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Messaging News

This Week's Wireless News Headlines

• HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING — MY HOBBY
• Microsoft is finally fixing Windows 10 rearranging apps on multiple monitors
  • No more dragging your apps back to where they should be
• Springfield exhibit on ‘Music from Illinois’ remembers radio too
• Spōk Reports 2021 First Quarter Results
• Audiophiles Need To Embrace Science Over Religion For The Hobby To Have a Future
• Epic deposition shows how differently Google and Apple treat messaging
  • Apple considered fighting a Google/WhatsApp acquisition with iMessage on Android
• CMASummit21 “Public Safety”
• Inside Towers
  • 5G for 12 GHz Coalition Forms to Keep Out Satcoms
• BloostonLaw Telecom Update
  • REMINDER: Study Area Boundary Recertifications Due May 26
  • FCC Proposes 911 Outage Notification Rules
  • 800 MHz Rebanding Complete
  • FCC to Consider Allowing New Wireless Mic Technology
  • Comment Sought on Emission Limits for 24.25-27.5 GHz Band
  • Revised DTV Rules for Full-Power Television Broadcast Stations Effective May 24
  • Submarine Cable Outage Reporting Requirements Begin October 28
  • FCC Issues $4.1 Million Forfeiture for Slamming
  • FCC Confirms Relaxed Equity/Debt Attribution for Broadcast Auction 109
  • National Supply Chain Integrity Workshop Available Online
  • Deadlines
  • Calendar At-a-Glance
  • Blooston Law Contacts
• Music Video Of The Week
  • “Chan Chan”
  • Compay Segundo

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING — MY HOBBY

One article included this week, entitled “Audiophiles Need To Embrace Science Over Religion For The Hobby To Have a Future” really caught my attention. It's not really about religion or science, it's just the first article that I have read in a long time about audiophile equipment (Hi-Fi, Stereo and Home Theater) that really makes sense. (e.g. magic cables)

One notable quotation from the article:

“The audiophile establishment needs to embrace the fact that, for $20 per month, an enthusiast can have unlimited access to nearly every recording ever made in at-minimum Compact Disc-level resolution, with many others in near-master tape-quality HD streaming.” If you like good sounding music don't skip this one.

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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Microsoft is finally fixing Windows 10 rearranging apps on multiple monitors

No more dragging your apps back to where they should be

By Tom Warren @tomwarren Apr 28, 2021, 1:48pm EDT

If you’re a Windows user and you use multiple monitors, you’ve probably experienced the headache of apps randomly rearranging when you resume from sleep. There have been a variety of ways to work around this over the years, but Microsoft is finally addressing it and fixing it in a future Windows 10 update.

“The technical terminology we use to describe this problem is known as Rapid Hot Plug Detect (Rapid HPD),” explains Michelle Xiong, a program manager on the graphics team at Microsoft. “This behavior impacts DisplayPort multi-monitor setups which results in unwanted desktop rearrangements.”

This problem is particularly troublesome if you’re using a laptop with a secondary screen or an additional monitor goes into deep sleep and Windows thinks it has been unplugged. Windows will then go ahead and move all of your apps onto another screen, and you have to drag them all back manually. It’s a giant headache if you experience the issue daily.

Microsoft has been working on preventing Rapid HPD from rearranging Windows apps, and a fix is coming in the big Windows 10 update that’s due later this year. Windows Insiders can currently get access to this with build 21287 or above, but it does mean running a beta version of the OS on a device. Microsoft is expected to ship this final update in October, but if you can’t wait then you can go ahead and try it right now.

50 years experience providing and supporting radio and paging customers worldwide. Call us anytime we can be useful!

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Springfield exhibit on ‘Music from Illinois’ remembers radio too

posted on April 28, 2021 at 6:00 am by Robert Feder

An ambitious exhibition celebrating music from Illinois and the legendary musicians who made it — including a working radio studio available to DJs throughout the state — will open Friday in Springfield.

“The State of Sound: A World of Music from Illinois” will run through January 2022 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. (Here is the link.)

The immersive and interactive exhibit will take visitors through a recreated backstage area of a concert arena. Videos and instruments, memorabilia and personal items from scores of artists will be on display, spanning popular music from rhythm and blues singers, ’60s pop and “garage bands,” arena rockers of the ’70s and ’80s to country, jazz, modern day hip-hop, folk, alternative and more.

One-of-a-kind artifacts include Benny Goodman’s clarinet, Common’s suit from his 2015 Oscars performance, Howlin’ Wolf’s harmonica, John Prine’s stage props, Dan Fogelberg’s guitar and an Earth, Wind & Fire stage costume.

Radio’s role in music history will be recognized with a meticulously designed vintage studio containing a fully functional broadcast suite. Music DJs and podcasters are invited to use the space when the gallery is open.

No less an authority than Dave Hoekstra, the eminent Chicago journalist and former Sun-Times columnist and music writer, has written the exhibit’s text, scripts and accompanying materials.

Dave Hoekstra

Hoekstra will record podcasts from the museum studio May 5 and 6 with Cheaa Mayfield, son of Curtis Mayfield; Alex Dixon, grandson of Willie Dixon: Rosanna Goodman, daughter of Steve Goodman; and Jonathan Wright and Dawson Barrett, authors of Punks in Peoria.

Overseeing the project is Lance Tawzer, director of exhibits and shows for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Back in the ’90s Tawzer was a recording artist who briefly co-hosted mornings with Doug “Stoley” Stoll on alternative rock WKQX 101.1-FM. The two also were members of the Chicago-based band The Lupins.

“Illinois artists helped shaped the sound of the blues, gospel, soul and house music. Others worked in established genres but brought such talent and originality that their contributions can never be forgotten,” Tawzer said in a statement.

“No exhibit could capture all of this state’s music history, but we think ‘State of Sound’ will give visitors new insights into music legends and introduce them to some artists who deserve a wider audience.”

Paging Transmitters 150/900 MHz

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• Demand Response Energy Grid Management.

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

• Use as a stand-alone unit or in wide area network.
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The Wireless Messaging News
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Spōk Reports 2021 First Quarter Results

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Apr. 28, 2021—SPOK HOLDINGS, INC. (NASDAQ: SPOK), a GLOBAL LEADER IN HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS, today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021. In addition, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.125 per share, payable on June 24, 2021, to stockholders of record on May 25, 2021.

