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Welcome Back ToThe Wireless Messaging NewsBest wishes to everyone for a healthy and happy new year. There is a lot going on in the world so 2020 should be an exciting year. I hope in a positive way. My New Year's Resolution is the same every year:
Now on to the news and views. |
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. We need your help. This is the only remaining news source dedicated to information about Paging and Wireless Messaging.
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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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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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Paging Infrastructure For Sale— Great Prices —
Sale prices are $250.00 (or best offer) for each item. Please contact Adam Jaster direct for more information. Some of the items do not have a complete description. Cost of packing and shipping is the buyer's responsibility. Adam Jaster |
| Source: | Adam Jaster ajaster@tempesttelecom.com |
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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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TECH 911 Can I Recover a Lost iPhone If I Only Have the IMEI Number?David Murphy Today 11:00 AM
It’s never fun to lose your phone, but it can get worse. While Androids and iPhones have plenty of protections you can use to lock or otherwise find your device when you’ve misplaced it, or when someone has swiped it, these do you little good if you can’t even log into your online account to activate them. The setup seems a bit strange, I know, but I can absolutely see this being an issue for forgetful phone-owners—possibly even older people who don’t use their phones for very much or, for whatever reason, never had to re-authenticate into their accounts after the first time they set them up. Regardless of how these situations happen, they happen. Take Lifehacker reader Dulaj’s, for example:
I think the best advice I can give you, first off, is that it shouldn’t be very hard to restore access to your iCloud account. Your “username” is either your email address or your phone number, and odds are good it’s your primary email address unless you’ve been bouncing around services for the past few years. I’d try using Apple’s “Recover Your Apple ID” tool to find your Apple ID, and you can then input that here to begin the process of resetting your password. It shouldn’t take you much time to enter any ol’ email addresses you can still access into Apple’s tool. You can also search for emails from Apple—like receipts for app purchases, for example—to confirm that a particular email account is associated with your Apple ID. If this doesn’t help, or you don’t want to do it, then you’re somewhat out of luck. Apple can’t do anything with an IMEI number—the device’s serial number, essentially. To phrase it differently, there’s nothing you can do with an IMEI number that will magically unlock some version of a “Find My” map for your lost phone. What you can do with that number is call your local police and report your phone as stolen, if you presume that has happened and you didn’t otherwise just misplace your phone in your house or car. Similarly, you can call your mobile carrier to report a stolen phone, and providing them the IMEI will allow them to blacklist it. While this won’t help you get your device back, if it was indeed stolen, it’ll at least make it impossible for anyone else to use it—at least, the cellular functionality. (Here’s hoping your iPhone 6S Plus was using Activation Lock, too.) This is also a great time to remind you, and everybody else, that you really should check a device’s IMEI against the big blacklists before purchasing it. While online tools, like the one I just linked, can be helpful, a better option is to call your carrier directly and verify that your future device’s IMEI isn’t on a blacklist. I would even go one step more and only agree to meet the seller in one of your carrier’s physical stores—not only will that increase the safety of your transaction, but you’ll be able to verify the phone works perfectly before you cough up cash. |
| Source: | LifeHacker | (International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI) |
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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Your smart TV is spying on you. Here are step-by-step instructions to stop itJefferson Graham USA TODAY Those smart TVs that sold for unheard of low prices over the holidays come with a catch. The price is super low, but the manufacturers get to monitor what you're watching and report back to third parties, for a fee. Or, in some cases, companies like Amazon (with its Fire TV branded sets from Toshiba and Insignia) and TCL, with its branded Roku sets, look to throw those same personalized, targeted ads at you that you get when visiting Facebook and Google. It doesn't have to be this way. You have the controls to opt out. Within just a few clicks, you can stop the manufacturers from snooping on you in the living room.
