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Welcome Back To
The Wireless
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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. I regularly get readers’ comments, so this newsletter has become a community forum for the Paging, and Wireless Messaging communities. You are welcome to contribute your ideas and opinions. Unless otherwise requested, all correspondence addressed to me is subject to publication in the newsletter and on my web site. I am very careful to protect the anonymity of those who request it. I spend the whole week searching the INTERNET for news that I think may be of interest to you — so you won’t have to. This newsletter is an aggregator — a service that aggregates news from other news sources. You can help our community by sharing any interesting news that you find.
Editorial Opinion pieces present only the opinions of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of any of advertisers or supporters. This newsletter is independent of any trade association. I don't intend to hurt anyone's feelings, but I do freely express my own opinions.
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Service Monitors and Frequency Standards for Sale
(Images are typical units, not actual photos of items offered for sale here.)
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Passive Audio Amps For Smart Phones
Buy An Amp todayOh come on they are cool.These are acoustic amplifiers for smartphones. They don't need electric power to operate and there are no moving parts. They work like a megaphone (speaking-trumpet, bullhorn, or loudhailer). Everyone that I have shown one to has said something like “Wow, I want one of those!” So I have built a few of them. Of course there are more “Hi-Fi” ways to listen to audio on your smartphone but who would want to plug an elegant smartphone into some cheap, plastic gadget? Or even use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which are a pain in the neck to set up, even on a smartphone. These have been made with hardwood bases and some of them are exotic hardwoods with interesting grain patterns. The horns are polished brass — made from mostly old horns that had rubber bulbs on the ends and were used in “times gone by” by taxis and even clowns in circuses. These horns have been re-purposed, reshaped, soldered, and polished. They horns are now on display and for sale at:
The two large horns — the trombone and the gramophone — are difficult to pack and ship to they are for local pickup only. The remainder can be sent to you. I have the cowboy horn and the rest are in stock at the Colorado coffee shop. Please call for pricing and availability or stop in for a demo and a great cup of espresso. P.S. Allan, Virginia and I worked together at WebLink Wireless in Dallas. |
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Windows 10 update will bring back one of Windows 7’s best featuresBy Matt Hanson Updating drivers gets easier
A new Windows 10 update looks set to bring back one of Windows 7’s best features, allowing users to quickly and easily download and install drivers and optional updates to ensure their PCs run as well as possible. The update, Windows 10 Build 19041.450, brings an optional updates page, which you can find by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View optional updates. This update also means new drivers can be found and installed via Windows Update, rather than going into Device Manager, where they used to be. Hopefully, this should be an easier — and more user-friendly — way of making sure your drivers are updated. Better updates?Windows 10 has been plagued recently with a series of problematic updates that have caused more problems than they’ve fixed, and many of them were optional. By giving users better control over what’s installed, hopefully people can avoid installing any dud updates. Having the latest drivers installed can also help make sure PCs run as well as possible – so making it easier for people to do that is to be commended. Driver updates, as well as non-security updates and general quality updates and tweaks will now be shown in the ‘Optional updates’ page. If you want to try it out, make sure you have Windows 10 KB4566782 installed, which is the 19041.450 build. |
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BlackBerry 5G Android Smartphone With Keyboard Coming In 2021Onward Mobility announced a licensing agreement to develop a new 5G BlackBerry Android smartphone, with a physical keyboard, set to debut in 2021. BY SCOOTER DOLL
OnwardMobility announced that it has finalized agreements with BlackBerry and FIH Mobile Limited to deliver a new 5G Android smartphone, complete with a physical keyboard. The new device is scheduled to launch in North America and Europe sometime in the first half of 2021. No further details relating to other design features have been released yet. Launched in the late nineties by Research In Motion (RIM), BlackBerry began as an email pager device, then quickly rose to prominence as an early smartphone brand. At its peak in 2013, BlackBerry had over 85 million subscribers worldwide before its rank in the market declined. This was due to the growing success of both the Android and iOS platforms, as well as the increasing preference for touch screens over physical keyboards - a feature once adored and celebrated by