We are continuing to work towards the next milestone of securing full accreditation in September."

It had also created the position of deputy director of medical services, increased the number of junior medical doctors and restructured the medical units to better match the workload, the statement said.

The release of the two reports today comes after the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation spent months attempting — and failing — to obtain the reports under freedom of information laws.

A parliamentary inquiry which will examine the privately operated hospital's procedures is expected to hear evidence from hospital executives, health bureaucrats and whistle-blowers.

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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  

HARDWARE

Why the Hospital Pager Withstood the Test of Time

As consumers have shifted away from pagers, use of these devices has persisted in hospitals.

by Jen A. Miler
June 21, 2019

Pagers, at one time both a symbol of status and an annoying distraction, have become passé. In a world with smartphones, virtually no one needs a device with limited communication functionality — except in healthcare.

Nearly 80 percent of hospitals still use pagers, according to a recent study in the Journal of Hospital Medicine. Maybe that’s apt, as pagers first found their footing in hospitals, beginning in New York City in 1950, when they cost about $120 per month in today’s dollars. Healthcare organizations needed to make doctors more reachable for their patients, and they still do.

Even as consumers shifted away from pagers to two-way texting devices, then to cellphones, then to smartphones, pagers have persisted in hospitals.

What Is a Hospital Pager?

The first one-way radio communication system was deployed by the Detroit Police Department in 1928. The first telephone pager was patented in 1949 by Al Gross, and used in New York’s Jewish Hospital in 1950.

The devices were described as part of a “radio paging service,” according to a 1951 issue of Popular Science. “A supplement to the telephone-answering services many doctors use, it can tell a physician anywhere in the city that an important message is awaiting him,” according to C. Ennis, writing for Popular Science .

A pager then looked like a remote control with an antenna. It weighed six ounces, had a 25-mile range and a battery that lasted six months.

Motorola came up with the name “pager” in 1959, and ran away with pager technology by introducing the first tone-only pager in 1964 , called the Pageboy. Doctors would hear the tone (or beep, hence the nickname “beeper”) and call the hospital operator for a message.

Tone and voice pagers came along in the 1970s and could not only alert a doctor that he or she was needed, but also explain why. Alphanumeric displays followed in the 1980s. Worldwide use climbed from 3.2 million pagers in 1980 to 61 million in 1994.

Why Do Hospitals Still Use Pagers?

In the Journal of Hospital Medicine study, 49 percent of respondents said they receive patient care–related messages most commonly by pager. A study in the journal BMJ Quality and Safety also found that paging rate and volume have not decreased in 25 years despite the introduction and use of new technology.

Pagers continue to live in hospitals in part because they work where cellphones won’t. Hospitals have cellular and Wi-Fi dead zones, particularly in spots where walls have been built to stop X-ray exposure. Pagers get the same kind of range as an FM radio station, and signals go to multiple satellites instead of just one, as cellphones do.

“This redundancy increases the reliability of the message getting through, because if one tower is down, the others are usually working,” Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider, internist at Sutter Health’s California Pacific Medical Center, tells MSN . She also adds that pagers have a long battery life, which means they need to be charged only every week or two, compared with smartphones, which must be charged at least daily.

Pagers also work when cellular networks are down or turned off, as happened during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

There’s a patient security angle too: Encrypted pagers are seen as being less hackable than smartphones, while also being HIPAA-compliant. “They send only numeric messages or basic text messages,” pediatrician Dr. Jarret Patton, founder of the coaching and consulting firm Doctor Jarret, tells MSN . “This way, no confidential information can get in the wrong hands, as could happen with a cellphone.”

Fast, Cheap, and Deeply Entwined in Legacy Systems

This doesn’t mean doctors love them. “I still remember the excitement and anticipation of receiving my first pager as a medical student. It meant the years spent hunched over a textbook were over; I was entering the fray of patient care,” Dr. Allison Bond writes in Slate . “That feeling quickly turned to irritation as I became painfully aware of pagers’ shortcomings,” which include their “rude, sudden blare, with a knack for jolting me awake on call just as I drift into a shallow, anxiety-ridden sleep.”

