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Messaging News

This Week's Wireless News Headlines

• Astronomer Avi Loeb Says Aliens Have Visited, and He’s Not Kidding
  • [I am reading the book]
• Article: Ham Radio Forms a Planet-Sized Space Weather Sensor Network
• The First Things to Set Up in Windows 10
• Inside Towers
  • What Do Bill Gates, Holographic Beam Forming and $50M Have in Common?
• BloostonLaw Telecom Update
  • REMINDER: Annual CPNI Certifications Due March 1
  • Monthly Reassigned Number Report Begins in October for Small Carriers; April for All Others
  • FCC Corrects Reply Deadline for 5G Fund Petitions for Reconsideration
  • Comments on Auction 109 Procedures Due March 15
  • Revised Unbundling and Resale Rules Effective February 8
  • Markey, Eshoo Reintroduce National Broadband Plan Legislation
  • Comments on CTS Standards and Metrics Due March 3
  • Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Commemorates 25th Anniversary of the ’96 Act
  • Deadlines
  • Calendar At-a-Glance
  • BloostonLaw Contacts
• LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
  • Daniel Schürch
    • Needs I-20 interface documentation
  • Linda Cox
    • Update on CMA
• Music Video Of The Week
  • “Tuba Skinny & Simon Gronowski Collaboration”

Emergency Radio Communications Wireless Messaging Critical Messaging Two-way Radio Technology Telemetry Science Paging Wi-Fi

Wireless Messaging

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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Advertiser Index

Service Monitors and Frequency Standards for Sale

Motorola Service Monitor

IFR Service Monitor

IFR 500A Service Monitor

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

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

			Minitor VI
Leavitt sells and supports most pager brands. We stock Unication G1, G5, Secure and some Elegant pagers. Call or e-mail for price and availability.

SPACE

Astronomer Avi Loeb Says Aliens Have Visited, and He’s Not Kidding

In conversation, the Harvard University professor explains his shocking hypothesis—and calls out what he sees as a crisis in science

By Lee Billings on February 1, 2021

Avi Loeb is no stranger to controversy. The prolific Harvard University astrophysicist has produced pioneering and provocative research on black holes, gamma-ray bursts, the early universe and other standard topics of his field. But for more than a decade he has also courted a more contentious subject—namely, space aliens, including how to find them. Until relatively recently, Loeb’s most high-profile work in that regard was his involvement with Breakthrough Starshot, a project funded by Silicon Valley billionaire Yuri Milner to send laser-boosted, gossamer-thin mirror-like spacecraft called “light sails” on high-speed voyages to nearby stars. All that began to change in late 2017, however, when astronomers around the world scrambled to study an enigmatic interstellar visitor—the first ever seen—that briefly came within range of their telescopes.

The object’s discoverers dubbed it ‘Oumuamua—a Hawaiian term that roughly translates to “scout.” The unavoidably cursory examinations of this celestial passerby showed it had several properties that defied easy natural explanation. ‘Oumuamua’s apparent shape—which was like a 100-meter-long cigar or pancake—did not closely resemble any known asteroid or comet. Neither did its brightness, which revealed ‘Oumuamua was at least 10 times more reflective than one of our solar system’s typical space rocks—shiny enough to suggest the gleam of burnished metal. Most strangely, as it zoomed off after swooping by the sun, the object sped up faster than could be explained by our star’s waning gravitational grip alone. Run-of-the-mill comets can exhibit similar accelerations because of the rocket-like effect of evaporating gases jetting from their sunlight-warmed icy surfaces. But no signs of such jets were seen around ‘Oumuamua.

To Loeb, the most plausible explanation was as obvious as it was sensational: taken together with its possibly pancake-like shape and high reflectivity, ‘Oumuamua’s anomalous acceleration made perfect sense if the object was in fact a light sail—perhaps a derelict from some long-expired galactic culture. Primed by years spent pondering how we might someday find evidence of cosmic civilizations in the sky’s depths, he became increasingly convinced that, with ‘Oumuamua, the evidence had instead found us. In late 2018 Loeb and his co-author Shmuel Bialy, a Harvard postdoctoral fellow, published a paper in the Astrophysical Journal Letters arguing that ‘Oumuamua had been nothing less than humanity’s first contact with an artifact of extraterrestrial intelligence.