Key First Quarter 2021 Operating Highlights:

• First quarter 2021 software revenue of $15.9 million included $9.4 million of maintenance revenue and $6.5 million of operations revenue. This was consistent with first quarter 2020 software revenue of $15.9 million, which included $9.7 million of maintenance revenue and $6.2 million of operations revenue.
• Software bookings in the first quarter of 2021 totaled $14.6 million, compared to $15.6 million in the prior year quarter. First quarter software bookings included Spok Go® deals with an aggregate total contract value of approximately $0.7 million. First quarter software bookings also included $5.9 million of legacy operations bookings and $8.0 million of maintenance renewals. As of March 31, 2021, the software revenue backlog totaled $48.8 million, compared to the backlog of $49.1 million at March 31, 2020.
• The quarterly rate of paging unit erosion was 1.2% in the first quarter of 2021, compared to paging unit erosion of 1.3% in the first quarter of 2020. Gross disconnects were down on a year-over-year basis.
• Total paging ARPU (average revenue per unit) in the first quarter of 2021 totaled $7.34, up from ARPU of $7.31 in the first quarter of 2020, primarily due to the recovery of Telecommunications Service Charges (TRS) that began in early 2021, and general increases of Universal Service Fees (USF). USF and TRS fees are effectively pass-through items that have corresponding costs associated with them. Excluding these pass-through items, ARPU would have declined in-line with historical trends.
• Operating expenses in the first quarter of 2021 totaled $37.8 million, down from $41.4 million in the first quarter of 2020. Adjusted operating expenses (which excludes depreciation, amortization and accretion charges, and includes capitalized software development costs) totaled $38.0 million in the first quarter of 2021, down more than 7% from adjusted operating expenses of $40.9 million in the first quarter of 2020.
• Capital expenses were $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2021, compared to $1.0 million in the first quarter of 2020.
• The number of full-time equivalent employees as of March 31, 2021 totaled 603, compared to 620 at March 31, 2020.
• Capital paid to stockholders in the first quarter of 2021 aggregated $2.7 million. This came in the form of the Company's regular quarterly dividend.
• The Company’s cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments balance as of March 31, 2021, was $71.6 million, compared to $78.7 million at December 31, 2020.

2021 First Quarter Results:

Consolidated revenue for the first quarter of 2021 under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) was $36.0 million, compared to $37.3 million in the first quarter of 2020.

GAAP net loss for the first quarter of 2021 was $2.3 million, or a loss of $0.12 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $4.5 million, or a loss of $0.24 per basic and diluted share, in the first quarter of 2020. In the first quarter of 2021, adjusted EBITDA totaled $0.3 million compared to an adjusted EBITDA loss of $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2020.

Management Commentary:

“We are encouraged by our performance in the first quarter and believe it sets a solid foundation for the remainder of 2021, as we continue our transition from a traditional communications company to an integrated clinical software-based business,” said Vincent D. Kelly, president and chief executive officer. "While we are still operating in a very challenging environment, we are making tangible progress executing against our strategy, and we are beginning to see benefits to our business as a result of the increasing prevalence of COVID-19 vaccines. Notably, our sales and services teams are resuming more normalized travel schedules and visiting customer sites in-person that they had been prevented from visiting since early last year.

"We launched Spok Go, our software-as-a-service, cloud-native platform just over a year ago, at the onset of the pandemic. Despite unprecedented challenges, our team was able to generate initial sales of this platform in the second half of last year, and that momentum has carried into 2021. In the first quarter, we announced the international expansion of the Spok Go platform in Canada and Australia, with localized capabilities to meet compliance and language requirements. We also added two more Spok Go wins in these markets. We also made significant progress in clinical innovation partner development, collaborating with both Mayo Clinic and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton to enhance the clinical optimization of the Spok Go platform. These partnerships are very valuable to us, as they are further evidence of the broad acceptance that our Spok Go platform is receiving and provide us insights from best-in-class organizations to enhance the capabilities of Spok Go.

"In the first quarter, we slightly grew software revenue, and our backlog was consistent with prior year levels. We believe these are significant milestones in our recovery to pre-pandemic operating performance, as it shows a comparison to the last quarter that was not materially impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, in the first quarter, we saw continued solid trends in our wireless business. We are focused on maintaining our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments balances, and in the first quarter, we generated slightly positive cash flow from operations. We achieved these results while continuing to support our Spok Care Connect® platform and investing in Spok Go. Last year we implemented a furlough program designed to conserve cash, prevent layoffs and continue our investment while our healthcare customers struggled with the pandemic. We continued that plan into 2021 with across-the-board furloughs of one week in each of the 1st and 2nd quarters. We are ending furloughs after the second quarter and have no plans to continue them going forward," concluded Kelly.

Business Outlook:

Michael W. Wallace, chief operating officer and chief financial officer, said, “Disciplined expense management continues to be a key focus, as we further align expense levels with market demand for our products. During the first quarter, operating expenses were down nearly 9% and adjusted operating expenses were down more than 7% from prior year levels, with improvements in most expense categories over that period. Spok’s balance sheet remains strong, as the cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments balance was $71.6 million at March 31, 2021 and we are still operating with no debt.”

Regarding financial guidance for 2021, based on the increased visibility the Company has into the operating environment through the end of the year, and the discontinuance of the furlough program after the second quarter, Spok revised its 2021 financial guidance ranges. Spok's revised expectations are summarized in the following table:

	Previous Guidance		Current Guidance
(Unaudited and in millions)	Full Year 2021		Full Year 2021
Revenue
Wireless	$ 74.0 to	$ 80.0	$ 77.0 to	$ 81.0
Software	$ 58.2	$ 67.2	$ 61.0	$ 70.0
Total Revenue	$ 132.2	$ 147.2	$ 138.0	$ 151.0
Adjusted Operating Expenses	$ 142.7	$ 150.7	$ 151.0	$ 157.0
Capital Expenditures	$ 2.7	$ 6.7	$ 3.5	$ 5.5

On April 14, 2021, in support of the Company's Board of Directors’ ongoing annual refreshment process, Brian O’Reilly informed the Company that he will not stand for re-election to the Board at the Company’s 2021 annual meeting of stockholders. Mr. O’Reilly will remain a director and maintain his committee memberships through the 2021 annual meeting. Royce Yudkoff, chairman of the board of directors, said, "On behalf of my fellow directors, I would like to thank Brian for his many years of leadership on the Board and the significant contributions he has made to the Company."

In addition, on June 1, 2021, the Company will publish its inaugural Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, reflecting a continued commitment to advancing the Company’s ESG goals and sustainable business practices.

2021 Investor Day Program:

The Company also announced that it plans to host an investor day during the week of October 11th. The investor day program will feature presentations by management. The investor day will be run concurrently with Spok's Connect '21 customer conference in Dallas. Investors will be invited to attend the Connect '21 keynote address and opening sessions on the first day of the conference. Investors would then be invited to a breakout session for the management presentations. The investor day will conclude at the end of the first day of the Connect '21 conference. The Company will provide more details in future press releases.

