| Wireless News Aggregation |
|
Welcome Back To
The Wireless
|
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.
HELP SUPPORT THE NEWSLETTER These are uncertain times.
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
Subscribe Here IT'S FREE * required field
|
|
|
Advertiser Index
|
Service Monitors and Frequency Standards for Sale
(Images are typical units, not actual photos of items offered for sale here.)
|
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. |
||||||||||
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| Leavitt Communications |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technology Apple to Launch MacBooks With Own Chips Next Week By Mark Gurman and Debby Wu Company readies MacBook Pros, MacBook Air with in-house chips Smaller Mac Pro and iMac with Apple chips also in developmentApple Inc.’s 15-year relationship with Intel Corp. will officially begin to unwind next week when new Mac computers are revealed. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant said on Monday that it will hold an online event dubbed “One more thing” on Nov. 10. That “thing” will be Macs with main processors designed by Apple for the first time, replacing Intel chips that have been a mainstay since 2006. An Apple spokesman declined to comment. Apple and overseas suppliers are ramping up production of three Mac laptops with Apple processors: new 13-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros and a new 13-inch MacBook Air, according to people familiar with the matter. Foxconn, known also as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., is assembling the two smaller laptops, while Quanta Computer Inc. is building the larger MacBook Pro. The smaller models are further ahead in production and at least those two laptops will be shown at next week’s event. Beyond the processor switch, the devices won’t have significant design changes. Apple has less than 10% of the market for personal computers, so the direct impact on Intel sales may be limited. However, the change highlights a crisis engulfing the world’s largest chipmaker. It has delayed a new manufacturing process, giving rivals a chance to catch up. These problems are at least partly behind Apple’s decision to move to in-house chips, although the company has been steadily shifting to this approach for years. The partnership between Apple and Intel started in 2005, when Steve Jobs outlined a move away from PowerPC processors. Intel helped Apple catch up to Windows computers, some of which were more powerful at the time. In tandem, though, Apple was working on more energy-efficient chips for mobile devices based on Arm Ltd. designs and continues to use those to power the iPhone and iPad. On Apple’s recent earnings call, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook hinted at the Mac launch by saying, “without giving away too much, I can tell you that this year has a few more exciting things in store.” The company generated a record $9 billion in revenue from the Mac in its fiscal fourth quarter. The first Mac processors from Apple will be based on the A14 chip found in the latest iPhones and iPad Air, and tests inside Apple indicate improved power efficiency over the Intel parts they are replacing. The new machines will also have Apple-designed graphics and machine-learning processors. Apple said in June that the transition away from Intel chips will take two years. After updating its laptop line, Apple will still have until 2022 to update desktop computers — the iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Pro and Mac mini — with its own processors. The company is already at work on a redesigned iMac, the company’s all-in-one desktop, and a new Mac Pro model, Apple’s highest-end desktop, other people familiar with the company’s plans said. Apple engineers are currently developing a new Mac Pro that looks like the current design at about half the size. It’s unclear if that Mac will replace the current Mac Pro or if it’s an additional model. Apple’s chip designs could help the company reduce the size of its computers due to increased power efficiency, but the current Mac Pro is large, in part, to fit components like additional storage drives and graphics chips. Apple’s test Mac for developers to write apps for the new processors is a Mac mini with an iPad Pro processor, but the company will still need to roll out a proper update to that model with a Mac-specific chip. The new Macs require macOS Big Sur, a redesigned Mac operating system that makes the software more like iPhones and iPads. When announcing the transition in June, Apple said the move would provide a common architecture across all of its devices. That means future iPhones, Macs, iPads and Apple Watches will run a variation of the same chip. That will allow devices to work together better and let iPhone apps run natively on Macs for the first time. Bloomberg first reported on the transition away from Intel in 2018 and again in April. The new Macs will mark Apple’s third major product release this fall. In September, the company announced new Apple Watches and iPads. The iPhone 12 and HomePod mini lines debuted in October. (Updates with manufacturing partners in third paragraph.) |
| Source: | Bloomberg |
|
|||||||||||||||
|
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
|
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.
Can You Help The Newsletter?
You can help support The Wireless Messaging News by clicking on the PayPal Donate button above. It is not necessary to be a member of PayPal to use this service.
Newspapers generally cost
A donation of $50.00 would certainly help cover a one-year period. If you are wiling and able, please click on the PayPal Donate button above.
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
| PRISM IPX Systems |
|
| Easy Solutions |
|
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 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Double Whammy of Seasonal Affective Disorder in a Season of CovidThis winter the pandemic is expected to intensify the depression experienced by many people with the syndrome known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.