The paper has been a smash hit with journalists but has fallen flat with most of Loeb’s astrobiology-focused peers, who insist that, while strange, ‘Oumuamua’s properties still place it well within the realm of natural phenomena. To claim otherwise, Loeb’s critics say, is cavalier at best and destructive at worst for the long struggle to remove the stigma of credulous UFO and alien-abduction reports from what should unquestionably be a legitimate field of scientific inquiry.

Loeb has now taken his case to the public with the book Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life beyond Earth, which is just as much about the author’s life story as it is about ‘Oumuamua’s fundamental mysteries. Scientific American spoke with Loeb about the book, his controversial hypothesis and why he believes science is in crisis.

An edited transcript of the interview follows here.

Paging Transmitters 150/900 MHz

The RFI High Performance Paging Transmitter is designed for use in campus, city, state and country-wide paging systems. Designed for use where reliable simulcast systems where RF signal overlap coverage is critical.

• Commercial Paging systems.
• Healthcare Paging systems.
• Public Safety Emergency Services Paging systems.
• Demand Response Energy Grid Management.

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

• Use as a stand-alone unit or in wide area network.
• Mix with other transmitter brands in an existing paging network.
• Adjustable from 20-250 watts.
• 110/240 VAC or 48VDC.
• Absolute Delay Correction.
• Remote Diagnostics.
• Configurable alarm thresholds.
• Integrated Isolator.
• Superb Reliability.
• Improved amplifier efficiency.
• Most reliable high-powered paging transmitter available.

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.

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

The Wireless Messaging News
Board of Advisors

The Board of Advisor members are people with whom I have developed a special rapport, and have met personally. They are not obligated to support the newsletter in any way, except with advice, and maybe an occasional letter to the editor.

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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 75¢ $1.50 a copy and they hardly ever mention paging or wireless messaging, unless in a negative way. If you receive some benefit from this publication maybe you would like to help support it financially?

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.

Article: Ham Radio Forms a Planet-Sized Space Weather Sensor Network

02/10/2021

The article “Ham Radio Forms a Planet-Sized Space Weather Sensor Network,” appeared on February 9 in Eos, Earth & Space Science News — an American Geophysical Union (AGU) publication. It sprang from a project by the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI), founded by Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, of the University of Scranton, one of the paper’s authors. The others are David Kazdan, AD8Y, and Kristina Collins, both of Case Western Reserve University (W8EDU). The article says that with their experience dealing with ionosphere-influenced propagation, amateur radio operators have an empirical knowledge of space weather and offer a ready-made volunteer science community.

The article covers the method and research being used to monitor the effects of solar activity on Earth’s atmosphere, telecommunications, and electrical utilities — and the valuable data being crowd sourced from amateur radio signals.

“To fully understand variability on small spatial scales and short timescales, the scientific community will require vastly larger and denser sensing networks that collect data on continental and global scales,” the article asserts. “With open-source instrumentation cheaper and more plentiful than ever before, the time is ripe for amateur scientists to take distributed measurements of the ionosphere — and the amateur radio community is up for the challenge.”

“The reach of these crowd-sourced systems, and the support of the amateur community, offers tremendous opportunities for scientific measurements,” the article notes. The research acknowledges a handful of HamSCI collaborators — from organizations and universities — and is supported by National Science Foundation grants. HamSCI’s Personal Space Weather Station initiative aims to develop a network of specially equipped amateur stations that will allow amateurs to collect useful data for space science researchers. As the article explains, ham radio operators and researchers, through HamSCI, are designing hardware for a distributed network of personal space weather stations.