BlackBerry owners. BlackBerry eventually began manufacturing Android-based smartphones but with less success. BlackBerry Limited (formerly RIM) announced in 2016 that it would solely license to partners rather than design its own phones. TCL Communication stepped in and helped release three additional BlackBerry devices in four years. As TCL's global licensing agreement was expiring in 2020, OnwardMobility confirmed its new agreement to create 5G devices under the BlackBerry brand in 2021. According to the press release, with an increasing number of employees working remotely during a global pandemic, often with critical and proprietary data and applications, there is an urgency for a secure 5G-ready device. With the emergence of 5G networks on the brink of rolling out around the world, professionals will require the most advanced smartphone experience to ensure productivity. Rather than attempt to cater to the saturated consumer smartphone market, OnwardMobility appears to be returning more to the original strategy of BlackBerry Limited in appealing to enterprise professionals. At one point, BlackBerry was synonymous with security and privacy as the predominant device on capitol hill, in government agencies and many private companies. OnwardMobility is smart in licensing the BlackBerry name, as it is still associated with protected communication and privacy for its owners. Resurrecting The BlackBerry ... Again
The news that BlackBerry is debuting a new 5G smartphone next year is probably quite exciting for previous owners who adored their Pearl or Bold. The announcement that a phone in 2021 will have a QWERTY keyboard is also an oddly refreshing feature in a nostalgic sort of way. However, old school features aside, this will likely be a difficult battle for an unproven startup. Before BlackBerry Limited stopped developing its own phones, it took one last swing for the fences in 2017 and released the BlackBerry KeyOne, featuring a physical keyboard below its touch screen. The hype was real, but the sales were not. While TCL described the 850,000 units it sold as a success, that number pales in comparison to the 50-million BlackBerry devices sold just six years earlier. In this case, time has already shown that it's going to take more than the prospect of coveted muscle memory on a physical keyboard to make BlackBerry a major mobile player again. That being said, OnwardMobility has a lot going for it this time around as well. Its focus on the remote worker certainly narrows its target market, and it can dominate with the right technology. 5G is popping up whether people like it or not, and to have a phone that is not only compatible with accelerated networks, but is specifically designed to work most efficiently and effectively on those networks, could be very appealing to businesses. Add the focus on protected communications and privacy Blackberry is known for, and it may not be so difficult for enterprise professionals to drop their current smartphones for a 5G Android BlackBerry. Especially if it can offer them all the fast and secure features they require to stay productive anywhere. While that might be a tall order, hopefully OnwardMobility can deliver, because if BlackBerry fails again, it will likely mean the end (for real this time). For now, businesses and consumers will have to wait for more details as to what actual features will come with this new BlackBerry, as well as when the public might get a glimpse at it. |
| Source: | Screen Rant |
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Paging Transmitters 150/900 MHz The RFI High Performance Paging Transmitter is designed for use in campus, city, state and country-wide paging systems. Designed for use where reliable simulcast systems where RF signal overlap coverage is critical.
Built-in custom interface for Prism-IPX ipBSC Base Controller for remote control, management and alarm reporting.
Prism-IPX Systems LLC.
11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
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The Wireless Messaging News
The Board of Advisor members are people with whom I have developed a special rapport, and have met personally. They are not obligated to support the newsletter in any way, except with advice, and maybe an occasional letter to the editor.
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08.21.2020|Emergency Management Verizon’s network stands ready to handle extreme heat, rolling power outages and wildfiresMedia contact(s)
IRVINE, CA — As a record-breaking heat wave in California and the western states has residents enduring rolling power outages while hundreds of wildfires threaten urban, suburban and rural areas across the region are preparing for extreme situations. We’re committed to making sure Verizon customers can connect with the people and get the information they need when it matters most. We know how important it is for customers to stay connected during a crisis. That’s why in addition to having backup batteries, Verizon has permanent generators at the majority of our cell sites (towers) and all of our switch locations (network nerve center), which we're able to refuel during extended power outages. These backup energy sources help keep our network running when commercial power is lost. Verizon has made preparations to ensure our network is ready for power outages and wildfires in the Western states.