2021 First Quarter Call and Replay:

Spok plans to host a conference call for investors to discuss its 2021 first quarter results at 10:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 29, 2021. Dial-in numbers for the call are 1 334-323-0501 or 800-353-6461. The confirmation code for the call is 4773192. A replay of the call will be available from 1:00 p.m. ET on April 29, 2021 until 1:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 13, 2021. To listen to the replay, please register at HTTP://TINYURL.COM/SPOK2021Q1EARNINGSREPLAY. Please cut and paste this address into your browser, enter the registration information, and you will be given access to the replay.

About Spok

Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK), headquartered in Alexandria, 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 Go® and Spok Care Connect® platforms to enhance workflows for clinicians and support administrative compliance. Our customers send over 100 million messages each month through their Spok® solutions. When seconds count and patients' lives are at stake, Spok enables smarter, faster clinical communication. For more information, VISIT SPOK.COM or follow @SPOKTWEETS on Twitter.

Spok is a trademark of Spok Holdings, Inc. Spok Go® and Spok Care Connect® are trademarks of Spok, Inc.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains the following non-GAAP financial measures: adjusted operating expenses and adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted operating expenses excludes depreciation, amortization and accretion, and includes capitalized software development costs. Adjusted EBITDA represents net income/(loss) before interest income/expense, income tax expense/benefit, depreciation, amortization and accretion expense, stock based compensation expense, and includes capitalized software development costs.

We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to management and investors regarding certain financial and business trends relating to Spok's financial condition and results of operations. We use these non-GAAP measures for financial, operational and budgetary decision-making purposes, to understand and evaluate our core operating performance and trends, and to generate future operating plans. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures permit us to more thoroughly analyze key financial metrics used to make operational decisions and allow us to assess our core operating results. We believe that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures provides an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing our financial measures with other software companies who present similar non-GAAP financial measures. We adjust for certain items because we do not regard these costs as reflective of normal costs related to the ongoing operation of the business in the ordinary course. In general, these items possess one or more of the following characteristics; non-cash expenses, factors outside of our control, items that are non-operational in nature, and unusual items not expected to occur in the normal course of business.

We do not consider these non-GAAP measures in isolation or as an alternative to financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. The principal of these non-GAAP financial measures is that they exclude significant expenses and income that are required by GAAP to be recorded in the Company's financial statements. In addition, they are subject to inherent limitations as they reflect the exercise of judgment by management about which expenses and income are excluded or included in determining these non-GAAP financial measures. In order to compensate for these limitations, management presents non-GAAP financial measures in connection with GAAP results. We urge investors to review the reconciliation of our non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP financial measures, which are included in this press release, and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business.

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, risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on our business and the economy, other economic conditions such as recessionary economic cycles, higher interest rates, inflation and higher levels of unemployment, our ability to effectively develop, introduce and deploy our integrated communications platform and collaboration platform, Spok Go, declining demand for paging products and services, continued demand for our software products and services, our dependence on the U.S. healthcare industry, 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, our ability to realize the benefits associated with our deferred tax assets, and future impairments of our long-lived assets, amortizable intangible assets and goodwill, 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.

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

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

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

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Experts in Paging Infrastructure

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

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

Easy Solutions
3220 San Simeon Way
Plano, Texas 75023
Vaughan Bowden
Telephone: 972-898-1119
Telephone: 214 785-8255
Website: www.EasySolutions4You.com
E-mail: vaughan@easysolutions4you.com

GLENAYRE INFRASTRUCTURE

Service Contracts

I would like to recommend Easy Solutions for Support of all Glenayre Paging Equipment. This Texas company is owned and operated by Vaughan Bowden. I have known Vaughan for over 35 years. Without going into a long list of his experience and qualifications, let me just say that he was the V.P. of Engineering at PageNet which was—at that time—the largest paging company in the world. So Vaughan knows Paging.

GTES is no longer offering support contracts. GTES was the original group from Vancouver that was setup to offer support to customers that wanted to continue with the legacy Glenayre support. Many U.S. customers chose not to use this service because of the price and the original requirement to upgrade to version 8.0 software (which required expensive hardware upgrades, etc.). Most contracts ended as of February 2018.

If you are at all concerned about future support of Glenayre products, especially the “king of the hill” the GL3000 paging control terminal, I encourage you to talk to Vaughan about a service contract and please tell him about my recommendation.

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INTERNET Protocol Terminal

The IPT accepts INTERNET or serial messaging using various protocols and can easily convert them to different protocols, or send them out as paging messages.

An ideal platform for hospitals, on-site paging applications, or converting legacy systems to modern protocols.

Additional/Optional Features

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

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Audiophiles Need To Embrace Science Over Religion For The Hobby To Have a Future

by Jerry Del Colliano — April 28, 2021

Speaker Cable Snake Oil

The demographics of the audiophile hobby today are downright frightening, a fact that I’ve been harping on editorially for years and years. It is well known that there are close to zero female audiophiles, and the current trajectory of the hobby isn’t likely to change that. The Baby Boomers, who invented, created, grew, and now curate the hobby, need to be concerned about the average age of the audiophile hobbyist. The number is high when the goal is to sell them expensive technology. While Generation X (think: mid-40s to later 50s in age today) is not excluded from the hobby — they spend on all sorts of technology with enthusiasm — it is that time in their lives to invest in marquee material goods, like a fine pair of speakers or an OLED UHD-TV. In regards to the future of the hobby, the question is, just how many more 72-year-old audiophiles will want to upgrade their $12,000 tube preamp to a $20,000 one when they are 10 years older? Not many. Can Asian, Middle Eastern and other overseas markets make up for the dwindling demand, lack of displaying retailers, and other problems in the United States? Unlikely, as they’ve sustained the business of high-performance audio for longer than most American audiophiles understand and/or admit. It ain’t a news story that the audiophile hobby needs a sea change to save the business of consumer high-end audio.

The solution to the business model problems of the audiophile business/hobby is agonizingly simple … They need new blood, male or female (it won’t be female), but it must be younger. And younger people view technology as a future-facing proposition, while audiophiles look to the past for inspiration needed to fuel the passion of the hobby. The past includes the music that they listen to, the technologies that they embrace (vinyl’s resurgence is a good example) and, in too many cases, they with their last breath will fight new science (think: room correction, modern subwoofers) while embracing faux science like snake oil cables, after-market AC power cables, green paint on CDs, Mpingo discs, NOS (not on sale or “not oversampling”) retro-digital products that go 30 years backwards to Gen-1 of the CD for state of the art playback in 2021. If the QAnon shaman ever gets out of jail (so we are talking more than a decade), when he goes back to Arizona, he might just open the next new audiophile salon, while donning his Viking headdress.