November and December 2021 mark the 100th anniversary of the successful ARRL Transatlantic Tests, which took advantage of data gathered via university and individual amateur stations — an early example of citizen scientists leveraging amateur radio.

The 2021 HamSCI virtual workshop will take place March 19 - 20.

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

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

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

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

Experts in Paging Infrastructure

• Glenayre, Motorola, Unipage, etc.
• Excellent Service Contracts
• Full Service—Beyond Factory Support
• 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.

Click on the image above for more info about advertising here.

INTERNET Protocol Terminal

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

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

Additional/Optional Features

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

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.

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

Paging Data Receiver PDR-4

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

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

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

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

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.

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

Wireless Network Planners
Wireless Specialists

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

The First Things to Set Up in Windows 10

By Joel Kahn — February 12, 2021

Whether you’ve just unboxed a brand new PC or updated your software recently, when you start up your computer with Windows 10 for the first time, there are some settings and presets you’ll want to enable to ensure the best user experience.

First, log in to your Microsoft account to sync your previous settings, and save any new settings you make in Windows 10. Then check for updates—if you just updated using an older version of Windows 10, you’ll want to do this to make sure you have the latest version of everything. To keep up-to-date, sign up for the Windows Insider Program to get access to the latest features.

Here are the next round of settings you’ll want to toggle:

• Go to Display and tweak Night Light Mode to adjust the color temperature of your screen during dark hours.
• Go to Notifications & Actions to switch off all those Microsoft alerts.
• Go to Storage and turn on Storage Sense to keep your system clean.
• Once your apps are installed, go to Taskbar and “Select which icons appear in the taskbar” to keep everything looking neat.
• Similarly, go to Apps and click on Startup to decide which apps automatically launch when your computer starts up, which should be only one or two at most.

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

What Do Bill Gates, Holographic Beam Forming and $50M Have in Common?

Pivotal, developer of 5G mmWave infrastructure products, announced yesterday the closing of a $50 million C-round led by an affiliate of tech-investor Tracker Capital. One of Pivotal’s existing investors participating in the financing, is Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The company is laser-focused (sorry, couldn’t resist) on Holographic Beam Forming® (HBF) technology and its use in developing communications platforms, systems and applications. The technology is used to deploy and accelerate 5G millimeter Wave (mmWave) networks for mobile and fixed wireless access.

HBF is described as multiple high-intensity theater spotlights focusing their radiated energy on separate targets without illuminating adjacent users. Current cellular systems, conversely, use antennas that form 60-90 degree stationary sector beams. The narrow beam allows for multiple concurrent transmissions using the same frequency without interference, thus allowing for abundant spectrum reuse with higher intensity signals delivered to both stationary and mobile users.

“As the telecom industry evolves globally, we believe that Pivotal is at the forefront of the next wave of telecom infrastructure providers,” said Pivotal CEO Brian Deutsch. “For 5G, ultra-wideband mmWave is the real game changer and Pivotal has built the complete solution for rapid, cost-effective deployment of these high-value networks. We are extremely pleased to have a partner like Tracker Capital, with its extensive telecom horsepower and expertise that shares our vision for the future of our crucial and rapidly expanding industry.”

Pivotal COO Chris Brandon commented: “This capital will allow Pivotal to become a significant 5G telecom infrastructure provider on a global stage.”

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: Annual CPNI Certifications Due March 1

On February 4, the FCC issued an Enforcement Advisory reminding telecommunications carriers and interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers of their obligation to file their annual certification documenting compliance with the Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) rules by March 1, 2021.

The FCC reiterated its commitment to enforcing the CPNI rules, noting that failure to comply with the CPNI rules, including the annual certification requirement, may subject carriers to enforcement action, including monetary forfeitures of up to $207,314 for each violation or each day of a continuing violation, up to a maximum of $2,073,133.

BloostonLaw is prepared to help our clients meet this requirement, which we expect will be strictly enforced, by assisting with preparation of their certification filing; reviewing the filing to make sure that the required showings are made; filing the certification with the FCC, and obtaining a proof-of-filing copy for your records. Clients interested in obtaining BloostonLaw's CPNI compliance manual should contact Gerry Duffy (202-828-5528).