But pagers are still in use because they’re low maintenance, rarely need to be charged (and thus continue working during power outages) and can send group messages almost instantaneously (enabling healthcare providers to quickly notify a medical team of an emergency).

Other technologies that offer more flexibility and valuable capabilities may ultimately replace pagers on the medical landscape, but for now, pagers are still a part of the scene.

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-fail-over 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 e-mail: sales@prism-ipx.com
prism-ipx.com

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 e-mail: 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

New Spok Survey Reveals Most Clinicians Believe Technology and Workload are the Top Contributors to Clinician Burnout

The No. 1 obstacle to seeking help for symptoms of burnout is lack of institutional attention and resources

Spok clinician burnout survey results at-a-glance (Graphic: Spok)

July 10, 2019 09:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

SPRINGFIELD, Va.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK) and a global leader in healthcare communications, announced new findings regarding clinician burnout. More than 470 clinical staff at U.S. hospitals and health systems responded to the Spok-administered survey, which measures clinician perception of burnout. The survey also sought to identify if organizations are implementing solutions proposed in the 2019 paper: A Crisis in Healthcare: A Call to Action on Physician Burnout. Key findings confirm that clinicians think burnout is a “public health crisis,” yet many report their organizations are not implementing recommended strategies to address it.

When asked whether increased or ineffective technology contributes to the risk of clinician burnout, the vast majority (90% of all respondents) strongly or moderately agreed. And 89% of respondents said burdensome or increased workload (not related to direct patient care) is the biggest factor that contributes to this risk.

Despite these concerns, when asked what prevents clinicians from seeking help for potential symptoms of burnout, the No. 1 obstacle cited by respondents (65%) was that their organization lacks institutional attention and resources. When asked how often their organization leaders discuss burnout, 47% said rarely or never.

“Clinician burnout is a complicated issue. The phrase is often used to capture associated symptoms like occupational stress, depression, moral injury, and many other terms,” explains Teresa Niblett, RN-BC, director of clinical informatics at Peninsula Regional Medical Center and member of the Spok nursing advisory council. “The pursuit of the triple aim—improving care experiences, bettering the health of populations, and reducing the costs of healthcare—results in many variables that increase pressures on healthcare workers. I am not surprised 92% of clinicians in this survey called burnout a public health crisis. It validates expanding the triple aim to a quadruple aim by adding the goal to reduce clinician burden.”

The Crisis in Healthcare paper, published by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Harvard Global Health Institute, the Massachusetts Medical Society, and the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, suggests three solutions to reduce the risk of clinical burnout: support proactive mental health treatment and support, improve EHR usability, and appoint an executive-level chief wellness officer.

Approximately 40% of the respondents indicated that none of these strategies are being implemented at their organizations. Only 30% of respondents said their organizations are improving EHR usability, 20% reported mental health treatment or support is available, and 13% have a chief wellness officer or equivalent. The survey asked the clinicians if the suggested solutions could help address the risk of burnout in their own organizations. A resounding 95% believe improving EHR usability will be at least somewhat helpful.

“The insights from this survey reinforce the complexity of addressing clinician burnout,” said Vincent D. Kelly, president and chief executive officer of Spok Holdings, Inc. “There is not one easy or clear path for healthcare leaders to turn the tide on this pressing issue. Our commitment at Spok is to continue to be a partner with healthcare organizations to ease their communication challenges in an increasingly fast-paced care environment so they can focus more where they want: on providing patient care.”

The full results of the survey can be found at www.Spok.com/clinicianburnout .

Becker’s Hospital Review will be hosting a webinar on the survey results on Aug. 8, 2019 at 12 p.m. CDT. Registration is now open .