So how do we get new audio enthusiasts into the hobby in meaningful new volumes?

1. The audiophile establishment needs to embrace the fact that, for $20 per month, an enthusiast can have unlimited access to nearly every recording ever made in at-minimum Compact Disc-level resolution, with many others in near-master tape-quality HD streaming. Fighting over MQA and talking about silver discs from 20 years ago is poison. Supporting vinyl as a high-performance audiophile format is even worse. Yes, vinyl is analog and retro-kitsch. Yes, on vinyl you are forced to listen to the record in the correct order and cadence, but that is the end of the benefits. The scientific fact is that vinyl is a low-resolution, low-dynamic, high-distortion format that was relevant 65 years ago, but is the biggest example of the failure of the elders at the audiophile print magazines to have the foresight to embrace the future. In terms of audiophile recording, the future is here. Think I am wrong? Ask Twitter founder Jack Dorsey at Square who just paid Jay-Z nearly $300,000,000 for Tidal. Ask Amazon Music how their HD subscriptions are growing (hint: it’s booming).
2. Audiophiles need to fight the urge to believe junk science. People think the hobby is lame because they walk into a room with big, ugly speakers connected by speaker cables propped on mini-saw horses, and they say “not in my house.” When some jackass seated in his new Ferrari makes a YouTube video touting why an audiophile needs to spend $10,000 on a pair of his “special” interconnects, question the value proposition as if it is an infomercial for My Pillow. Can you hear the difference between them and a well-made pair of cables from a company whose stated goal is to make products that don’t affect the signal? Maybe you think you can, but could an acoustician like Bob Hodas or a room-tuning wizard like Anthony Grimani actually measure the difference? Unlikely, even with the most sophisticated, expensive, and modern audio measurement rigs. Do wooden discs stacked up all over your room have the same measurable effects as a professionally designed and room-appropriate-design acoustical treatment system? Nope. Not even close.

Can a 1984 DAC chip perform like the best over-sampling, super-computer DACs of today to make digital more analogous to the master tape? No, it can’t. Take it from someone who had more than one early Compact Disc player in the 1980s — they have the subtlety of a methed-up cat clawing his way up an aluminum screen door. If you want to compare that digital to vinyl — I am on the vinyl train for the first time ever. Today’s audio is powered more and more by science, yet audiophiles fall victim to fraudulent claims of unprovable performance boosts that can only be heard based on the placebo effect. Audiophiles need to follow science, wear a mask, and get vaccinated when it is their turn … Wait, what?

3. Audiophiles need to embrace their rooms before their gear. Interior design is important, so that the hobby isn’t about some mad-scientist dude with dandruff flaking onto his Dark Side of The Moon T-shirt (yes, I’ve been to Rocky Mountain Audiofest and AXPONA and THE Show and others) and his oddball laboratory. Embrace rack-mounting gear. Embrace the incredible mainstream options in lighting control available at places like Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy, or Amazon. Embrace room treatments, ranging from affordable options from the likes of GIK Acoustics to expensive ones from the likes of RPG and many others. Hire an electrician to bring in enough dedicated power that your gear is never hungry for more juice. Hide cables in the walls, floors and elsewhere, so that gorgeous audio gear is treated like sculpture. Work with a top HVAC technician to find ways to hush the sound of your heating and cooling. Work with a seamstress or blinds company to get excellent window treatments that work in conjunction with your other room treatments, be they diffusion, fabric wall absorption, bass traps, or any other type of solution that is relevant in your room. Lastly, look into the power of digital room correction. Today’s best audio gear can measure your room with your system in it and show you its flaws — and then fix it. Too many audiophiles would never even try such a powerful solution, because it represents change. It represents the end of the stab-in-the-dark carousel of gear, cables and junk that make up too many audiophiles’ journey. The hobby doesn’t need to be that.
4. Subwoofers are important, even though audiophiles would rather try to get the lowest of low frequencies from their front left and right speakers. You don’t need a room tuner or a Powerball victory to afford low bass. My monster SVS subwoofer is a world-beater, and it allows me to not have to spend $30,000 or more on speakers that rock my world. My SVS does that, and quite nicely.

5. Stop fighting video. Install a kickass OLED or QLED set safely flush-mounted on the wall behind your audiophile speakers. Watching sports, streaming 4K from Amazon or Netflix or Hulu or Disney+ or DirecTV quality content increases the real-world relevance of an audiophile system. Wanna go one deeper? The videogame industry today does more business than all of Hollywood, all of the music industry and all of the book publishing business combined. How about installing a Sony PS5 as a source and let your Wilson Audio speakers play back some Grand Theft Audio 19? Blasphemy, say the people who don’t want their hobby to change. But are they okay with the hobby dying? Because the audiophile business is at a critical crossroads.

Embracing the Future of Audio, Lead by Example

COVID-19 shut down Los Angeles County, and kept it shut down with some of the worst numbers in the country, week in and week out. I used to go to Beverly Hills to get my hair cut once per month. I come from a family with strong ties to the terrestrial radio business (my father founded the radio industry publication Inside Radio the year that I was born, 1974), and the only time I ever hear FM radio is when I am getting my haircut. On one trip to the salon to try to make me more beautiful (no easy task, mind you), the place was playing KRTH, which is the Viacom owned “oldies” station, but something was very different. While the jingle package was the same, as were the call letters, the music was not the same. Gone were Motown, Philly Sound and The Beach Boys. In was Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson. These are oldies? Then am I an oldie? (Don’t answer that.) No, I am not, but what I am is the target demographic that Viacom needs to reach with their ultra-powerful FM signal. Generation Xers are still buying technology, insurance, furniture, homes, and beyond.

The oldies station’s demographics got too old. General Motors figured this out with The Greatest Generation. Boomers and Xers don’t want to drive a Fleetwood Brougham with white walls. They will drive an Escalade, however. They will drive a sporty Cadillac sedan (or even station wagon) with a Corvette engine shoe-horned under the hood. GM pivoted with their marquee brand. Viacom pivoted with their flagship FM oldies stations in most major markets in the nation with success. Can the audiophile industry follow suit? History would suggest no. The elders hate change. The print magazines sell ads to snake oil companies and they don’t want to stop. I say: if the collective “we” don’t change our outlook towards new technology, change, and proven science over the voodoo that woos too many audiophiles, we are doomed. Somehow, I am optimistic that this memo will get on enough desks that change is coming, because the alternative isn’t very pretty.