How you can prepare: Do you have a personal communications plan?Any time is a great time to ensure you are ready for wildfires. We encourage you to take these steps to ensure your loved ones are ready to communicate during any crisis. Device preparation:
Know and back up your info:
Bookmark resources:
How businesses and government organizations can prepare and stay connected:Businesses and governments know the importance of wildfire preparedness. This year, with so much of the workforce working remotely, contingency planning is even more critical. We offer customers products and services that can help disaster-proof communications and enable business continuity. It’s also a good time to review readiness plans. Suggested steps for businesses and government organizations include:
Wildfire season is year-round in the west, and Verizon is crisis-ready and crisis-proven. |
| Source: | Verizon |
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| PRISM IPX Systems |
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| Easy Solutions |
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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.
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
Easy Solutions |
GLENAYRE INFRASTRUCTUREI would like to recommend Easy Solutions for Support of all Glenayre Paging Equipment. This Texas company is owned and operated by Vaughan Bowden. I have known Vaughan for over 35 years. Without going into a long list of his experience and qualifications, let me just say that he was the V.P. of Engineering at PageNet which was—at that time—the largest paging company in the world. So Vaughan knows Paging. GTES is no longer offering support contracts. GTES was the original group from Vancouver that was setup to offer support to customers that wanted to continue with the legacy Glenayre support. Many U.S. customers chose not to use this service because of the price and the original requirement to upgrade to version 8.0 software (which required expensive hardware upgrades, etc.). Most contracts ended as of February 2018. If you are at all concerned about future support of Glenayre products, especially the “king of the hill” the GL3000 paging control terminal, I encourage you to talk to Vaughan about a service contract and please tell him about my recommendation.
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
Prism-IPX Systems LLC.
11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022 |
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Microsoft drives another nail in the coffin of its most hated product By David Goldman, CNN Business New York (CNN Business) — Internet Explorer is so reviled, even Microsoft is turning its back on it. Microsoft announced this week that its workplace chat software Teams will no longer be available on Internet Explorer as of November 30, and its 365 apps, including Office products, won't work on IE beginning August 17, 2021. It's a momentous decision that adds yet another nail in the coffin of one of the most hated software products of all time. But IE isn't going away just yet. IE is miraculously still around after 25 years. Once the most-used web browser, Internet Explorer had been on a steady downward trajectory for years. Its share of the browser market fell below the 50% threshold in 2010 and now sits at about 4%, according to browser usage tracker NetMarketShare. Google's (GOOGL) Chrome is currently the browser leader, commanding a 71% share of the market. Internet Explorer debuted in 1995 as part of Windows 95 and became an instant hit. It successfully killed off Netscape Navigator, and it achieved a virtual monopoly in the early 2000s. At its 2002 peak, Internet Explorer commanded 95% of the browser market. But Microsoft failed to innovate, essentially leaving Internet Explorer 6 alone to gather dust and cobwebs for five years. That frustrated customers and sent them fleeing for greener pastures. Internet Explorer became synonymous with bugs, security problems and outdated technology. Microsoft (MSFT) finally released IE7 in 2006, but the damage was done — Microsoft paved the way for Firefox and then Chrome to surpass it. It wasn't until Internet Explorer 9 in 2011 that Microsoft released a modern browser. Still, to this day, IE still doesn't support extensions, it isn't available on non-Windows devices, and it doesn't sync with other devices by default — all mainstays of Chrome and Firefox. Microsoft acknowledges that IE isn't ideal for web browsing. "Customers have been using IE 11 since 2013 when the online environment was much less sophisticated than the landscape today," the company said in its announcement Monday. "Since then, open web standards and newer browsers — like the new Microsoft Edge — have enabled better, more innovative online experiences." That's why, for the past five years, Microsoft has been trying — unsuccessfully — to kill Internet Explorer. In an "Ask Me Anything" chat on Reddit in 2014, Microsoft's Internet Explorer engineers acknowledged that the company was considering a name change to "separate ourselves from negative perceptions" about the browser. Instead, Microsoft developed a whole new browser, releasing Edge in 2015. But Edge didn't actually replace IE — Internet Explorer to this day is pre-installed on Windows PCs alongside Edge. Microsoft has continued to ship IE with Windows to ensure that corporate apps keep functioning properly. Corporations tend to be very slow to adopt new browser versions, particularly if they custom build applications for them. Most Windows 10 PC owners probably never noticed that IE is installed on their computers. Edge, a modern browser, is based on Google's open source Chrome code, and has gained much more traction than IE. Microsoft said this week IE isn't going away just yet. "We want to be clear that IE 11 isn't going away and that our customers' own legacy IE 11 apps and investments will continue to work," Microsoft said. But the company noted that its latest version of the Edge browser supports web apps built for IE so customers don't have to keep switching between browsers. Maybe IE won't last forever after all |
| Source: | CNN Business |
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Paging Data Receiver PDR-4 The PDR-4 is a multi-function paging data receiver that decodes paging messages and outputs them via the serial port, USB or Ethernet connectors. Designed for use with Prism-IPX ECHO software Message Logging Software to receive messages and log the information for proof of transmission over the air, and if the data was error free.