About Spok
Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK), headquartered in Springfield, Virginia, is proud to be a global leader in healthcare communications. We deliver clinical information to care teams when and where it matters most to improve patient outcomes. Top hospitals rely on the Spok Care Connect^® platform to enhance workflows for clinicians, support administrative compliance, and provide a better experience for patients. Our customers send over 100 million messages each month through their Spok^® solutions. Spok is making care collaboration easier. For more information, visit spok.com or follow @spoktweets on Twitter.

Spok is a trademark of Spok Holdings, Inc. Spok Care Connect is a trademark of Spok, Inc.

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 e-mail: sales@prism-ipx.com
prism-ipx.com

FCC’s Pai and Rosenworcel Quarrel Over 5G Auction Rules

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The FCC established procedures Wednesday for the third auction of high-band, flexible-use licenses suitable for 5G. This auction of upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz spectrum bands will be the largest spectrum auction so far, offering licenses covering up to 3,400 megahertz.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel sparred during the vote, with Rosenworcel partially dissenting from her colleagues. Rosenworcel said 16 countries have auctioned spectrum for 5G services and made mid-band spectrum their priority. She ticked off a list that included Japan, Germany, South Korea, the UK and the United Arab Emirates, among others. “But in the United States, we have yet to auction a single swath of mid-band spectrum,” said Rosenworcel.

Rosenworcel cautioned: “It’s increasingly apparent that the United States is alone in its mission to make millimeter wave spectrum the core of its domestic 5G approach, and if we continue on this path, prioritizing high band airwaves, we are going to have a serious problem. We will find ourselves on the sidelines, as mid-band spectrum becomes the core of worldwide 5G service. That means less scale, higher costs, interoperability challenges, and less security as other nation's technologies proliferate.”

Recent 5G launches here at home confirm that commercializing millimeter wave won’t be easy, given its propagation challenges, she asserted, adding that the network densification needed in these bands is costly. Charging that the U.S. has “ceded international leadership for 5G,” Rosenworcel said the Defense Innovation Board, the U.S. military’s premier advisory group, warned America should be concerned, because the country that leads in 5G “is not likely to be the United States.”

“That does not sound good. Our back of the pack approach to mid-band spectrum is leading us down the wrong road in the race to 5G,” she said. Rosenworcel urged her colleagues to “flip its priorities.”

Pai pointedly said it’s both, “ironic and amusing that some continue to claim that we are doing too little to free up mid-band spectrum but then oppose every single initiative we’ve undertaken to do just that. You can’t demand action on mid band spectrum and oppose rules that make it possible to deploy 5G in the 3.5 GHz band. You can’t demand action on mid-band spectrum and then take the position we must wait for Congress to act before we move forward on the mid-band.”

Pai continued: “You can’t demand action next year on mid-band spectrum and vote against an auction next year that would make 2.5 GHz spectrum available for commercial use. Rather, you can you do all those things, but the inescapable inference is your real commitment is to political gamesmanship and not progress on mid-band spectrum. Fortunately, this agency is focused on the prize, not on politics.”

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Pai agreed mid-band spectrum is vital because it offers important coverage and capacity. The vote to free-up the 2.5GHz band, “is a significant step to unleash mid-band spectrum for 5G wireless services. Not only are these airwaves well-suited to transmit signals further with fewer antennas, the 2.5 Hz band is the largest band of contiguous spectrum below three gigahertz in the United States.”

The Wireless Infrastructure Association is glad the FCC is moving forward with the December 5G spectrum auction. “This step is just what the United States needs to lead the world in 5G,” said WIA President/CEO Jonathan Adelstein. “These bands are vital for intensive data uses, which will put the U.S. another step closer to winning the global race to 5G.”

CTIA SVP Regulatory Affairs Scott Bergmann called the auction, “a critical opportunity for the deployment of next-generation networks, representing the largest amount of contiguous spectrum available in the millimeter-wave bands. Combined with the additional mid-band spectrum the FCC is reviewing, this action will help meet the growing demands of today’s wireless users and ensure the U.S. continues to lead in 5G.”