By Jane E. Brody — Nov. 2, 2020 We hadn’t yet switched back to standard time, with its shortened hours of afternoon daylight, when I began to notice a lack of enthusiasm for activities that I usually enjoy during the darker, colder days of fall and winter. Indoor projects like knitting and crocheting and preparing enticing new recipes — even books and televised shows and movies friends recommended — failed to interest me. It didn’t take long to link this ennui to the limitations and isolation associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. The arrival of fall in New York heralded an end to summer’s socially distant get-togethers on stoops and decks and outdoor meals with friends and family. Gone too was a satisfying structure of daily exercise, work and meals that provided a feeling of control over my life. It’s challenging to maintain joie de vivre when there are limited opportunities to socialize with people who can lift one’s spirits or to attend cultural or sports events that break up the monotony of pandemic days and nights. But while the pandemic, with its myriad economic, vocational, educational and social disruptions, is challenge enough for people who are not normally prone to the blues, the days of truncated daylight this November through March could be far gloomier than usual for millions of Americans who suffer annually from seasonal depression. This winter the pandemic is expected to intensify the depression experienced by many people with the syndrome known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, which predictably kicks in each fall when the hours of daylight shorten in the Northern hemisphere and gradually remits in spring. An estimated 5 percent of the population — one person in 20 — has the full-blown SAD syndrome, said Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, the psychiatrist who first identified it in the 1980s and then devised an effective treatment. In an interview, he estimated that three times as many people have a milder version of SAD, commonly called “winter blues,” that saps their energy and enthusiasm for life. Except for its seasonal pattern, the symptoms of SAD are similar to those of clinical depression: pervasive sadness, undue fatigue, difficulty concentrating, excessive sleep, lost interest in normally enjoyed activities, and cravings for starches and sweets and its attendant weight gain. “I think we’re in for a particularly difficult winter for people with SAD, who seem to be especially susceptible to stressful life events,” Kelly Rohan, professor of psychological science at the University of Vermont, told me. “I saw evidence of this last March among the 26 people with SAD we were studying when the pandemic shut everything down. We were interviewing them weekly about their mood and everyone’s score shot up dramatically.” Although the symptoms of SAD normally disappear completely every summer, Dr. Rohan said, “in the summer of 2020 we didn’t see a full remission in our patients. With such big stresses going on, they are overriding the seasonal pattern.” Dr. Rohan fears that the anxiety and stress provoked by the pandemic will increase the risk and severity of winter depression for everyone. “It’s possible that those with subclinical SAD will become clinical,” she said. “People will be limited in what they can do to stay well even if they normally have good coping resources.” However, Dr. Rosenthal said, “Just understanding the issues can give people a blueprint for handling them more effectively.” Most helpful for people with SAD, he said, is exposure to sunlight or its artificial equivalent for 20 to 30 minutes every morning. The standard amount of light needed is 10,000 lux. Sitting under a commercial light box at least one-foot square will do the job. Also helpful is using a dawn simulator in the bedroom or a light set on a timer to turn on 10 or 20 minutes before you get up. My late husband was helped by walking the dog for half an hour or so every morning after sunrise. “A 20-minute early morning walk in the sun is as good as commercial light therapy,” Dr. Rosenthal said, “but while morning is best, whenever you can do a walk is helpful. The combination of exercise and outdoor light is crucially important. It connects you with your environment — not just the light but also the birds, trees, animal life, neighborhood — all can act as an antidote to the cocoon of isolation.” Our conversation reminded me of the spirit-lifting tactics I had adopted during the devastating early months of the pandemic, when my city was the epicenter of Covid-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths. I made a point of finding something every day that brought joy: new growth on neighborhood trees, emerging blooms in people’s yards, watching my dog play with his canine pals, flirting with toddlers on the street, doing an evening shout-out for our essential workers who put their lives on the line for the rest of us. “Don’t squeeze joy out of your life,” Dr. Rosenthal said emphatically. “There’s got to be joy every day. It’s an upfront investment that pays off handsomely.” He suggested taking classes online, perhaps learning to make jewelry or paint or play an instrument. Also very important is staying connected with people, perhaps by scheduling a socially distant lunch date or joining a friend for coffee or tea. Dr. Rohan said, “It’s more important than ever to push yourself to stay engaged with activities you enjoy and stay connected with people as best as you can. To do otherwise is a recipe for disaster.” If in-person connections won’t work, use the telephone to stay in touch with people you care about. I make a practice of calling a geographically distant