Headlines

Monthly Reassigned Number Report Begins in October for Small Carriers; April for All Others

On February 8, the FCC published in the Federal Register a notice that compliance with the rule for reporting information about the most recent date of permanent disconnection to the Reassigned Numbers Database, per the FCC’s Second Report and Order published on March 26, 2019, has been established as April 15, 2021, and on the 15th day of each month thereafter. Small carriers (those providers with 100,000 or fewer subscribers) must begin filing on October 15, 2021, and on the 15th day of each month thereafter. The report must contain data for numbers permanently disconnected that were not submitted in the service provider’s prior reports. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, beginning July 27, 2020, voice service providers were required to maintain records of the most recent date each number was permanently disconnected and must age telephone numbers for at least 45 days after disconnection and before reassignment. Small business voice service providers had an additional six months, i.e., until January 27, 2021, to comply with the record maintenance rule. These requirements are applicable to all carriers that obtain numbering resources from the NANPA, a Pooling Administrator, or another carrier.

Carriers seeking more information about the report may contact the firm for more information.

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

FCC Corrects Reply Deadline for 5G Fund Petitions for Reconsideration

On February 5, the FCC published a correction in the Federal Register to its filing deadlines for petitions for reconsideration of the 5G Fund Report and Order. Replies to comments are due on February 18, not February 16.

As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, petitions were filed by The Rural Wireless Association (“RWA”) and NTCA, the Coalition of Rural Wireless Carriers, CTIA, Smith Bagley, Inc. (“SBI”) and the 5G Fund Supporters:

• RWA and NTCA seek reconsideration of the FCC’s decision to exclude areas from eligibility for support in the 5G Fund Phase I auction based upon where new mobile coverage data submitted in the Digital Opportunity Data Collection (“DODC”) show the existence of either unsubsidized 4G LTE or unsubsidized 5G broadband service offered by at least one service provider.
• The Coalition of Wireless Carriers seeks reconsideration of the FCC’s decision to alter the legacy support phase-down timeline, as well as the decision to exclude areas with unsubsidized 4G LTE or 5G.
• CTIA requests that the FCC revise the non-compliance penalty to limit potential recovery of prior funding to support that the ETC failed to spend in compliance with the requirements of the 5G Fund Order.
• SBI seeks reconsideration of the FCC’s decision to not adopt special case treatment for remote Tribal lands; whether performance requirements should be adjusted to account for the state of existing infrastructure and the long-term need to invest in extending fiber out to cell towers in remote areas; and whether it should cut off “preservation support” at the 60-month mark.
• The 5G Fund Supporters ask the FCC to 1) explain, prior to the pre-auction phase, how the “adjustment factor” it plans to use will provide adequate prioritization to ensure that historically underserved or unserved areas will receive support in the Phase I auction based on need, low wealth, persistent poverty, and the digital divide; and 2) require that applicants for 5G Fund subsidies broadly disseminate contracting opportunities to ensure that diverse contractors have an opportunity to compete for contracts awarded under the Fund.

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

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Cary Mitchell.

Comments on Auction 109 Procedures Due March 15

On February 8, the FCC issued a Public Notice seeking comment on bidding procedures for Auction 109, which is currently scheduled for July 27, 2021. Comments are due March 15, and reply comments are due March 22.

Auction 109 will offer four AM construction permits and 136 FM construction permits. Auction 109 will offer all of the FM radio permits that were previously included in the inventory for Auction 106, as well as six additional FM permits. Auction 106 was postponed on March 25, 2020, with no appointed date for resumption, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That auction is now canceled; applications submitted by entities seeking to participate in Auction 106 have been dismissed. All applicants wishing to participate in Auction 109, regardless of whether they may have previously filed a short-form application (FCC Form 175) for Auction 106, will be required to file a new application to participate in Auction 109.