Prism-IPX Systems LLC.
11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022 |
Wireless Network Planners
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What 5G Networks Mean for Hurricane TrackingDavid Mantey Welcome to Thomas Insights — every day, we publish the latest news and analysis to keep our readers up to date on what’s happening in industry. Sign up here to get the day’s top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
For those who find themselves in the path of a tropical storm, most instinctively seek adequate shelter and queue up their favorite weather app in order to track the storm. But what if your phone were actually making it harder for scientists to accurately assess the storm’s path? That’s exactly the issue that has weather experts at odds with the cell phone industry, as they contend that 5G networks will have far-reaching impacts on current storm tracking practices. Last year, Neil Jacobs, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, testified before Congress that the lightning-fast 5G wireless networks that telecom companies are scrambling to implement will actually decrease the accuracy of current forecasting methods by as much as 30%. The reason is that meteorological tracking is currently done using satellites, and the 5G networks will almost certainly interfere with them. One expert told National Geographic that space along the electromagnetic spectrum is at a premium. Where once space for climate applications was kept far away from that needed for consumer communications, now “the sandbox is full.” The FCC recently auctioned off some space for 5G near an area that scientists currently use to track water vapor in order to predict the path of tropical storms, and they’re worried that interference from the 5G usage will leak into this critical space. If it does, accuracy will take a significant hit because the quality of the signals for scientists will degrade to levels we saw as far back as the 1970s. Experts say that will reduce lead time on storm forecasts by up to three days. |
| Source: | Thomasnet.com | (Thanks to Paul Fitzgerald.) |
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
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 WHAT IS 5G? 5G is the next generation of wireless networks and promises a mobile experience that's 10x to 100x faster than today's 4G networks. We say the word promise because we're in the early days of 5G. When more smartphones and networks support 5G tech, it will have far-reaching consequences for consumers, from the cars we drive (or that drive us) to the food we eat to the safety of our roads to the ways we shop to the entertainment we share with family and friends. And that doesn't include things we haven't yet imagined because we've never had the capability to unlock those new scenarios. Today, 5G may seem confusing even as it's widely hyped. We're here to help you sort fact from fiction, weed through the acronyms and jargon, and figure out when and how 5G can change the way you live. And we'll keep you from getting caught up in hyperbole — and empty promises. [ source ] |
Remote AB Switches ABX-1 switches are often used at remote transmitter sites to convert from old, outdated and unsupported controllers to the new modern Prism-IPX ipBSC base station controllers. Remotely switch to new controllers with GUI commands. ABX-1
ABX-3 switches are widely used for enabling or disabling remote equipment and switching I/O connections between redundant messaging systems. ABX-3
Common Features:
Prism-IPX Systems LLC.
11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022 |
| Leavitt Communications |
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| Inside Towers Newsletter |
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California Jump-starts Plan to Close Digital Divide
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order commanding agencies to explore every path, including the private sector, to improve rural broadband for telehealth and students. The order directs key state agencies to do more immediately to close the digital divide. The directive may be seen by other states as a good primer for managing their broadband deployment as schools make decisions about how to open this fall. With Executive Order No. 73-20, the state's Department of Technology has been authorized to "leverage the state's contract authorities as resources to further statewide broadband access and adoption," reported Techwire. Newsom followed up on efforts this spring to provide devices and connectivity as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. He told the California Department of Technology (CDT), the California Broadband Council (CBC), the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), the California Department of General Services (DGS) and the California Department of Education (CDE), among others, to take actions that could improve connectivity around the state — and drive opportunities in the private sector. Among the takeaways:
Plan goals should include a road map to accelerate deployment and adoption of broadband by state and local government; publicly available information on all federal and state funding opportunities; and “provisions to maximize” the inclusion of tribal lands in broadband access and adoption opportunities, per the directive. “THIS is why I moved to the public sector, to spend my time moving the needle on missions that matter,” CDT’s Stephanie Tom wrote on LinkedIn, according to Techwire. As the department’s deputy director for strategic planning, broadband and digital literacy, she described herself as “proud to lead California’s first broadband executive order in over a decade.”