Paging Data Receiver PDR-4

The PDR-4 is a multi-function paging data receiver that decodes paging messages and outputs them via the serial port, USB or Ethernet connectors.

Designed for use with Prism-IPX ECHO software Message Logging Software to receive messages and log the information for proof of transmission over the air, and if the data was error free.

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

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

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.

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

Wireless Network Planners
Wireless Specialists

R.H. (Ron) Mercer Consultant 217 First Street East Northport, NY 11731
Telephone: 631-786-9359
www.wirelessplanners.com
wirelessplannerron@gmail.com

Epic deposition shows how differently Google and Apple treat messaging

Apple considered fighting a Google/WhatsApp acquisition with iMessage on Android.

RON AMADEO - 4/28/2021, 12:14 PM

A new deposition (first spotted by The Verge) in the Epic Games v. Apple case reveals Apple's inner deliberations over possibly bringing iMessage to Android, including worries from Apple executives that if Google bought WhatsApp, the search giant could win the messaging wars.

Once upon a time, Google was facing a major messaging decision as it was considering buying WhatsApp. The rumors first started in April 2013, when Digital Trends reported that Google was negotiating a $1 billion buyout of the company. WhatsApp officially shot the rumor down just a few days later, but between the start and end of this rumor, Apple's executives started talking.

Eddy Cue, Apple's SVP of Internet Software and Services, started making the case that the company should fight Google+WhatsApp with iMessage on Android, writing in an email, "We really need to bring iMessage to Android. I have had a couple of people investigating this but we should go full speed and make this an official project."

Cue continued with his reasoning, saying, "Do we want to lose one of the most important apps in a mobile environment to Google? They have search, mail, free video, and [are] growing quickly in browsers. We have the best messaging app and we should make it the industry standard. I don’t know what ways we can monetize it but it doesn’t cost us a lot to run."

Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of Software Engineering, joined in on the email chain:

Do you have any thoughts on how we would make switching to iMessage (from WhatsApp) compelling to masses of Android users who don’t have a bunch of iOS friends? iMessage is a nice app/service, but to get users to switch social networks we’d need more than a marginally better app. (This is why Google is willing to pay $1 billion—for the network, not for the app.)... In the absence of a strategy to become the primary messaging service for [the] bulk of cell phone users, I am concerned iMessage on Android would simply serve to remove an obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones.

The deposition continues investigating Apple's iMessage-on-Android discussions, but unfortunately, this part of the document has been redacted.

WhatsApp denied the buyout rumors but ended up being bought just a year later. Google's bid for the company reportedly reached $10 billion, but that wasn't enough to match Facebook, which bought WhatsApp in February 2014 for what ended up being a $22 billion deal. The Facebook/WhatsApp deal was one of the biggest tech acquisitions ever, and with Facebook behind the wheel, WhatsApp has grown from 450 million users to over 2 billion. Cue was completely right about the trajectory of WhatsApp.

For Google, not buying WhatsApp in 2013 feels like a major turning point. Google would go on to launch seven competing messaging and video apps over the years: Google Hangouts in 2013; Google Spaces, Google Allo, and Google Duo in 2016; and Google Chat and Google Meet in 2017. The company also pushed for RCS over Google Messages in 2019. Cue's prediction that the company could "lose" to a Google-led WhatsApp now seems like a dream from a bygone era.

Cue also called messaging "one of the most important apps in a mobile environment," which represents a striking difference from how Google approaches messaging. At Google, messaging is only ever handled by an endless series of underfunded, unstable side projects led by job-hopping project managers. Google releases a new messaging app about every 12-18 months, making it very difficult for any single app to gain traction and reducing consumer confidence in any individual product. The heads of these projects often leave the company shortly after a splashy product launch, and with no top-down direction on what the company should support, the products usually start winding down once the leader bails.

Federighi's comments echo Apple's longstanding position that iMessage is a key lock-in component of Apple's walled garden and that the company shouldn't make it easy for "iPhone families" to incorporate Android devices. The Epic case earlier revealed a 2016 comment from Apple's Phil Schiller, saying that "moving iMessage to Android will hurt us more than help us."

Brad Dye, Ron Mercer, Allan Angus, Vic Jackson, and Ira Wiesenfeld are friends and colleagues who work both together and independently, on wireline and wireless communications projects.

Click here for a summary of their qualifications and experience. Each one has unique abilities. We would be happy to help you with a project, and maybe save you some time and money.

Note: We do not like Patent Trolls, i.e. “a person or company who enforces patent rights against accused infringers in an attempt to collect licensing fees, but does not manufacture products or supply services based upon the patents in question.” We have helped some prominent law firms defend their clients against this annoyance, and would be happy to do some more of this same kind of work.

Some people use the title “consultant” when they don't have a real job. We actually do consulting work, and help others based on our many years of experience.

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

Remote AB Switches

ABX-1 switches are often used at remote transmitter sites to convert from old, outdated and unsupported controllers to the new modern Prism-IPX ipBSC base station controllers. Remotely switch to new controllers with GUI commands.

ABX-1

ABX-3 switches are widely used for enabling or disabling remote equipment and switching I/O connections between redundant messaging systems.

ABX-3

Common Features:

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

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.

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

#CMASummit21 “Public Safety”

In 2021 we will be hosting several virtual conferences that can be attended by a broader audience and not just Association members. This is also to help generate broader interest in our Association and help us grow.

The first conference will be held on May 18th, 2021 from 1 pm to approximately 5 pm CET and will focus on the area of “Public Safety”.

There will be various speakers, including high-level ones, from academia, industry, as well as from the field of Public Safety, who will attend and give presentations.

The exact registration modalities — how and when to register — and all further information will be announced at a later date.

For the time being, this only serves to announce the event and is connected with the request to block this time frame on May 18th in your calendar.

Since this time everything should be a little more beautiful and better, a lot of time, energy and work is currently put into the preparation. You can be curious about the result. So are we.

Please pass on the information about this event to your environment (customers, organizations, press, etc.) so that we can reach as wide an international audience as possible.

So SAVE THE DATE, keep safe and healthy and we would be happy to meet you on May 18th.

The event is free of charge if you decide to register no later than May 4th.

SIGN UP

5G for 12 GHz Coalition Forms to Keep Out Satcoms

More than 20 prominent public interest groups, trade associations and companies in the telecommunications sector Wednesday launched the 5G for 12 GHz Coalition, urging the FCC to act swiftly and modernize what members say are decades-old rules to open up 12 GHz spectrum for 5G wireless use. The FCC is now collecting comments about that possibility, with the first round of input due next week.