Amazon-branded 'Fire TV Edition' setsGo to Settings and Preferences, where you have several categories to uncheck. Select "Privacy Settings," and make sure "Device Usage Data," "Collect App and Over-the-Air data" and "Interest-based ads" are turned off. (And be sure to go back and check your settings often. We own one of these sets and had "interest-based ads" turned off. When we checked Wednesday, it had somehow clicked back to "on.") Amazon will urge you to turn interest-based ads back on, saying that the apps will be instructed not use your information to "build profiles" for advertising purposes or "target you with interest-based ads. It only sounds like a great deal. TCL/RokuTCL makes branded Roku TVs with software also used in sets by Hisense, Hitachi, Insignia, Philips, RCA and Sharp. Turn off ACR by going to Settings, then Privacy, and "Smart TV Experience." To disable ACR, make sure all the options there are unchecked, notes CNET. LGIn the menu, click to Settings, which brings you to All Settings, and find your way to General. The feature to look for here is LivePlus, which is what LG calls the ACR technology that monitors your viewing. This is the one you want to turn off. SamsungOn newer sets, go for Settings in the menu, then Support, then Terms & Policies. From there, CNET suggests "Choose Viewing Information Services" and unchecking the ACR tab. Personalized ads are in Service Privacy Notice, where you uncheck Enable to hopefully stop them in their tracks. SonyConsumer Reports notes that ACR is turned on during setup of the TV, via agreements with Sony, which makes the TV; Google, which provides the AndroidTV operating system; and Samba TV, a company that gathers analytics on viewers' habits that advertisers can use for targeted ad campaigns. On Sony TVs, you'll have to go back to the setup, available within Settings, to turn off ACR VizioFor Vizio sets, select System, click on "Reset & Admin" and opt for "Viewing Data" to opt out of ACR. And there's always a simpler, incredibly effective step. If you don't want your viewing tracked, just turn the WiFi off on the set altogether and just rely on your cable TV signal. But what fun is that? You won't be able to say "Alexa, turn off the TV" or "Hey Google, open Netflix." |
| Source: | USA Today |
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Remote AB Switches ABX-1 switches are often used at remote transmitter sites to convert from old, outdated and unsupported controllers to the new modern Prism-IPX ipBSC base station controllers. Remotely switch to new controllers with GUI commands. ABX-1 ABX-3 switches are widely used for enabling or disabling remote equipment and switching I/O connections between redundant messaging systems. ABX-3 Common Features:
Prism-IPX Systems LLC. 11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022 |
Spok Names Michael W. Wallace Chief Operating OfficerSPRINGFIELD, Va. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Jan. 2, 2020 — Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK), a global leader in healthcare communications, today announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Michael W. Wallace has been appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective immediately. Wallace will continue to report to Vincent D. Kelly, chief executive officer. In his new role, Wallace will maintain his CFO responsibilities as well as continue formal responsibility for the services, support, maintenance and marketing organizations, which he had been managing for the majority of 2019. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: HTTPS://WWW.BUSINESSWIRE.COM/NEWS/HOME/20200102005066/EN/
“Mike is a seasoned and trusted leader who consistently delivers results,” said Vincent D. Kelly, chief executive officer. “He is uniquely qualified to drive strategic prioritization and accountability within Spok, with a laser-focus on operational excellence. Mike has successfully led the financial management organization and has been an integral part of our team as we continue to introduce our new, innovative, cloud-native and integrated communication platform. Mike’s deep experience in medical services, software development, digital/interactive marketing and regulatory compliance has been invaluable as we develop our software as a service (SaaS) platform and our subscription-based pricing model. I, and the board, have tremendous confidence in Mike’s ability to align Spok’s world-class innovation engine with industry-leading operational practices to drive and extend the next generation of Spok’s market leadership. We continue to take every opportunity to upgrade our management talent and resources with our priority strategic and operating objectives. This move is another step in that direction.” “Spok’s strategy has never been more compelling and I am incredibly energized to help lead the company to its next phase of innovation tied with operational excellence and organizational effectiveness,” said Michael W. Wallace, chief operating officer. “My experience as Spok’s chief financial officer over the nearly past three years has positioned me to leverage our successes and the efficiencies we have created, across the entire organization. I look forward in this new role to support Spok in capturing the large market opportunity ahead of us and for sustained, long-term growth. Vince and this executive team recognize and appreciate the importance of Spok’s mission, to deliver clinical information to care teams when and where it matters most to improve patient outcomes, and I am proud to be a part of it.” Wallace has spent approximately 25 years as a financial and operational executive at both public and private companies. In March 2017, Wallace joined Spok as CFO, from Intermedix, a global leader in healthcare revenue cycle/practice management and data analytics solutions, where he was Executive Vice President and CFO since August 2013 and had operational responsibility for its captive offshore presence of 900 employees in Lithuania. Prior to joining Intermedix, Wallace was the Executive Vice President and CFO of The Elephant Group (d.b.a. Saveology.com), a leading Internet-based, direct-to-consumer marketing platform. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President and CFO of Radiology Corporation of America, a national provider of mobile and fixed-site positron emission tomography (PET) imaging services. Wallace has also served as an Assistant Chief Accountant in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Enforcement and was a member of the Commission’s Financial Fraud Task Force in Washington, D.C. Prior to being at the SEC, Wallace served as CFO at Inktel Direct, Corp., a direct marketing service firm, CELLIT Technologies, Inc., a software company serving the contact center marketplace, and Kellstrom Industries, Inc., a publicly held global aerospace company. Before joining Kellstrom, Wallace worked at KPMG Peat Marwick, LLP in Miami for more than seven years. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. About SpokSpok 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 and Spok Mobile are trademarks of Spok, Inc. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act: Statements contained herein or in prior press releases which are not historical fact, such as statements regarding Spok’s future operating and financial performance, are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause Spok’s actual results to be materially different from the future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expectations include, but are not limited to, declining demand for paging products and services, continued demand for our software products and services, our ability to develop additional software solutions for our customers and manage our development as a global organization, the ability to manage operating expenses, particularly third party consulting services and research and development costs, future capital needs, competitive pricing pressures, competition from traditional paging services, other wireless communications services and other software providers, many of which are substantially larger and have much greater financial and human capital resources, changes in customer purchasing priorities or capital expenditures, government regulation of our products and services and the healthcare and health insurance industries, reliance upon third-party providers for certain equipment and services, unauthorized breaches or failures in cybersecurity measures adopted by us and/or included in our products and services, the effects of changes in accounting policies or practices, as well as other risks described from time to time in our periodic reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although Spok believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Spok disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: HTTPS://WWW.BUSINESSWIRE.COM/NEWS/HOME/20200102005066/EN/ Al Galgano |
| Source: | Spok Holdings, Inc. |
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Looking Back and Squinting Forward
Let the puns begin on having 2020 vision! Looking back, the past year is becoming blurrier by the minute. Last year will be known mostly for what didn’t happen, the Sprint/T-Mo merger, and how that affected companies across the board. Even though the Big Three tower companies all shrugged, one even claiming they were “agnostic” on the deal going through, they couldn’t help noticing how their contractors felt differently. By the fourth quarter of 2019, the freeze on new builds by T-Mobile put the chill on a good majority of the companies that service the tower industry. Budgets were cut, layoffs ensued, new equipment purchases put on hold while a few companies suffered permanent frostbite and folded. Other carriers made the situation worse by holding up checks to contractors for 90-to-120 days and more, terms that are crippling to middle tier companies and fatal to smaller ones. Meanwhile, natural disasters left their mark in the fire and the rain, bringing urgency to servicing and supplying first responders in their heroic efforts. That wintery and turbulent tale aside, any other industry would kill for our demand as the pipeline was packed and the hunger for more crews, more spectrum and more broadband was a daily theme in Inside Towers. The end-of-the-year auction for the upper microwave (UMFUS) spectrum at the 37, 39 and 47 GHz bands had, by December 19, already zoomed past $3.5 billion, setting records in the process. In November, the FCC opted for a sooner-than-later resolution for C-band (3.7-4.2 GHz) to be auctioned off to facilitate speedier 5G buildouts. Major handset manufacturers began their rollout this year of units that can operate in the CBRS Band. Repack, FirstNet, broadband grants, increased capex spending and (merger be damned) small cell/DAS buildouts all provided fuel for the fiery, competitive playing field that is the telecom infrastructure industry. Adding more spectrum to that mix in 2020 will be like pumping in pure oxygen. Buckle up. Should be a wild ride! Jim Fryer |
| Source: | Inside Towers newsletter | Courtesy of the editor of Inside Towers Jim Fryer. Inside Towers is a daily newsletter by subscription. |
| BloostonLaw Newsletter |
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.