Selected portions [sometimes more — sometimes less — sometimes the whole updates] 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: ACAM-II Offer Acceptance Due July 17

As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the FCC extended the deadline to accept ACAM-II offers to July 17. If a carrier fails to submit any final election letter by the July 17 deadline, it will be deemed to have declined the A-CAM II offer and will continue to receive current support amounts and be subject to Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support deployment obligations. The FCC has indicated that carriers submitting election letters will receive an e-mail confirming that their letters have been received and reviewed for completeness; carriers that do not receive confirmation should contact the firm as soon as possible. Also, carriers that would like assistance with preparation of the election letter can contact us.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Sal Taillefer.

Headlines

Comments on A-CAM Location Discrepancy Resolution Due July 19

On July 5, the FCC published in the Federal Register its Public Notice seeking comment on approaches to identify and resolve apparent discrepancies between the number of model-determined funded locations that ACAM I and II support recipients are expected to serve (funded locations) and the actual number of locations that support recipients can serve (actual locations). Comments are due July 19.

In the Public Notice, the FCC proposes to use the same location adjustment procedure it proposed to use for the Connect America Phase II auction support recipients in September of 2018. Specifically, Phase II auction support recipients seeking to reduce their defined deployment obligation had to submit location data (including address and geocoded data) for every actual location within the areas won in the state, and additional evidence demonstrating that no further locations could be found. Relevant stakeholders would then have the opportunity to challenge the accuracy and completeness of such evidence and to provide their own evidence of actual locations. To the extent commenters believe this proposal is inappropriate, the FCC seeks comment on how to modify it to fit A-CAM recipients.

Carriers interested in submitting comments on addressing location discrepancy resolution should contact the firm promptly.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Mary Sisak, and Sal Taillefer.

Comment Deadline on USF Budget Cap Extended to July 29

On July 5, the FCC adopted an Order extending the deadline for comments and reply comments on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on establishing a cap on the Universal Service Fund (USF). The deadline for filing comments is extended to July 29, and the deadline for filing reply comments is extended to August 26.

As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the NPRM was released on May 31, and a summary was published in the Federal Register on June 13. Accordingly, the filing dates were initially established as July 15 for comments and August 12 for reply comments. The Education and Library Networks Coalition (EdLiNC) and a stakeholder group comprised of the School, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition and the National Consumer Law Center, and thirty-five organizations representing an array of public interest, civil rights, consumer, education, libraries, and healthcare interests each submitted filings seeking an extension of time for the comment cycle. The parties specifically requested that the comment and reply comment deadlines be extended until September 30 and October 30, respectively, but the FCC found that the parties’ reasoning did not support such a lengthy extension. Nevertheless, the FCC provided an additional 14 days.

Comment is broadly sought on establishing an annual combined USF cap and how to adjust it over time. The FCC also seeks comment on how an overall cap could be successfully implemented, and on how to reduce expenditures if USAC projects the cap will be exceeded. To that end, potential metrics of prioritization proposed by the FCC included rurality of recipient. Finally, the FCC seeks comment on how it can make changes to individual USF programs to better manage the overall budget, such as implementing self-enforcing caps on each program, or combining the E-Rate and Rural Healthcare caps.

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

Bidding Concludes on FM Translator Construction Permit

Auction On July 1, bidding concluded in the Commission’s second auction of cross-service FM translator construction permits, which was designated Auction 100. Auction 100 raised in net bids a total of $436,500, with 11 bidders winning a total of 11 construction permits. The release of the FCC’s Public Notice establishes several key deadlines for auction winners:

• Down payments of 20% of the aggregate net amount of winning bids are due by 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on July 18;
• The balance of the net amount of winning bids must be received in the Commission’s account at the U.S. Treasury before 6:00 p.m. ET on August 1, to avoid a late fee or default. A late payment after this deadline must be made before 6:00 p.m. ET on August 15, along with a 5% late fee;
• A properly completed long-form application (FCC Form 349, Application for Authority to Construct or Make Changes in an FM Translator or FM Booster Station), including all required exhibits, must be submitted prior to midnight ET on August 2;
• All are prohibited from cooperating or collaborating with respect to, communicating with or disclosing, to each other in any manner the substance of their own, or each other’s, or any other applicant’s bids or bidding strategies (including post-auction market structure), or discussing or negotiating settlement agreements, until after the down payment deadline (6:00 p.m. ET on July 18).