The group is trying to overcome SpaceX, which wants to keep others away from the band, which it uses for its Starlink satellite broadband service. Founder Elon Musk personally lobbied then-FCC Chair Ajit Pai over the issue last fall. SpaceX says its investments in satellite broadband would be undermined if the approved uses for these airwaves are expanded. Other telecom interests siding with SpaceX include AT&T and USTelecom, according to Politico.

Sponsors of S.163 are: Sens. John Thune, (R-SD) Jon Tester (D-MT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Roger Wicker (D-MS) and Jerry Moran (R-KS). During the vote, Thune said: “Some estimates suggest we will need an additional 20,000 tower climbers alone for the installation of wireless infrastructure. This legislation will help increase the number of workers enrolled in 5G training programs and identify ways to grow the telecommunications workforce.”

Industry trade groups cheered Wednesday’s action and said they’d work with lawmakers to advance the legislation in the full Senate and the House as well. “This legislation will grow and enable the skilled workforce needed to deploy next-generation networks, which will help the U.S. realize the promise of the 5G economy,” said CTIA SVP Government Affairs Kelly Cole.

Todd Schlekeway, President and CEO of NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, said workforce development is a top priority for the trade group. The bill’s passage by the committee “is a critical next step in the process to foster greater collaboration between the federal government, state workforce boards, higher education and industry to ultimately develop a future pipeline of skilled technicians.”

The bill “supports training and upskilling the workforce needed to build out and maintain the wireless networks that keep us connected,” said Wireless infrastructure Association President/CEO Jonathan Adelstein. “With 5G estimated to create 4.5 million jobs and have an economic impact of $1.5 trillion over the next decade, this legislation will help the nation win the race to 5G by focusing on developing the wireless workforce through registered apprenticeship — a scalable earn-while-you-learn career path.”

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's partners. The firm's contact information is included at the end of this section of the newsletter.

REMINDER: Study Area Boundary Recertifications Due May 26

In addition to the obligation to submit updated information when study area boundaries change, all ILECs are required to recertify their study area boundary data every two years. The recertification is due this year by May 26. Where the state commission filed the study area boundary data for an ILEC, the state commission should submit the recertification. However, where the state commission did not submit data for the ILEC and the ILEC submitted the study area boundary data, then the ILEC should submit the recertification.

Carriers with questions about this bi-annual recertification process may contact the firm for more information.

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

Headlines

FCC Proposes 911 Outage Notification Rules

On April 22, the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing rules to require notifications of network disruptions that affect 911 service. Comment deadlines have not yet been established.

Currently, the FCC has different outage notification rules for providers that serve 911 call centers (covered 911 service providers) and the wireless, wireline, and VoIP providers that individuals use to call 911 (originating service providers). The proposed rules are intended to improve the framework for reporting network outages that potentially affect 911 service and harmonize many of the requirements, including the timeframe, means, and frequency of providing notification.

The proposed rules would standardize the type of information conveyed in the notifications and ensure that it is clear and actionable. The proposed rules would also require service providers to maintain accurate contact information for 911 call centers. In addition, the proposed rules would require service providers to notify potentially affected customers when 911 is unavailable by providing information on their websites and Internet-related applications, such as their mobile apps, within 60 minutes of discovering an outage affecting 911 service has occurred.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, John Prendergast, and Sal Taillefer.

800 MHz Rebanding Complete

On April 22, the FCC issued an Order bringing its MHz rebanding program to a conclusion and terminating this proceeding. According to the Order, the rebanding process is now essentially complete: over 2,100 800 MHz licensees have successfully relocated to new channels in the band and the few licensing and administrative matters remaining can be completed outside the rebanding program.

The FCC initiated the 800 MHz rebanding program in 2004 to alleviate harmful interference to 800 MHz public safety radio systems caused by their proximity in the band to the 800 MHz commercial cellular architecture systems, principally those operated by Sprint. To alleviate the interference, the Commission reconfigured the 800 MHz band to increase the spectral separation between cellular architecture systems and so-called, high site systems occupying the band. The Commission adopted a band plan that required the relocation of the bulk of Sprint’s system (and the other similarly situated cellular-based licensees) to spectrum at the upper end of the band, and the relocation of public safety licensees (and the other similarly situated high site system operators) to spectrum at the lower end of the band.

Nearly seventeen years after the 800 MHz Report and Order, the 800 MHz band reconfiguration program has achieved its objective—substantially alleviating the interference risk to public safety in the 800 MHz band. The 800 MHz Transition Administrator, LLC (Transition Administrator) reports that 2,169 licensees have successfully completed physical reconfiguration of their systems, and that only two licensees remain with unresolved administrative matters.

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Richard Rubino.

FCC to Consider Allowing New Wireless Mic Technology

On April 22, the FCC initiated a proceeding to consider allowing “Wireless Multi-Channel Audio Systems” (WMAS). According to a Press Release, this is an emerging wireless microphone technology that would enable more microphones per megahertz of spectrum. WMAS allows microphones to operate using wider bandwidth channels than the Commission’s rules currently allow, by digitally combining multiple microphone signals. The technology also uses a more efficient operating protocol, which results in a larger number of wireless microphones being able to operate in the available spectrum.

In its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC seeks public comment on allowing WMAS on a licensed basis in frequency bands where wireless microphones already are currently authorized, including the TV bands, the 600 MHz duplex gap, and in portions of the 900 MHz, 1.4 GHz, and 7 GHz bands. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking also explores using this technology on an unlicensed basis. WMAS technology is already permitted in Europe under the applicable European Telecommunications Standards Institute standards.

The Notice adopted at today’s Open Commission Meeting proposes changes that are not intended to impact incumbent spectrum operations that share spectrum bands with wireless microphones. The proposed rules would amend the Commission’s Part 74 licensed radio device rules—technically called low-power auxiliary station (LPAS) devices—to support efficient use of the spectrum and implement interference protection standards. It also seeks comment on whether the Commission should permit WMAS to operate on an unlicensed basis under the FCC’s Part 15 rules.

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Cary Mitchell.

Comment Sought on Emission Limits for 24.25-27.5 GHz Band

On April 26, the FCC issued a Public Notice seeking comment on implementing certain of the decisions of the World Radiocommunication Conference held by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2019 (WRC-19) regarding the 24.25-27.5 GHz band. Comment deadlines have not yet been established.