family member or friend every week. The isolation and quiet of the pandemic enabled Dr. Rosenthal to tackle a long-delayed book project: analyzing poetry. “Poetry,” he said, “has the power to heal,” and he’s chosen 50 poems to discuss how they can make a difference in one’s life. Another valuable tip is to establish and maintain structure by doing things in a more-or-less set pattern every day. I recently realized that it was the loss of the satisfying routines of summer that helped precipitate my fall funk. In a Times Op-Ed in March, Scott Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut who spent nearly a year on the International Space Station, described the tremendous psychological value of following a schedule and leading a structured life with a consistent bedtime. “Smoothing out the structure of the day is important for maintaining circadian rhythms,” Dr. Rosenthal said. “Sleep becomes more consolidated and it’s good for psychological well-being.” |
| Source: | The New York Times |
|
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
|
|||||||||||
Zoom is set to eliminate one of the worst aspects of video conferencing By Joel Khalili Live captions should stop you losing the thread of conversation in your next Zoom meeting Zoom meeting
Zoom has unveiled a new feature that should make video conferencing more accessible, while reducing the likelihood of miscommunication. Courtesy of a collaboration with speech-to-text platform Otter.ai, Zoom meetings will now offer a live caption feature. With the option enabled, the presenter’s words will appear on-screen in near real-time (at a delay of roughly two seconds). The feature is designed primarily to allow users with hearing impairments to follow the thread of conversation with greater ease. However, it could also prove a boon for non-fluent English speakers that require a little extra help, as well as anyone that suffers audio drop-out as a result of a poor connection. If the standalone Otter.ai service is anything to go by, the Zoom live captions feature - available under Pro and Business plans — is likely to be quick and highly accurate. The main caveat, however, is that the service only currently supports the English language, which somewhat limits the scope of the new feature. Zoom live captionsThe new Zoom live captions option builds upon an existing integration with Otter.ai, announced in May, that allows users to generate a full transcription of their meetings. These transcriptions are created in real-time and can be browsed, highlighted and annotated on the go - and also allow late joiners to catch up on anything they’ve missed. “At a time when most meetings, events, and classes are going virtual, remote workers and students increasingly struggle to listen and pay attention while taking notes,” wrote Sam Liang, Otter.ai founder and CEO. “Now more than ever, businesses and schools need tools that can capture information accurately and make it accessible immediately.” Off the back of its partnership with Zoom, Otter.ai has seen a dramatic uptick in usage. The platform has transcribed more than one billion audio minutes to date, in large part driven by the influx in Zoom meetings. Powered by machine learning algorithms, the speech-to-text service should only improve over time, giving remote workers new ways to engage with video meetings in the process. |
| Source: | TechRadar |
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 |
|
|||||||
| Inside Towers Newsletter |
|
Ice and Wind KO Towers in Oklahoma and Texas
Powerful ice storms downed electrical lines and towers across Oklahoma and Texas Monday leaving hundreds of thousands of without power as of Wednesday. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, reported roughly 373,000 households and businesses across the state were still without power. Warmer weather is expected by today to help melt some of the ice and let emergency crews repair the grid although Oklahoma Gas & Electric said it has restored service to 100,000 homes so far. Two towers in the region collapsed from the combination of wind and ice, including an 1,100 foot tower that carries KTBO-TV and is owned by Trinity Broadcasting. A witness on social media said the structure had up to three inches of ice on it that contributed to the collapse. “It will be down indefinitely,” said a company spokesman. Another tower in Oklahoma City reportedly belonging to Tyler Media Group was brought down by the storm as well. At deadline, calls to the company went to voicemail and were unanswered. Verizon issued the following statement yesterday to their customers. “While commercial power is out in many parts of Oklahoma and Texas, most of Verizon’s cell sites remain online thanks to backup batteries and generators. These batteries and generators keep our cell sites and switch facilities up and running which allows us to keep our customers connected.” |
| Source: | Inside Towers newsletter | Courtesy of the editor of Inside Towers Jim Fryer. Inside Towers is a daily newsletter by subscription. |
| BloostonLaw Newsletter |
RDOF Auction BeginsOn October 29, bidding in the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I Auction began. The auction targets up to $16 billion to deploy networks to serve up to 10.25 million. 386 providers qualified to bid, which according to the FCC represents a more than 75% increase over the number that qualified for the 2018 Connect America Phase II auction. The auction will proceed using a multi-round, descending clock auction format in which bidders will indicate in each round whether they will bid to provide service to an area at a given performance tier and latency at the current round’s support amount. The auction will end after the aggregate support amount of all bids is less than or equal to the total $16 billion budget and competition for support in any given area no longer exists. Today saw the close of Round 4 of the auction. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast. HeadlinesFCC Announces Tentative Agenda for November Open MeetingOn October 28, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing the tentative agenda for its upcoming November Open Meeting, which is currently scheduled for Wednesday, November 18. At the Open Meeting, the FCC is planning to consider the following items:
The FCC publicly releases the draft text of items expected to be considered at the next Open Commission Meeting, which are linked in the text above. One-page cover sheets prepared by the FCC are included in the public drafts to help summarize each item. These public drafts are not final, and the final items actually considered at the Open Meeting may differ. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and John Prendergast. T-Mobile to Pay $200 Million Civil Penalty to Resolve Sprint Lifeline InvestigationOn November 4, the FCC issued a Press Release announcing that T-Mobile will pay a $200 million penalty to the U.S. Treasury to resolve an investigation of its subsidiary Sprint’s compliance with the FCC’s Lifeline rules. The settlement comes after an investigation into reports that Sprint, prior to its merger with T-Mobile, was claiming monthly subsidies for serving approximately 885,000 Lifeline subscribers even though those subscribers were not using the service, in potential violation of the FCC’s “non-usage” rule. Under this rule, providers of “free” service may only be reimbursed for a Lifeline subscriber if that subscriber has used the service at least once in the past 30 days, and such providers must de-enroll subscribers who don’t use their phones after giving them 15 days’ notice. “Lifeline is key to our commitment to bringing digital opportunity to low-income Americans, and it is especially critical that we make the best use of taxpayer dollars for this vital program,” said Chairman Ajit Pai. “I’m pleased that we were able to resolve this investigation in a manner that sends a strong message about the importance of complying with rules designed to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the Lifeline program. In addition to the great work of our Enforcement Bureau team, I would like to thank the Oregon Public Utility FCC for its efforts in this case. States play an important role in helping low-income consumers get access to affordable communications through Lifeline and making sure the program is run efficiently.” BloostonLaw Contacts: Mary Sisak. New NCE and LPFM Rules Effective October 30On November 2, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing the effective date of new rules for noncommercial educational (NCE) broadcast stations and low power FM (LPFM) stations and new and interim procedures for filing four separate applications in light of the new rules. These rules were awaiting approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) because they contain information collection requirements. Effective immediately:
As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the FCC released its NCE LPFM Order in December of last year, which adopted changes to the FCC’s rules and procedures to select and license competing applications for new and major modifications to NCE full-service stations and LPFM stations. Those rules not requiring OMB approval became effective on April 13, 2020. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Gerry Duffy. FCC Lifts Freeze on Television Station Minor Modification Applications, Rulemaking PetitionsOn October 29, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing that it will lift freezes on the filing of certain full power and Class A television station minor modification applications and full power television station rulemaking petitions to amend the DTV Table of Allotments. The freeze will be lifted effective 15 days after the Public Notice is published in the Federal Register. Specifically, we lift the following freezes, established in August 2004, in connection with developing a channel election and repacking process that would assign television broadcasters an in-core (at that time, channels 2- 51) post-transition DTV channel:
There are currently no freezes on the filing of minor modification, displacement, or digital companion channel applications for low power television and television translator stations. There is, however, currently a freeze on the filing of applications for new LPTV/translator stations. The FCC will keep this freeze in place given the fact that licensed and permitted LPTV/translator stations are still being displaced as a result of modifications by full-service stations as they technically adjust to their new repacked channel locations. These freezes were originally adopted order to ensure a stable technical database in connection with the DTV transition back in 2004. With the 2009 completion of the DTV transition and the July 13, 2020 completion of the post-incentive auction transition period, these freezes are no longer required. BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy. Law and RegulationFCC Proposes $75,000 Penalty for Failing to Timely Provide Supporting Documents to USACOn November 2, the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability finding that US South Communications, Inc. d/b/a US South & IWCOMM (US South or Company) apparently failed repeatedly to timely respond to directives from USAC to provide records that justify financial and other information reported in its 2018 and 2019 