Winning bidders that default or are disqualified after the close of the auction (i.e., failing to remit the required down payment by the specified deadline, failing to submit a timely long-form application, failing to make full payment of the balance of its winning bid(s) by the specified deadline, or is otherwise disqualified for any reason) will be subject to the payment obligations, including both a deficiency payment and an additional payment amounts.

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Sal Taillefer.

Law & Regulation

FCC to Consider Text Spoofing Rules at August Open Meeting

On July 8, FCC Chairman Pai announced that he has circulated for consideration by the full Commission an item banning malicious caller ID spoofing of text messages and international calls. A draft of the item is expected to be released on July 11, and it will be considered at the August 1 Open Meeting.

According to a Press Release, the proposed text spoofing rules would implement the provisions of RAY BAUM’S Act that extend the existing prohibition on transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller ID information (“spoofing”) with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongly obtain anything of value (part of the Truth in Caller ID Act) to include text messages and international calls. The FCC reportedly received more than 35,000 complaints about caller ID spoofing in the first six months of 2019 alone.

“Scammers often robocall us from overseas, and when they do, they typically spoof their numbers to try and trick consumers,” said Chairman Pai. “Call center fraudsters often pretend to be calling from trusted organizations and use pressure tactics to steal from Americans. We must attack this problem with every tool we have. With these new rules, we’ll close the loopholes that hamstring law enforcement when they try to pursue international scammers and scammers using text messaging.”

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Mary Sisak, and Sal Taillefer.

Chairman Pai Announces MLTS Location Order

On July 9, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the full Commission will vote at its August meeting on rules to help ensure that people who call 911 from multi-line telephone system can reach 911 and be quickly located by first responders. The Chairman stated that these draft rules would implement two recently enacted laws to improve emergency calling, the Kari’s Law Act of 2017 and RAY BAUM’S Act of 2018, and extend 911 location requirements to additional calling platforms.

According to a Press Release, the new rules would provide clarity and specificity to these statutory requirements so that companies can effectively meet their obligations under Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’s Act. The new rules would also establish dispatchable location requirements for 911 calls from multi-line telephone systems, fixed telephone service, interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, and Telecommunications Relay Service.

We have reported on Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’s Act in previous editions of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update. Kari’s Law requires multi-line telephone systems to enable users to dial 911 directly, without having to dial a prefix (such as a “9”) to reach an outside line. It also requires multi-line telephone systems to provide notification, such as to a front desk or security office, when a 911 call is made in order to facilitate building entry by first responders. Section 506 of RAY BAUM’S Act requires the Commission to consider adopting rules to ensure that “dispatchable location” information (that is, the caller’s street address and other specifics, such as floor level or suite number) is conveyed with 911 calls, regardless of the technological platform used, so that first responders can be quickly dispatched to the caller’s location.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Mary Sisak, and Sal Taillefer.

Industry

FCC Announces Agenda for SHAKEN/STIR Summit

As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will convene a summit focused on the industry’s implementation of SHAKEN/STIR, a caller ID authentication framework to combat illegal robocalls and caller ID spoofing, on Thursday, July 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The tentative agenda for the SHAKEN/STIR Robocall Summit is outlined below:

9:35 am: Progress Made by Major Voice Service Providers in Deploying SHAKEN/STIR. Discussion topics will include the progress made by major voice service providers toward deploying the SHAKEN/STIR framework by the end of this year and the lessons they have learned from deploying call authentication technology in their own networks and from testing inter-provider call signing.