Specifically, the FCC seeks comment on aligning Parts 2 and 30 of the FCC’s rules with the unwanted emissions limits into the passive 23.6-24.0 GHz band that were adopted at WRC-19. These unwanted emission limits are:

Comment is sought on whether and how equipment intended for use under the UMFUS rules in the 24.25-24.45 GHz and 24.75-25.25 GHz bands can be designed to conform to these limits—both the current limits and the more restrictive limits that apply to new equipment brought into use after September 1, 2027. The FCC asks: Can licensees meet the WRC-19 TRP limits by the relevant deadlines? Is it possible that licensees can meet the –39 dBW limit for IMT base stations and the –35 dBW limit for IMT mobile stations prior to 2027? What steps, if any, can the Commission take to help accelerate development and deployment of equipment that complies with the post-2027 limits?

Carriers interested in filing comments may contact the firm for more information.

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast.

Law and Regulation

Revised DTV Rules for Full-Power Television Broadcast Stations Effective May 24

On April 22, the FCC published in the Federal Register its Report and Order of January 19, 2021, in which it revised the distributed transmission system (DTS) rules for full-power television stations and created new DTS rules for low-power television stations. As a result, these rules are effective May 24.

Specifically, the FCC updated the restriction that prohibits DTS signals from spilling over beyond a station’s authorized service area by more than a “minimal amount” to a more specific standard. Now, for UHF stations, the 41 dBu F(50,50) contour for each DTS transmitter must not exceed the reference station’s 41 dBu F(50,50) contour. DTS transmissions will not be entitled to interference protection beyond the station’s authorized service area.

BloostonLaw Contact: John Prendergast.

Submarine Cable Outage Reporting Requirements Begin October 28

On April 28, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing that compliance obligations for its rules requiring submarine cable licensees to report when submarine (or “undersea”) cable outages occur and when communications over those facilities are disrupted will begin October 28, 2021. The rule, originally adopted in 2016 and modified on reconsideration in 2019, requires licensees to report specific unplanned outages greater than 30 minutes on a portion of the cable system between submarine line terminal equipment (SLTE) or greater than four hours when it affects a fiber pair. Licensees must submit this information using the FCC’s Network Outage Reporting System (NORS).

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy and John Prendergast.

FCC Issues $4.1 Million Forfeiture for Slamming

On April 23, the FCC issued a Forfeiture Order against Tele Circuit Network Corporation (Tele Circuit) in the amount of $4,145,000 for engaging in slamming and cramming, making misrepresentations to consumers, and violating a Commission order by failing to produce certain information and documents relating to Tele Circuit’s business practices.

According to the Order, Tele Circuit is a non-facilities based inter-exchange carrier authorized by the Commission to provide domestic and international long distance telecommunications service. In 2017, Commission staff identified a significant number of consumer complaints against Tele Circuit contending that Tele Circuit switched their (or their elderly relatives’) long distance service from their preferred carriers to Tele Circuit without authorization and/or charged the victims for service they did not request. Many of the complainants stated that Tele Circuit’s telemarketers misrepresented themselves by claiming to be calling on behalf of the consumer’s current telecommunications service provider. Some complainants stated that Tele Circuit offered a discount on the consumer’s existing service or discussed a fictitious government program for low-income individuals or senior citizens that, Tele Circuit claimed, could lower the cost of service.

After an investigation, and after reviewing the response by Tele Circuit, the FCC went on to find the following violations: deceptive sales calls to four consumers; switched the telephone service of 24 consumers without verified authorization to do so; placed unauthorized charges on 21 consumers’ telephone bills; and failed to respond fully to a Letter of Inquiry sent to Tele Circuit by the FCC. The FCC ultimately dropped the allegation that Tele Circuit lacked a reasonable basis for believing that the third-party verification recordings it submitted to the Commission were correct and not misleading. As such, the FCC imposed a final penalty of $4,145,000.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, and Sal Taillefer.

FCC Confirms Relaxed Equity/Debt Attribution for Broadcast Auction 109

On April 27, the FCC issued a Public Notice confirming that applicants in Auction 109 may apply the relaxed Equity/Debt Plus (EDP) attribution standard in determining their eligibility for a new entrant bidding credit. Auction 109 is an auction of AM and FM broadcast construction permits for which bidding is scheduled to start on July 27, 2021.

The relaxed EDP attribution standard is a component of the Commission’s rules promoting broadcast station ownership by small businesses and potential new entrants. One of those rules provides a tiered bidding credit for broadcast auction applicants with no, or very few, other mass media interests (“new entrants”). To determine an applicant’s eligibility for a new entrant bidding credit, the Commission attributes to the applicant the media interests of certain substantial holders of equity and/or debt in the applicant. In general, an investor’s or creditor’s mass media interests are attributed to an applicant if the investor’s or creditor’s equity and debt interests, in the aggregate, exceed 33% of the applicant’s total asset value. Under the relaxed EDP standard, however, an investor in, or creditor of, an applicant that is an “eligible entity”—an entity that meets the revenue-based eligibility standard defined in section 73.5008(c) of the Commission’s rules—may exceed the 33% equity and debt threshold without triggering attribution in certain circumstances.

BloostonLaw Contact: Cary Mitchell.

Industry

National Supply Chain Integrity Workshop Available Online

On April 26, the FCC held a joint workshop with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on efforts to promote information and communications technology supply chain security and protect against software supply chain exploits. Featuring keynote speakers and roundtable discussions among expert panelists, the workshop was specifically intended to inform communications providers and suppliers, particularly small- and medium-sized businesses, on relevant supply chain issues. It can be viewed here.

Panels covered the FCC’s initiatives to ensure the integrity of the communications supply chain consistent with the nation’s overall policy to secure the network; the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) Task Force (TF) and its efforts to promote the cybersecurity posture of small and medium sized businesses; and cybersecurity threats posed to large enterprises as well as small- and medium-sized business from vulnerabilities in the software supply chain, as evidenced by the recent SolarWinds intrusion, and what the government is doing to protect the nation’s vital software supply chain.

Deadlines

MAY 26: STUDY AREA BOUNDARY RECERTIFICATION. In addition to the obligation to submit updated information when study area boundaries change, all ILECs are required to recertify their study area boundary data every two years. The recertification is due this year by May 26. Where the state commission filed the study area boundary data for an ILEC, the state commission should submit the recertification. However, where the state commission did not submit data for the ILEC and the ILEC submitted the study area boundary data, then the ILEC should submit the recertification by May 26.

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

JUNE 1: FCC FORM 395, EMPLOYMENT REPORT. Common carriers, including wireless carriers, with 16 or more full-time employees must file their annual Common Carrier Employment Reports (FCC Form 395) by May 31. However, because the 31st is a Holiday this year, the filing will be due on June 1. This report tracks carrier compliance with rules requiring recruitment of minority employees. Further, the FCC requires all common carriers to report any employment discrimination complaints they received during the past year. That information is also due on June 1. The FCC encourages carriers to complete the discrimination report requirement by filling out Section V of Form 395, rather than submitting a separate report.