Lifeline Reforms Effective January 27, 2020; Comments due January 27On December 27, the FCC published in the Federal Register its Report and Order focused on “strengthening the Lifeline program’s enrollment, recertification, and reimbursement processes” and “restores the traditional and lawful role of the states in designating carriers to participate in the Lifeline program.” Accordingly, those reforms are effective January 27, except for the provisions prohibiting commissions for employees or sales agents involved in enrollment and the requirement that such individuals register with the FCC are not effective until February 25 and March 26, respectively. See the full article below for more information about the soon-to-be-effective reforms, as well as the comment and reply cycle for the associated Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. BloostonLaw Contact: Sal Taillefer. HeadlinesLifeline Enrollment Reforms (Mostly) Effective January 27; Comments Due January 27On December 27, the FCC published in the Federal Register its Report and Order focused on “strengthening the Lifeline program’s enrollment, recertification, and reimbursement processes” and “restores the traditional and lawful role of the states in designating carriers to participate in the Lifeline program.” Accordingly, those reforms are effective January 27, except for the provisions prohibiting commissions for employees or sales agents involved in enrollment and requirement that such individuals register with the FCC are not effective until February 25 and March 26, respectively. Further, comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking associated with the Report and Order are also due January 27, with replies due on February 25. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, in November of last year the FCC adopted a Report and Order aimed at improving the enrollment, recertification, and reimbursement processes of its Lifeline program. Those reforms include:
With regard to state Lifeline authority, the Report and Order also rolls back the FCC’s 2016 Lifeline Order, which created a new type of ETC — the Lifeline Broadband Provider ETC — and then preempted any state authority over this new ETC. As a result, the FCC restored the status quo ante, wherein ETCs must offer all supported services, not just one, and must seek designation as an ETC from the state commission (unless it lacks jurisdiction). In the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC proposes additional requirements to improve the integrity of the Lifeline program. First, the FCC proposes requiring ETCs to upload their internal customer account numbers into the NLAD in order to help USAC match its records with those of the ETC. Second, the FCC proposes requiring ETCs and the National Verifier to record and retain a Lifeline applicant’s eligibility proof number and the type of proof the applicant used to qualify for the program. The FCC also proposes requiring ETCs to provide the NLAD or National Verifier with access to the same data maintained by the ETC, including non-usage data and the time the customer enrolled. The FCC also seeks comment on the best ways to ensure that consumer usage is accurately measured and defined. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Mary Sisak, and Sal Taillefer. FCC Seeks Input for Report on Call BlockingOn December 20, the FCC issued a Public Notice seeking input to prepare a report on the implementation and effectiveness of blocking measures resulting from its June 2019 declaratory ruling clarifying that voice service providers may offer call blocking services within certain parameters. Comments are due January 29, and reply comments are due February 28. As the FCC may use this information to refine its call blocking rules, carriers should take this opportunity to weigh in on what works and what does not work for them. Among other things, the FCC seeks comment on the effectiveness of current call-blocking tools offered to consumers. This includes what the most appropriate metrics to measure the effectiveness of call-blocking tools might be. The FCC also seeks input on how to define false positives, and the rate of false negatives (i.e. illegal or unwanted calls that still reach consumers). The FCC also seeks input on the impact of its actions, such as enabling voice service providers to block calls from phone numbers on a Do-Not-Originate list and those that purport to be from invalid, unallocated, or unused numbers. The FCC has also clarified that voice service providers may offer opt-out call-blocking programs and opt-in white-list programs. BloostonLaw Contacts: Mary Sisak and Sal Taillefer. Comment Sought on Consent Requirements for Wireless Carrier Marketing Messages under TCPAOn December 27, the FCC issued a Public Notice on a petition for declaratory ruling filed by Lucas Cranor seeking a ruling that “consumers have the right to revoke consent from receiving unwanted marketing text messages from their wireless providers at any time by any reasonable means; and that wireless providers must honor these revocation requests immediately.” Comments are due January 27, 2020 and reply comments are due February 11, 2020. Specifically, Cranor contends that although cellular carriers are not required to obtain consent from their cellular subscribers prior to initiating autodialed calls or texts for which the subscriber is not charged (a.k.a. the wireless carrier exemption), they must nevertheless honor requests to opt out of such communications. Cranor’s petition details his receipt of marketing messages from his carrier, Cricket, and his attempts to opt-out of such messages, which culminated in an arbitration order by the American Arbitration Association finding that the wireless carrier exemption exempted Cricket from the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Carriers interested in participating in the proceeding should contact the firm for more information. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast, Mary Sisak, and Sal Taillefer. Law and RegulationFCC Announces Revised License Renewal Process for Commercial Broadcast StationsOn December 20, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing revised procedures for commercial radio station renewal applications in light of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit’s decision in Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC. In its decision, the court vacated and remanded the FCC’s 2010/2014 Quadrennial Review Order on Reconsideration, which had the effect of reinstating the FCC’s Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule and the Radio/Television Cross-Ownership Rule. Effective immediately, every licensee seeking renewal of a commercial station license must report any violation of the Newspaper/Broadcast or Radio/Television Cross-Ownership rules contained in the revised section 73.3555 of the Rules. The FCC is in the process of seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget to add a new question on this topic to the renewal application. Pending that approval and effective immediately, all licensees must use the “FCC Violations during the Preceding License Term” question in the “Renewal Certification” section of the renewal application to report any violations of section 73.3555. If the licensee (or any party with an attributable interest in the licensee) is in violation of the Newspaper/Broadcast or Radio/Television Cross-Ownership rules, it must answer that question “No” and include an explanatory exhibit. Licensees should answer “No” and provide an explanatory exhibit even if the acquisition of an attributable interest in a newspaper/broadcast combination or radio/television combination has previously been approved by the FCC or its staff. If the licensee is not in violation of the Newspaper/Broadcast or Radio/Television Cross-Ownership rules, and there have been no other violations of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, or the rules or regulations of the FCC during the preceding license term, it must answer that question “Yes.” Each licensee that has a pending application for renewal of a commercial station license must update its application by Tuesday, January 21, 2020 (due to the federal holiday on Monday, January 20). This amendment must include an attachment certifying whether the station licensee (and each party with an attributable interest in the licensee) complies with the FCC’s cross ownership rules now in effect in revised section 73.3555. To the extent the licensee cannot certify compliance, it should file an explanation with all necessary showings. Carriers seeking assistance with either license renewal or pending application updates should contact the firm for more information. BloostonLaw Contact: Gerry Duffy. President Trump Signs Pallone-Thune TRACED Act into LawOn December 30, President Donald Trump signed Senate Bill 151, known as the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act, into law. The bill began as two separate pieces of legislation — the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act in the House and the TRACED Act in the Senate — both of which have been reported about in previous editions of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update. The final combined bill includes major elements of both of its predecessors, including requiring all carriers, over time, to implement call authentication technology with no additional line item charge and requiring a safe harbor for carriers that reasonably rely on call authentication technology to block robocalls. In a statement, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said: “I applaud Congress for working in a bipartisan manner to combat illegal robocalls and malicious caller ID spoofing. And I thank the President and Congress for the additional tools and flexibility that this law affords us. Specifically, I am glad that the agency now has a longer statute of limitations during which we can pursue scammers and I welcome the removal of a previously-required warning we had to give to unlawful robocallers before imposing tough penalties.” “I want to thank Chairmen Thune and Pallone, Chairmen Wicker and Doyle, Ranking Members Walden and Latta, and Senator Markey for their leadership in seeing this important piece of legislation through. I want to thank the President for his strong