Panelists: Alexander Eatedali, Director of Engineering, Core Network and Voice, Vonage; Kathleen Foster, Core Networks Engineering Director, T-Mobile; Jeff Haltom, Senior Manager Verizon Headquarters Planning, Verizon; Scott Mullen, Chief Technology Officer, Bandwidth; Linda Vandeloop, Assistant Vice President External Affairs/Regulatory, AT&T and Chair, Secure Telephone Identity Governance Authority Board; and Chris Wendt, Director of Technical Research & Development for IP Communications, Comcast.

11:00 am: Using SHAKEN/STIR to Improve the Consumer Experience. Discussion topics will include the use of caller ID authentication to reduce spoofed robocalls and improve the consumer experience, with a focus on the role of SHAKEN/STIR in call analytics and how SHAKEN/STIR will impact what consumers see on their phones.

Panelists: Scott Hambuchen, Chief Information Officer, First Orion; Lavinia Kennedy, Director, Product Management, Transaction Network Services; Hala Mowafy, Senior Business Consultant, Ericsson; Jonathan Nelson, Director, Product Management, Hiya; Kathy Stokes, Director, Fraud Prevention Programs, AARP; Clark Whitten, Principal Engineer, Cox.

12:15 pm: Remarks by Ajit Pai, Chairman, FCC

1:30 pm: Progress and Next Steps in SHAKEN/STIR Governance, presented by Brent Struthers, Director, Secure Telephone Identity Governance Authority.

1:45 pm: Challenges to Deployment Facing Smaller Voice Service Providers. Discussion topics will include the challenges and potential solutions to deployment of SHAKEN/STIR by smaller voice service providers.

Panelists: Jim Dalton, Chief Executive Officer, TransNexus; Brian Ford, Director of Industry Affairs, NTCA; David Frigen, Chief Operating Officer, Wabash Communications; Denny Law, General Manager and CEO, Golden West Telecommunications; Ram Ramanathan, Senior Director, Product Management, Ribbon Communications; and Joe Weeden, Vice President, Product Management, Metaswitch.

3:00 pm: Fireside Chat with the FCC Bureau Chiefs. Discussion topics will include key takeaways from the day’s event and how SHAKEN/STIR will support efforts to combat illegal robocalls.

Participants: Rosemary Harold, Chief, Enforcement Bureau, FCC; Kris Monteith, Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, FCC; and Patrick Webre, Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, FCC.

AT&T Announces Call Blocking Program

On July 9, AT&T announced that new AT&T Mobility consumer lines will come with automatic fraud blocking and suspected spam-call alerts, and that it will add the service to existing AT&T consumer lines at no charge over the coming months. The announcement is a result of the FCC’s recent declaratory ruling finding that call-blocking tools may be offered by phone service providers on an “opt out” basis; the service is already available as an opt-in service.

As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, on June 7 the FCC adopted a Declaratory Ruling finding that voice service providers may offer consumers programs to block unwanted calls through analytics (call-blocking programs) on an opt-out basis. Such a program, according to the FCC, may be “…based on any reasonable analytics designed to identify unwanted calls," and provided the following examples: call blocking based on "large bursts of calls in a short timeframe; low average call duration; low call completion ratios; invalid numbers placing a large volume of calls; common Caller ID Name (CNAM) values across voice service providers; a large volume of complaints related to a suspect line; sequential dialing patterns; neighbor spoofing patterns; patterns that indicate TCPA or other contract violations; correlation of network data with data from regulators, consumers, and other carriers; and comparison of dialed numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry." The FCC further clarified that voice service providers offering opt-out call-blocking must provide the consumer sufficient information to make an informed choice as to whether they wish to remain in the program or opt out.

“The FCC has been a tremendous partner in the war on robocalls,” said Joan Marsh, executive vice president of regulatory & state external affairs for AT&T Communications. “The Commission’s recent action builds on a years-long effort to enable broader adoption of call-blocking tools and allow providers to better protect their customers and networks. AT&T remains committed to working with our government and industry partners in the ongoing battle against unwanted and illegal robocalls.”

More details on AT&T’s service are expected to become available in the coming months.