For Auction 109, the FCC proposes to use its simultaneous multiple-round auction format. This type of auction offers every construction permit for bid at the same time and consists of successive bidding rounds in which qualified bidders may place bids on individual construction permits. Typically, bidding remains open on all construction permits until bidding stops on every construction permit.

In conjunction with the approaching auction, the FCC announced a freeze, effective immediately, on the following filings:

• Applications proposing to modify any of the vacant non-reserved band FM allotments scheduled for Auction 109 (Auction 109 FM Allotments);
• Petitions and counter-proposals that propose a change in channel, class, community, or reference coordinates for any of the vacant non-reserved band FM allotments scheduled for Auction 109; and
• Applications, petitions and counter-proposals that fail to fully protect any Auction 109 FM Allotment. Carriers interested in commenting on the proposed procedures may contact the firm for more information.

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast, Cary Mitchell, and Sal Taillefer.

Law and Regulation

Revised Unbundling and Resale Rules Effective February 8

On October 28, 2020, the FCC adopted a Report and Order eliminating rules requiring unbundling of the following network elements, subject to certain conditions and multi-year transition periods. Those rules became effective on February 8, 2021. Specifically:

• DS1 and DS3 Loops—used primarily by business customers and are being replaced by higher-speed, packet-based services sold by incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs), competitive LECs, cable providers, and other intermodal competitors. The Order ended these unbundling requirements in areas with sufficient evidence of competition but keeps them in place in areas that lack sufficient competition.
• DS0 Loops—used to provide both voice and broadband service using various Digital Subscriber Line technologies. The Order eliminated unbundling requirements for these loops in densely populated areas, which tend to have more competitive options, but preserves unbundling requirements for DS0 loops in less densely populated areas.
• Legacy Narrowband Voice-Grade Loops—used to provide legacy voice service and have no broadband service capability. Given the shift away from legacy voice services to IP-and wireless-based voice services offered by multiple providers, the Order removed unbundling obligations for narrowband voice-grade loops nationwide.
• Dark Fiber Transport—used to provide a connection between phone companies’ local wire centers. The Order eliminated unbundling requirements for dark fiber transport originating or terminating from a wire center within a half-mile of competitive fiber networks.

The Order also discontinued, subject to a three-year transition period, a requirement that incumbent LECs make available for resale their retail legacy telecommunications services at cost-based rates. According to the Order, these services are predominantly used by competitive LECs to provide legacy voice services to business and government customers.

Carriers with questions about the revised unbundling and resale rules may contact the firm for more information.

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

Markey, Eshoo Reintroduce National Broadband Plan Legislation

On February 7, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.) announced the reintroduction of the National Broadband Plan for the Future Act, legislation that instructs the FCC to update the National Broadband Plan and develop an updated roadmap for achieving universal connectivity. Senator Markey also authored language in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that mandated the original National Broadband Plan.

According to a press release, the reintroduced legislation would require the FCC to “assess the nation’s progress in deploying broadband infrastructure since that original plan was created, as well as develop a refreshed roadmap for closing the digital divide that incorporates the latest technologies and lessons learned during the coronavirus pandemic.” In addition, the Act would require the FCC to develop “detailed strategies for how connectivity can be used to advance racial justice, socioeconomic equity, consumer welfare, public safety, health care, education, and more.”

The original National Broadband Plan laid out a vision for connecting all Americans to the Internet,” said Senator Markey. “I’m proud of the roadmap that my previous provision created and the amazing progress we’ve made over the last decade. However, we still have a ways to go before we finish the job. During the coronavirus pandemic, we are seeing more than ever how necessary robust and affordable broadband is to the future of American life, education, jobs, and medical care. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the landmark telecommunications legislation, I am proud to reintroduce this update to the National Broadband Plan so we can make sure Internet access is a right for all in the 21st century.”