Telecommunications Reporting Worksheets (Worksheets). Therefore, the FCC proposed a penalty of $75,000 against US South for its apparent failure to timely provide the supporting documentation. After originally filing its 2018 Annual Worksheet on March 30, 2018, US South filed a revised Worksheet on March 28, 2019, making substantial changes to its reported revenues for the 2017 calendar year. Between April 15, 2019, and June 4, 2020, USAC repeatedly directed US South to submit documentation supporting the Company’s reported revenues, initially to support US South’s revision to the 2018 Annual Worksheet, and later for US South’s 2019 Annual Worksheet. USAC’s directives were communicated to both US South employees and a US South consultant. On November 6, 2019, USAC referred US South to the FCC for investigation into the Company’s apparent non-compliance with the FCC’s rules, which require contributors to “maintain records and documentation to justify information reported in the [Worksheets], including the methodology used to determine projections, . . . and shall provide such records and documentation to . . . the Administrator upon request.” The $75,000 proposed forfeiture is based on a $50,000 forfeiture the FCC has levied in similar circumstances, plus a 50% upward adjustment because of the repeated nature of the Company’s apparent violations, including the Company’s apparent failures to respond to USAC’s directives to provide documentation by the April 22, September 12, and November 5, 2019, deadlines. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Sal Taillefer. FCC Fines Arizona Company $37 Million for Illegal SpoofingOn October 28, the FCC issued a Forfeiture Order imposing a $37,525,000 forfeiture on Affordable Enterprises of Arizona, LLC (Affordable) for making 2,341,125 unlawful spoofed telemarketing calls over a 14-month period. Specifically, the FCC found that Affordable displayed the caller ID information of: (1) numbers that were assigned to prepaid wireless phones, for which the subscriber information was not available; (2) numbers that were unassigned (i.e., not in use by any consumer); or (3) numbers that were assigned to consumers who had no affiliation or relationship with Affordable. In 2017, the FCC became aware that Affordable was engaged in a large-scale telemarketing campaign in which it displayed caller ID information that, in many instances, did not reflect telephone numbers that were, at the time of the calls, assigned to Affordable. The FCC initiated an investigation, compiling evidence from multiple sources, including consumer complaints and sworn statements from a former employee of Affordable, and found that Affordable made 2,341,125 live spoofed telemarketing calls during a 14-month period, from July 26, 2016, to September 25, 2017. The former employee explained that Affordable used lists of numbers of Arizona customers to target in its telemarketing campaign, and those lists included numbers that were registered on the Do Not Call Registry. Affordable used these lists of numbers to initiate telemarketing calls to advertise various home remodeling and improvement services. Affordable made the calls using a third-party telemarketing platform, and purchased prepaid phones that were marketed by TracFone Wireless, Inc., doing business as Tracfone (Tracfone). According to the former employee, Affordable registered the phones anonymously and referred to them internally as “burner phones.” Affordable did not use the prepaid phones to make the telemarketing calls; instead it imported the phone numbers assigned to the prepaid phones into a third-party telemarketing platform, so that when Affordable placed live calls using the platform, the caller ID displayed the prepaid phone numbers. Affordable filed a response to the Notice on December 11, 2018, arguing that the Notice should be canceled or the proposed forfeiture should be reduced substantially. Affordable admitted that it hired a third-party telemarketing platform and intentionally manipulated the caller ID of its telemarketing calls to display numbers other than the originating number. Affordable, however, argued that because the caller ID reflected phone numbers assigned to prepaid phones that Affordable had purchased, the it did not illegally spoof the caller ID, and lacked the requisite knowledge or intent required by the Truth in Caller ID Act. Affordable argued that its inability to pay warrants a downward adjustment to $152,316.76 and that due process warrants a further reduction to $3,752.50. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Sal Taillefer. FCC Dismisses Pending Petitions for Reconsideration of Transformation OrderOn October 30, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing the dismissal of seven petitions for reconsideration of various aspects of 2011’s USF/ICC Transformation Order. These petitions have been pending before the FCC since December 29, 2011:
According to the Public Notice, the FCC received no objections to the dismissal of the seven petitions identified in the chart above and therefore dismissed those petitions with prejudice. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, Mary Sisak, and Sal Taillefer. IndustryGAO Issues Report on FCC Administration of High-Cost ProgramOn October 30, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on the FCC’s management of the high-cost program. According to the report, “the FCC needs additional data on how the program is working, to help drive decisions on effective use of available funds. Also, the FCC's public reports don't address the program's performance goals as written, raising questions about just how effective the program is.” Specifically, the GAO makes four recommendations:
The FCC concurred with all four recommendations. A full copy of the report is available here. FCC Announces 100% Broadband Access in Puerto Rico Under Uniendo A Puerto Rico FundOn November 2, the FCC issued a Press Release announcing that funding through Stage 2 of the Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund will result in all locations in Puerto Rico having access to fixed broadband service with speeds of at least 100 Mbps. And nearly one-third of those locations will have access to fixed broadband service with speeds of at least 1 Gbps. Two winning applicants in the Uniendo a Puerto Rico Stage 2 Competitive Process submitted bids for $127.1 million in funding over 10 years covering more than 1.2 million locations through a competitive process that awarded support for fixed voice and broadband services based on the weighting of price and network performance, including speed, latency, usage allowance, and resiliency. Liberty Communications has committed to offering service to over 914,000 locations, and Puerto Rico Telephone Company will offer service to over 308,000 locations. Liberty Communications won approximately $71.54 million in support to provide high-speed broadband access to all locations in 43 of Puerto Rico’s 78 municipios (roughly equivalent to counties on the American mainland). Puerto Rico Telephone Company won approximately $55.56 million in support to provide high-speed broadband access to all locations in the other 35 municipios. “These are incredible results! I’m very pleased with the outcome of the Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund’s Stage 2 Competitive Process,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “The Fund will bring modern, resilient broadband service of at least 100 Mbps to every location in Puerto Rico—each and every one. As most people know, the island has suffered so much devastation to communications infrastructure from hurricanes in recent years, and even before that, connectivity was a challenge for many. Our decisive action to enable the deployment of resilient, next-generation broadband networks throughout Puerto Rico reflects our determination to close the digital divide, which has been my top priority since becoming Chairman.” USDA Updates Telecommunications Program Map LinksOn October 29, the USDA issued a notice providing of new links to the Telecommunications (Telecom) Program Maps. Currently, ArcGIS Online supports configuring HTTP or HTTPS, but the “HTTPS Only” default will be enforced moving forward. As part of this upgrade, Telecom Program Maps with HTTP protocol have been modified to HTTPS. Users attempting to visit the old map links will receive an error message and will not be able to view map layers. The affected maps include:
USDA suggests users clear their cache and refresh their screen upon first accessing these maps. Also, users who have saved or bookmarked the old maps links should update to the new URLs above. 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 2020 calendar year, will be due January 15, 2021, for all CMRS service providers that had operations during any portion of 2020. Companies that sold their wireless licenses during 2019 and that didn’t otherwise provide mobile wireless service (e.g., via resale) during the 2020 calendar year won’t have any obligation to file a HAC compliance certification for the 2020 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 2020 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. JANUARY 31: FCC FORM 555, ANNUAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIER CERTIFICATION FORM. All Lifeline Program service providers are required to file the FCC Form 555, except where the National Verifier, state Lifeline administrator, or other entity is responsible. Since January 31 falls on a weekend or holiday this year, Form 555 may be filed by February 1. The FCC Form 555 must be submitted to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) electronically via USAC’s E-File (One Portal). Carriers must also file a copy of their FCC Form 555 in the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System, Docket 14-171, and with their state regulatory commission. The form reports the results of the annual recertification process and non-usage deenrollments. Recertification results are reported month-by-month based on the subscribers’ anniversary date. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and John Prendergast. Calendar At-a-GlanceNovember December January
|
|
||||||
| THIS WEEK'S MESIC VIDEO |
André Rieu & Carmen Monarcha – Habanera (Live in Maastricht)
|
|
Source: |
 Best regards,  Newsletter Editor 73 DE K9IQY Licensed since 1957 |
Current member or former member of these organizations. | ||||
The National
 Rifle Association |
MENSA MEMBER
|
A Public Library of
Paging and Wireless Messaging Information |
Wireless
 Messaging |
||
|
Critical Messaging
 Association |
European Mobile Messaging Association
Former Board Member |
ZP5TQ
 Radio Club of Paraguay |
Quarter Century
Wireless Association |
|
Back To Paging
Still The Most Reliable Wireless Protocol For Emergencies! |
American Association
 of Woodturners |
U.S. Navy
 Radioman |
U.S. Navy Radioman  Second Class Petty Officer |
Boy Scouts of America
 National Honor Society |
Creator of the
 Paging Wheel of Fortune |
National Skeet
 Shooting Association |
Institute Electrical and
Electronics Engineers |
American Radio 
Relay League |
The Radio Club
of America |
Life is good!
|
|
|
CONTACT INFO & LINKS
|
Amateur Radio
|
VETERAN
 United States Navy |
|||
| Home Page | Directory | Consulting | Newsletters | Free Subscription | Products | Reference | Glossary | Send e-mail |