Deadlines

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, 2018. Incumbent carriers filing on a quarterly basis must also file on September 30 (for lines served as of March 31, 2019); December 30 (for lines served as of June 30, 2019), and March 31, 2020, for lines served as of September 30, 2019).

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.

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

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Gerry Duffy.

AUGUST 1: FCC FORM 502, NUMBER UTILIZATION AND FORECAST REPORT: Any wireless or wireline carrier (including paging companies) that have received number blocks—including 100, 1,000, or 10,000 number blocks—from the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), a Pooling Administrator, or from another carrier, must file Form 502 by August 1. Carriers porting numbers for the purpose of transferring an established customer’s service to another service provider must also report, but the carrier receiving numbers through porting does not. Resold services should also be treated like ported numbers, meaning the carrier transferring the resold service to another carrier is required to report those numbers but the carrier receiving such numbers should not report them. Reporting carriers file utilization and forecast reports semiannually on or before February 1 for the preceding six-month reporting period ending December 31, and on or before August 1 for the preceding six-month reporting period ending June 30. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Gerry Duffy. AUGUST 1: Live 911 Call Data Reports: Non-Nationwide Providers that do not provide coverage in any of the Test Cities must collect and report aggregate data based on the largest county within its footprint to APCO, NENA, and NASNA on the location technologies used for live 911 calls in those areas. Clients should obtain spreadsheets with their company’s compliance data from their E911 service provider (e.g., Intrado / West).

BloostonLaw Contact: Cary Mitchell.

AUGUST 29: COPYRIGHT STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS. The Copyright Statement of Accounts form plus royalty payment for the first half of calendar year 2019 is due to be filed August 29 at the Library of Congress’ Copyright Office by cable TV service providers.

BloostonLaw Contact: Gerry Duffy.

SEPTEMBER 3: FCC FORM 477, LOCAL COMPETITION AND BROADBAND REPORTING FORM. Normally due September 1, this year’s filing falls on a federal holiday weekend, pushing the deadline back to the next business day. Four types of entities must file this form:

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

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Gerry Duffy.

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

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer.

Calendar At-a-Glance

July
Jul. 12 – Loan applications for ReConnect Program are due.
Jul. 15 – Deadline for Covered Providers to Use Only Registered Intermediate Providers.
Jul. 15 – Auction 103 Short Forms are due.
Jul. 16 – Reply comments are due on E-Rate Petition for Reconsideration.
Jul. 17 – Letters of Acceptance for A-CAM II Revised Offers are due.
Jul. 19 – Comments on A-CAM Location Discrepancy Resolution are due.
Jul. 22 – Comments are due on Leased Commercial Access NPRM.
Jul. 24 – Comments are due on SHAKEN/STIR NPRM.
Jul. 29 – Comments are due on USF Cap NPRM.
Jul. 31 – Comments are due on Lifeline Minimum Service Standards Petition.
Jul. 31 – FCC Form 507 (Universal Service Quarterly Line Count Update) is due.
Jul. 31 – Carrier Identification Code (CIC) Report is due.

August
Aug. 1 – FCC Form 502 due (North American Numbering Plan Utilization and Forecast Report).
Aug. 1 – FCC Form 499-Q (Quarterly Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet) is due.
Aug. 1 – Live 911 Call Data Reports from Non-Nationwide Providers are due.
Aug. 5 – Comments are due on VRS Program FNPRM.
Aug. 5 – Reply comments are due on Leased Commercial Access NPRM.
Aug. 15 – Auction 103 Initial Commitment filings are due.
Aug. 15 – Reply comments are due on Lifeline Minimum Service Standards Petition.
Aug. 23 – Reply comments are due on SHAKEN/STIR NPRM.
Aug. 26 – Reply comments are due on USF Cap NPRM.

September
Sep. 3 – FCC Form 477 due (Local Competition and Broadband Report).
Sep. 30 – FCC Form 396-C (MVPD EEO Program Annual Report).
Sep. 9 – Short Form Application Deadline for Auction 103.

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