“The lack of universal access to affordable and high-speed Internet worsens the existing inequities in society, especially now as so much of our personal and professional lives have moved online due to the pandemic,” said Rep. Anna G. Eshoo. “From telehealth to remote learning to teleworking, high-speed Internet is essential in our day-to-day lives. We must make broadband affordable and accessible for all Americans. That’s why I’m proud to reintroduce the National Broadband Plan for the Future Act to ensure all Americans have broadband.”

A copy of the legislation can be found HERE.

Comments on CTS Standards and Metrics Due March 3

On February 1, the FCC published in the Federal Register its Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the adoption of measurable standards and metrics for captioning delay and accuracy for IP CTS and the Captioned Telephone Service (CTS). Accordingly, comments are due March 3 and reply comments are due April 2.

Specifically, the FCC seeks comment on proposals to amend its rules to specify and quantify the application of minimum TRS standards to CTS/IP CTS in two areas: caption delay and caption accuracy. The FCC also seeks comment on any other minimum TRS standards to provide more specific service-quality standards for CTS and IP CTS. Further proposals amend the rules to define how testing and measurement should be conducted to gauge provider performance in relation to these standards and to measure progress by the telephone caption service program as a whole toward achieving statutory goals. In addition, the FCC seeks comment on whether such performance assessment is best carried out by the FCC, by individual providers, or by an entity selected and overseen by all providers.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Sal Taillefer.

Industry

Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Commemorates 25th Anniversary of the ’96 Act

On February 8, Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel issued a statement to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the signing of the landmark Telecommunications Act of 1996. She also hosted a video featuring telecommunications policy leaders’ thoughts about the Act, which can be found here.

In addition to Rosenworcel, speakers included Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Frank Pallone, Senator Ed Markey, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, Congressman Fred Upton, former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt, former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Larry Irving, former FCC Commissioner Susan Ness, former FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani, and former FCC Commissioner Rachelle Chong.

“Without the Telecom Act of 1996, today’s information and communications landscape would look entirely different,” said Rosenworcel. “Coming at the dawn of the Internet age, the Act accelerated the transition from the analog era to the digital age while also reaffirming the promise at the heart of FCC’s founding statute: that advanced communications should be available to all Americans. Importantly, the Act established the E-Rate program to bring the Internet to every classroom and library in America and, today, the wisdom of investing in digital learning has never been clearer. While we have come a long way, we still have much more work to do to fully realize the promise of the Act and see connectivity for all Americans.”

Deadlines

MARCH 1: COPYRIGHT STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT FORM FOR CABLE COMPANIES. This form, plus royalty payment for the second half of last year, is due March 1. The form covers the period July 1 to December 31, and is due to be mailed directly to cable TV operators by the Library of Congress’ Copyright Office. If you do not receive the form, please contact Gerry Duffy.

MARCH 1: CPNI ANNUAL CERTIFICATION. Carriers should modify (as necessary) and complete their “Annual Certification of CPNI Compliance” for this year. The certification must be filed with the FCC by March 1. Note that the annual certification should include the following three required Exhibits: (a) a detailed Statement Explaining How The Company’s Operating Procedures Ensure Compliance With The FCC’S CPNI Rules to reflect the Company’s policies and information; (b) a Statement of Actions Taken Against Data Brokers; and (c) a Summary of Customer Complaints Regarding Unauthorized Release of CPNI. A company officer with personal knowledge that the company has established operating procedures adequate to ensure compliance with the rules must execute the Certification, place a copy of the Certification and accompanying Exhibits in the Company’s CPNI Compliance Records, and file the certification with the FCC in the correct fashion. Our clients can forward the original to BloostonLaw in time for the firm to make the filing with the FCC by March 1, if desired. BloostonLaw is prepared to help our clients meet this requirement, which we expect will be strictly enforced, by assisting with preparation of their certification filing; reviewing the filing to make sure that the required showings are made; filing the certification with the FCC, and obtaining a proof-of-filing copy for your records. Clients interested in obtaining BloostonLaw's CPNI compliance manual should contact Gerry Duffy (202-828-5528). Note: If you file the CPNI certification, you must also file the FCC Form 499-A Telecom Reporting Worksheet by April 1.