support of this bill. And I thank the American people for never letting us forget how fed up they are with scam, spoofed robocalls. It’s their voices that power our never-ceasing push to fight back against the scourge of robocalls and malicious spoofing.” BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Mary Sisak, and Sal Taillefer. DeadlinesJANUARY 15: Form 855 HAC Compliance Certification The next Hearing Aid Compatibility regulatory compliance certification, certifying compliance with the FCC’s HAC handset minimums as well as enhanced record retention and website posting requirements for the 2019 calendar year, will be due January 15, 2020, for all CMRS service providers that had operations during any portion of 2019. Companies that sold their wireless licenses during 2018 and that didn’t otherwise provide mobile wireless service (e.g., via resale) during the 2019 calendar year won’t have any obligation to file a HAC compliance certification for the 2019 calendar year. Under current FCC rules, Tier III service providers are required to offer at least 50% or ten (10) handsets that are rated M3- or better, and at least 33% or ten (10) handsets that are rated T3- or better. Beginning April 3, 2020, at least 66% of a Tier III provider’s handset must meet ratings of M3- or better and T3- or better. BloostonLaw has prepared a 2019 HAC Regulatory Compliance Template to facilitate our clients’ compliance with the revised HAC rules. Contact Cary Mitchell if you would like to obtain a copy of the HAC Regulatory Compliance Template. BloostonLaw Contact: Cary Mitchell. FEBRUARY 1: FCC FORM 499-Q, TELECOMMUNICATIONS REPORTING WORKSHEET. All telecommunications common carriers that expect to contribute more than $10,000 to federal Universal Service Fund (USF) support mechanisms must file this quarterly form. The FCC has modified this form in light of its decision to establish interim measures for USF contribution assessments. The form contains revenue information from the prior quarter plus projections for the next quarter. Form 499-Q relates only to USF contributions. It does not relate to the cost recovery mechanisms for the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund, the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA), and the shared costs of local number portability (LNP), which are covered in the annual Form 499-A that is due April 1. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Mary Sisak. FEBRUARY 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 February 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 are required to include their FCC Registration Number (FRN). 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, Gerry Duffy, and Mary Sisak. FEBRUARY 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 Contacts: Cary Mitchell. MARCH 1: COPYRIGHT STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT FORM FOR CABLE COMPANIES. This form, plus royalty payment for the second half of calendar year 2019, is due March 1. The form covers the period July 1 to December 31, 2019, and is due to be mailed directly to cable TV operators by the Library of Congress’ Copyright Office. If you do not receive the form, please contact the firm. BloostonLaw Contact: Gerry Duffy. MARCH 1: CPNI ANNUAL CERTIFICATION. Carriers should modify (as necessary) and complete their “Annual Certification of CPNI Compliance” for 2020. The certification must be filed with the FCC by BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy MARCH 1: FCC FORM 477, LOCAL COMPETITION & BROADBAND REPORTING FORM. This annual form is due March 1 and September 1 annually. The FCC requires facilities-based wired, terrestrial fixed wireless, and satellite broadband service providers to report on FCC Form 477 the number of broadband subscribers they have in each census tract they serve. The Census Bureau changed the boundaries of some census tracts as part of the 2010 Census. Specifically, three types of entities must file this form:
BloostonLaw contacts: Ben Dickens and Gerry Duffy.
Calendar At-a-GlanceJanuary February March |
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| MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK |
See the 2020 Times Square Ball Drop From AboveNBC New YorkOver a million people packed America’s most famous place to ring in 2020. In one of the globe's most-watched New Year's Eve spectacles, the crowd counted down the last seconds of 2019 as a luminescent crystal ball descended down a pole. Throngs of people cheered and sang along to the X Ambassadors' soul-stirring rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine" just before midnight. About 3,000 pounds of confetti showered the sea of attendees, many of whom were also briefly rained on earlier in the evening as they waited in security pens for performances by stars including rap-pop star Post Malone, K-pop group BTS, country singer Sam Hunt and singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette |
| Source: | YouTube |
Ellen & I wish you all the Greetings of the Season and a Happy & Healthy New Year! |
 Best regards,  Newsletter Editor 73 DE K9IQY Licensed since 1957 |
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