BloostonLaw Contact: Richard Rubino.

JULY 1: FCC FORM 481 (CARRIER ANNUAL REPORTING DATA COLLECTION FORM). All eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) must report the information required by Section 54.313, which includes information on the ETC’s holding company, operating companies, ETC affiliates and any branding in response to section 54.313(a)(8); its CAF-ICC certification, if applicable; its financial information, if a privately held rate-of-return carrier; and its satellite backhaul certification, if applicable.

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

JULY 1: MOBILITY FUND PHASE I ANNUAL REPORT. Winning bidders in Auction 901 that are authorized to receive Mobility Fund Phase I support are required to submit to the Commission an annual report each year on July 1 for the five years following authorization. Each annual report must be submitted to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission, clearly referencing WT Docket No. 10-208; the Universal Service Administrator; and the relevant state commissions, relevant authority in a U.S. Territory, or Tribal governments, as appropriate. The information and certifications required to be included in the annual report are described in Section 54.1009 of the Commission’s rules.

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Sal Taillefer.

JULY 31: FCC FORM 507, LINE COUNT DATA (A-CAM AND ALASKA PLAN RECPIENTS). Sections 54.313(f)(5) and 54.903(a)(1) of the FCC’s rules requires all rate-of-return telecommunications carriers to provide line count information on FCC Form 507 to USAC, the universal service Administrator. Carriers receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) must submit this information annually on March 31st of each year, and may update the data on a quarterly basis. Carriers that receive Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) I, A-CAM II, or Alaska Plan support are required to file by July 1st of each year. For 2020, the FCC has extended the A-CAM filing deadline until July 31.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer.

JULY 31: CARRIER IDENTIFICATION CODE (CIC) REPORTS. Carrier Identification Code (CIC) Reports must be filed by the last business day of July (this year, July 31). These reports are required of all carriers who have been assigned a CIC code by NANPA. Failure to file could result in an effort by NANPA to reclaim it, although according to the Guidelines this process is initiated with a letter from NANPA regarding the apparent non-use of the CIC code. The assignee can then respond with an explanation. (Guidelines Section 6.2). The CIC Reporting Requirement is included in the CIC Assignment Guidelines, produced by ATIS. According to section 1.4 of that document: At the direction of the NANPA, the access providers and the entities who are assigned CICs will be requested to provide access and usage information to the NANPA, on a semi-annual basis to ensure effective management of the CIC resource. (Holders of codes may respond to the request at their own election). Access provider and entity reports shall be submitted to NANPA no later than January 31 for the period ending December 31, and no later than July 31 for the period ending June 30. It is also referenced in the NANPA Technical Requirements Document, which states at 7.18.6: CIC holders shall provide a usage report to the NANPA per the industry CIC guidelines … The NAS shall be capable of accepting CIC usage reports per guideline requirements on January 31 for the period ending December 31 and no later than July 31 for the period ending June 30. These reports may also be mailed and accepted by the NANPA in paper form. Finally, according to the NANPA website, if no local exchange carrier reports access or usage for a given CIC, NANPA is obliged to reclaim it. The semi-annual utilization and access reporting mechanism is described at length in the guidelines.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Gerry Duffy.

Calendar At-a-Glance

April
Apr. 29 – Reply comments on Auction 110 Procedures are due.
Apr. 30 – Comments are due on Second Call Blocking Report.

May
May 1 – 64.1900 Geographic Rate Averaging Certification is due.
May 1 – Lifeline usage requirement waiver ends.
May 1 – FCC Form 499-Q (Quarterly Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet) is due.
May 3 – Reply comments on TRS Contribution Base are due.
May 4 – Reply comments are due on State of Lifeline Marketplace Report.
May 7 – Comments are due on 12.2-12.7 GHz Band NPRM.
May 24 – Comments are due on Accessibility Rules.
May 26 – Biannual Study Area Boundary Recertifications are due.
May 31 – FCC Form 395 (Annual Employment Report) is due.

June
Jun. 1 – FCC Form 395 Employment Reports are due.
Jun. 1 – Applications for USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program are due.
Jun. 7 – Reply comments are due on 12.2-12.7 GHz Band NPRM.
Jun. 16 – 15-Day Access Tariff Filings are due.
Jun. 21 – Comments are due on Accessibility Rules.
Jun. 23 – Petitions to suspend 15-Day Access Tariff Filings are due.
Jun. 24 – 7-Day Tariff Filings are due.
Jun. 28 – Replies to Petitions to Suspend 15-Day Access Tariff Filings are due (NOON ET).
Jun. 28 – Petitions to Suspend 7-Day Tariff Filings are due (NOON ET).
Jun. 30 – STIR/SHAKEN Implementation Certifications are due.
Jun. 30 – Replies to Petitions to Suspend 7-Day Tariff Filings are due (NOON ET).

July
Jul. 1 – FCC Form 481 (Carrier Annual Reporting Data Collection Form) is due.
Jul. 1 – FCC Form 690 (Mobility Fund Phase I Auction Winner Annual Report) is due.
Jul. 27 – Auction 109 – AM/FM Broadcast Auction begins.
Jul. 31 – Carrier Identification Code (CIC) Report is due.

“Chan Chan” (Compay Segundo)

Playing For Change
This song reached the masses from the Buena Vista Social Club project and I have heard so many variations and versions performed around the world ever since. We decided to create our own version while on a trip recording and filming music in Cuba in 2015. The Legendary Pancho Amat on the Cuban tres along with the incredible piano playing of Roberto Carcasses set the framework for this song, and then once we heard Teté Garcia Caturla sing lead vocals we realized exactly why we do what we do. Listen to how well Cuba, the USA, and the Middle East all get along when the music plays. — Mark Johnson, PFC producer and co-founder.

MENSA MEMBER

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Brad Dye
P.O. Box 266
Fairfield, IL 62837 USA

Life is good!

I am a person in
long-term
recovery.

CONTACT INFO & LINKS

Skype: braddye
Twitter: @BradDye1
Telephone: +1-618-599-7869
E–mail: brad@braddye.com
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Amateur Radio
K9IQY

• ex KN9IQY, KN4BK, KM5NK, WB4JCF, ZP5TQ, WA4VXU, WA9RVL, /TI2, /9Y4, /6Y5, /KP4, HH2FJ
• Licensed FCC Amateur Radio operator since 1957
• Licensed FCC First-Class-Commercial Operator/Engineer since 1964