BloostonLaw contact: Gerry Duffy.

MARCH 1: FCC FORM 477, LOCAL COMPETITION & BROADBAND REPORTING FORM. This annual form is due March 1 and September 1 annually. The FCC requires facilities-based wired, terrestrial fixed wireless, and satellite broadband service providers to report on FCC Form 477 the number of broadband subscribers they have in each census tract they serve. The Census Bureau changed the boundaries of some census tracts as part of the 2010 Census.

Specifically, three types of entities must file this form:

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

BloostonLaw contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Mary Sisak.

APRIL 1: FCC FORM 499-A, TELECOMMUNICATIONS REPORTING WORKSHEET. This form must be filed by all contributors to the Universal Service Fund (USF) sup-port mechanisms, the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund, the cost recovery mechanism for the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA), and the shared costs of local number portability (LNP). Contributors include every telecommunications carrier that provides interstate, intrastate, and international telecommunications, and certain other entities that provide interstate telecommunications for a fee. Even common carriers that qualify for the de minimis exemption must file Form 499-A. Entities whose universal service contributions will be less than $10,000 qualify for the de minimis exemption. De minimis entities do not have to file the quarterly report (FCC Form 499-Q), which was due February 1, and will again be due May 1. Form 499-Q relates to universal and LNP mechanisms. Form 499-A relates to all of these mechanisms and, hence, applies to all providers of interstate, intrastate, and international telecommunications services. Form 499-A contains revenue information for January 1 through December 31 of the prior calendar year. And Form 499-Q contains revenue information from the prior quarter plus projections for the next quarter. (Note: the revised 499-A and 499-Q forms are now available.) Block 2-B of the Form 499-A requires each carrier to designate an agent in the District of Columbia upon whom all notices, process, orders, and decisions by the FCC may be served on behalf of that carrier in proceedings before the FCC. Carriers receiving this newsletter may specify our law firm as their D.C. agent for service of process using the information in our masthead. There is no charge for this service.

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

APRIL 1: ANNUAL ACCESS TO ADVANCED SERVICES CERTIFICATION. All providers of telecommunications services and telecommunications carriers subject to Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act are required to file with the FCC an annual certification that (1) states the company has procedures in place to meet the record-keeping requirements of Part 14 of the Rules; (2) states that the company has in fact kept records for the previous calendar year; (3) contains contact information for the individual or individuals handling customer complaints under Part 14; (4) contains contact information for the company’s designated agent; and (5) is supported by an affidavit or declaration under penalty of perjury signed by an officer of the company.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy, Mary Sisak, Sal Taillefer.

Calendar At-a-Glance

February
Feb. 18 – Replies are due on Petitions for Reconsideration of 5G Fund.

March
Mar. 1 – Copyright Statement of Account Form for cable companies is due.
Mar. 1 – Annual CPNI Certification is due.
Mar. 1 – FCC Form 477 (Local Competition & Broadband Reporting) is due.
Mar. 3 – Comments on CTS/IP CTS Standards and Metrics are due.
Mar. 15 – Comments are due on Auction 109 Procedures.
Mar. 22 – Reply comments on Auction 109 Procedures are due.
Mar. 31 – FCC Form 525 (Delayed Phasedown CETC Line Counts) is due.
Mar. 31 – FCC Form 508 (ICLS Projected Annual Common Line Requirement) is due.
Mar. 31 – FCC Form 507 (Universal Service Line Count – CAF BLS) is due.

April
Apr. 1 – FCC Form 499-A (Annual Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet) is due.
Apr. 1 – Annual Accessibility Certification is due.
Apr. 2 – Reply comments on CTS/IP CTS Standards and Metrics are due.
Apr. 15 – First Reassigned Number Database Report due (carriers with > 100,000 subscribers).

“Tuba Skinny & Simon Gronowski Collaboration”

February 2, 2021

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