Additionally, the California Department of Food and Agriculture is directed to “identify and facilitate” new broadband projects in support of “precision agriculture and food systems in rural communities” and with CalOES to inventory broadband connectivity at all fairgrounds.
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| Source: | Inside Towers newsletter |
Courtesy of the editor of
Inside Towers
Jim Fryer.
Inside Towers is a daily newsletter by subscription. |
| BloostonLaw Newsletter |
ITSP, CMRS Regulatory Fee Data for 2020 Now Available in Fee Filer, Revisions Due Aug. 28On August 17, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing the availability of FY 2020 Interstate Telecommunications Service Providers (ITSP) and Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) data for viewing on the FCC’s electronic filing and payment system (Fee Filer). The FCC reminds CMRS providers that CMRS Assessment letters will no longer be mailed to the company address, and that they have until August 28, 2020 to make revisions to their subscriber counts so that the FCC has sufficient time to place the correct subscriber number in Fee Filer. ITSP providers who need to revise subject revenues that will be the basis for the payment of their FY 2020 regulatory fees must file revised 499-A worksheets. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, Mary Sisak, and Sal Taillefer. HeadlinesFCC Extends Lifeline Waivers Through November 2020On August 17, the FCC adopted an Order extending, on its own motion, prior waivers of certain Lifeline program rules governing recertification, reverification, general de-enrollment, subscriber usage, income documentation, and documentation requirements for subscribers residing in rural areas on Tribal lands through November 30, 2020. As we reported in previous editions of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the waivers subject to this extension are:
The FCC emphasized, however, that although it extended the limited waivers described above, service providers remain otherwise subject to audits and investigations to determine compliance with Lifeline program rules and requirements. The FCC will require USAC to recover funds that it discovers were not used properly through its normal processes and, in the event improper activity resulting from the extension of the waivers is discovered, the FCC will subject the offending party “to all available penalties at our disposal, and will direct USAC to recover funds, assess retroactive fees and/or interest, or both.” BloostonLaw Contact: Gerry Duffy, Mary Sisak, and Sal Taillefer. Initial Broadband Mapping Requirements Effective Sep. 17; Comments on FNPRM Due Sep. 8On August 18, the FCC published in the Federal Register its Second Report and Order and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which was adopted at its July 16, 2020 Open Meeting. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the Second R&O implements portions of the Broadband DATA Act passed in Congress in March of 2020. The Broadband DATA Act requires the Commission, among other things, to issue final rules for collecting granular data from providers on the availability and quality of broadband Internet access service, to create publicly available coverage maps, to establish processes for members of the public and other entities to challenge and verify the coverage maps, and to create a common dataset of all locations where fixed broadband Internet access service can be installed. The Second R&O adopts specific coverage reporting and disclosure requirements for fixed and mobile broadband providers, filing and certification requirements, measures for determining the accuracy of broadband availability data (including audits and collecting crowd-sourced data), standards for collecting and incorporating verified data for use in the coverage maps from governmental entities and certain third parties, and establishing the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (Fabric). The FCC also established a biannual schedule for collection of broadband Internet access service availability and quality of service data, with filing deadlines of March 1 and September 1 each year. The March filing would reflect data as of December 31 of the previous calendar year, while the September filing would reflect data as of June 30 of the then-current calendar year. No filing is due at this time; the FCC will issue a public notice announcing the initial filing deadline at least six months prior to that deadline, and fixed and mobile service providers must file their initial reports by that initial filing deadline. The Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking takes seeks comment on several narrow issues relating to implementing the challenge and verification processes for coverage data, implementing the Fabric, and certain other specific requirements of the Broadband DATA Act outside the scope of the Digital Opportunity Data Collection Order and Further Notice (the FCC’s original data collection proceeding, which was superseded by the DATA Act). Comments are due September 8, and reply comments are due on September 17. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and John Prendergast. Law and RegulationFCC Extends Pole Attachment Petition Comment Deadlines; Comments Now Due September 2On August 13, the FCC adopted an Order granting a 14-day extension of time for filing comments and reply comments on the Petition for Declaratory Ruling filed by NCTA—The Internet & Television Association (NCTA) seeking certain clarifications of the Commission’s pole attachment rules and orders. Comments are now due on September 2, 2020, and reply comments are due on September 17, 2020. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the FCC sought comment at the end of July on a petition for declaratory ruling by NCTA — The Internet & Television Association (NCTA), in which NCTA asks the FCC to declare that, “in areas with no access to broadband, pole owners are required to engage in proportionate and equitable allocation of pole replacement costs, and that it is unjust and unreasonable to require attaching entities to bear those costs in their entirety.” Specifically, NCTA seeks clarification that (1) pole owners must share in the cost of pole replacements in unserved areas; (2) pole attachment complaints arising in unserved areas should be prioritized through placement on the Accelerated Docket; and (3) the FCC is authorized to order any pole owner to complete a pole replacement within a specified period of time or designate an authorized contractor to do so. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and John Prendergast. Ninth Circuit Upholds Small Cell Rule ReformsOn August 12, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an order upholding, save for one provision, the FCC’s 2018 Orders aimed at removing barriers to infrastructure for wireless broadband (In re: Accelerating Wireless Broadband Deployment, WC Docket No. 17-84, WT Docket No. 17-79). According to the court, the Orders were reasonable and otherwise not arbitrary and capricious. The one provision the court did overturn dealt with the authority of local governments in the area of aesthetic regulations. Specifically, the court held that, to the extent that provision requires small cell facilities to be treated in the same manner as other types of communications services, the regulation is contrary to the congressional directive under § 332 of the Communications Act, which allows different regulatory treatment among types of providers, so long as such treatment does not “unreasonably discriminate among providers of functionally equivalent services.” The court also held that the FCC’s requirement that all aesthetic criteria must be “objective” lacks a reasoned explanation. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said, “Today’s decision is a massive victory for U.S. leadership in 5G, our nation’s economy, and American consumers. The court rightly affirmed the FCC’s efforts to ensure that infrastructure deployment critical to 5G—a key part of our 5G FAST Plan—is not impeded by exorbitant fees imposed by state and local governments, undue delays in local permitting, and unreasonable barriers to pole access. The wind is at our backs: With the FCC’s infrastructure policies now ratified by the court, along with path-breaking spectrum auctions concluded, ongoing, and to come, America is well-positioned to extend its global lead in 5G and American consumers will benefit from the next generation of wireless technologies and services. Commissioner Brendan Carr said, “I am pleased that the Ninth Circuit affirmed the wireless infrastructure reforms we adopted in September 2018. I thank the Commission staff who carefully crafted the order, and I congratulate the Office of General Counsel for their successful defense of our work.” BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Cary Mitchell. House Committee Members Urge Unlimited Minutes/Data for Lifeline During PandemicOn August 13, fifteen members of the Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter today to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai urging him to provide unlimited voice minutes and mobile data to Lifeline recipients, with a corresponding increase in the support amount to cover incremental costs, for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. A copy of the letter can be found here. “While the FCC has taken some small steps since March to tweak the Lifeline program’s rules, much bolder action is necessary,” the Committee members wrote to Pai. “A strong response is critical given the supreme importance of connectivity while the country continues its efforts to combat the unprecedented and devastating COVID-19 pandemic.” The letter also criticized Pai for “fail[ing] to propose changes, even if temporary, to bring the Lifeline program in line with the connectivity needs of the moment” in the recently-circulated draft Order to change the minimum service standards required for mobile data service. The letter was signed by Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA), and Reps. Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Yvette Clarke (DNY), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Donald McEachin (D-VA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Tony Cárdenas (D-CA). BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy, Mary Sisak, and Sal Taillefer. IndustryFCC Announces 5G Open Radio Access ForumOn August 18, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the Forum on 5G Open Radio Access Networks will take place on September 14, 2020. The forum, previously scheduled for March but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take place by video-conference and stream online. According to the FCC’s Press Release, Chairman Pai will “host experts at the forefront of the development and deployment of open, interoperable, standards-based, virtualized radio access networks to discuss this innovative new approach to 5G network architecture. Open Radio Access Networks offer an alternative to traditional cellular network architecture and could enable a diversity in suppliers, better network security, and lower costs.” The Forum on 5G Open Radio Access Networks is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. EST on Monday, September 14, 2020 and webcast on www.fcc.gov/live and on the event’s webpage. Additional information regarding the agenda, speakers, and logistics will be available on the website closer to the event: www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/forum-5g-virtual-radio-access-networks. “Open and virtualized radio access networks may help operators deploy more secure, cost-effective 5G networks,” said Chairman Pai. “As part of the FCC’s 5G FAST Plan, the agency has taken many actions to promote American leadership in next generation wireless services. To that end, we want the United States to lead the way in researching and developing innovative approaches to mobile network deployment. I am pleased the FCC will convene these experts for a productive discussion about the current state of ORAN-related technologies and the path ahead.” USAC Board Nominations SoughtOn August 13, the FCC issued a Public Notice seeking nominations for six member positions on the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) board of directors. Nominations are due by October 13, 2020. According to the Public Notice, nominations are sought for the following Board member positions, for a three-year term.
If members of the relevant industry or non-industry group fail to reach consensus on a candidate to serve on the board, or fail to submit a nomination for the particular board member seat, the FCC Chairman will select an individual from that industry or non-industry group to serve. DeadlinesAUGUST 29: COPYRIGHT STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS. The Copyright Statement of Accounts form plus royalty payment for the first half of year is due to be filed August 29 at the Library of Congress’ Copyright Office by cable TV service providers. BloostonLaw contact: Gerry Duffy. SEPTEMBER 1: FCC FORM 477, LOCAL COMPETITION AND BROADBAND REPORTING FORM. Three types of entities must file this form.
BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Gerry Duffy. SEPTEMBER 30: FCC FORM 396-C, MVPD EEO PROGRAM REPORTING FORM. Each year on September 30, multi-channel video program distributors (“MVPDs”) must file with the FCC an FCC Form 396-C, Multi- Channel Video Programming Distributor EEO Program Annual Report, for employment units with six or more full-time employees. Users must access the FCC’s electronic filing system via the Internet in order to submit the form; it will not be accepted if filed on paper unless accompanied by an appropriate request for waiver of the electronic filing requirement. Certain MVPDs also will be required to complete portions of the Supplemental Investigation Sheet (“SIS”) located at the end of the Form. These MVPDs are specifically identified in a Public Notice each year by the FCC. BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer. OCTOBER 15: 911 RELIABILITY CERTIFICATION. Covered 911 Service Providers, which are defined as entities that “[p]rovide[] 911, E911, or NG911 capabilities such as call routing, automatic location information (ALI), automatic number identification (ANI), or the functional equivalent of those capabilities, directly to a public safety answering point (PSAP), statewide default answering point, or appropriate local emergency authority,” or that “[o]perate[] one or more central offices that directly serve a PSAP,” are required certify that they have taken reasonable measures to provide reliable 911 service with respect to three substantive requirements: (i) 911 circuit diversity; (ii) central office backup power; and (iii) diverse network monitoring by October 15. Certifications must be made through the FCC’s portal. BloostonLaw Contacts: Mary Sisak and Sal Taillefer. Calendar At-a-GlanceAugust September October November
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Brad: Glad you are staying well. Keep it up. The newsletter is a GEM. Will you please let your readers know I have 6 Sonic PTX150 VHF paging transmitters available. They are 100 watt, POCSAG/FLEX™ capable and covers 138-174 MHz. Power cords are included. They were removed WORKING from a county paging system and are guaranteed by me. $1,425.00 each. Phil
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| THIS WEEK'S MUSIC VIDEO |
“Granada”Plácido Domingo
Here is a later performance of “Granada” at the 2018 World Cup Gala Concert — perhaps even better. |
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LyricsGranada, land of my dreams Source: LyricFind |
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