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The Wireless
Messaging News

This Week's Wireless News Headlines

• The Mental Health Risks of Emergency Communications
• Fearing GPS Jamming By China, US Air Force Wants To Send Extra Layer Of Satellites To The Geostationary Orbit
• Solar storm: Blackout risk as NASA warns of 'direct hit' on Earth – impact time predicted
• New Amateur Radio License Applications Fee To Become Effective April 19, 2022
• Why we shout during video calls if the image gets blurry
• Scientists Shatter Record for the Amount of Energy Produced During a Controlled, Sustained Fusion Reaction
• Inside Towers
  • Deutsche Telekom Buys More T-Mobile US Shares for $2.4 Billion
• BloostonLaw Telecom Update
  • Deadline Approaches to File Suit over Misrepresentations on A-CAM II 477 Data
  • CAF II Auction Deployment Data Available; Responses to Non-Deployment Letters Due May 9
  • White House Releases Infrastructure Law “Rural Playbook” on Upcoming Funding Opportunities
  • FCC Issues Warning on Security Threat from Use of Uninterruptible Power Supply Devices
  • Federal Government Transition from DUNS to Unique Entity Identifier Effective April 4
  • FCC Announces Pricing Changes for Reassigned Numbers Database; Guidance on Safe Harbor
  • Broadband Data Collection Mobile Technical Requirements Order Effective May 11
  • Spectrum Mapping, Maternal Health Data Bills Pass House
  • Verizon Indicates Failure to Comply with Unlocking Obligations in TracFone Transfer Order
  • FCC Activates DIRS in Puerto Rico due to Power Outage; 18.6% of Cell Sites Down
  • Deadlines
• BloostonLaw Contacts
• Calendar At-a-Glance
• Who Is BloostonLaw
• TECHNICIAN'S CORNER
• Installing a Low Voltage Mounting Bracket
• THIS WEEK'S MUSIC VIDEO
  • “Chan Chan”
  • (Compay Segundo)

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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Public Service

The Mental Health Risks of Emergency Communications

In the October 1989 QST article, “This is not a Drill!,” emergency coordinators Mike Nickolaus, NFØN; Doug Potts, KAØVHV, and Alan Pedersen, KAØVNM, talked about the Amateur Radio Emergency Service^® (ARES^®) response to the July 19, 1989 crash landing of United Airlines Flight 232 at the Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa. The DC-10 aircraft ripped apart, and 112 of the 296 passengers and crew died.

When the flight crew declared an inflight emergency, ARES was among The many entities that were alerted facing a crisis of unknown proportions. ARES operators were called in less than an hour after the crash.

Some hams received American Red Cross IDs and reported to the disaster site (the entire airport had already been secured), while others were assigned to the American Red Cross chapter office, hospital emergency rooms, the airport control tower, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and a college campus where survivors would be billeted. Amateurs were also dispatched to the flight line at the airport and the temporary morgue on Iowa Air National Guard grounds.

Radio amateurs passed traffic for police and fire departments, the county EOC, Air National Guard, the airport, American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Messages were also handled for the hospitals, ambulance service, medical personnel, and morticians. A dedicated simplex channel was established between the temporary morgue and the crash site, where the state medical examiner was identifying the victims.

It's possible that some of these amateur radio responders experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from working this disaster.

Understanding PTSD

I’ve researched the physical and psychological impacts that these kinds ol disasters can have on emergency responders, in the hope ol helping to identify, cope with, and treat mental health issues that can be caused by similar incidents fraught with physical and psychological challenges of this scale.

The last time this subject was discussed was in “ARES^®, EmComm and Mental Health Risks, in the July 2012 QST “Public Service” column. It reviewed the PTSD signs and symptoms presented in one amateur radio communicator who was active in a 1978 search for a missing 6-year-old boy in Webster, Massachusetts.

Signs and Symptoms of PTSD According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in order for an adult to be diagnosed with PTSD, they must experience all of the following for at least 1 month: At least one re-experiencing symptom At least one avoidance symptom At least two arousal and reactivity symptoms At least two cognition and mood symptoms Re-experiencing symptoms include: Flashbacks — reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms like a racing heart or sweating Bad dreams Frightening thoughts For more information on the signs and symptoms of PTSD, and the available treatments, visit www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

According to the National Institute of Mental Health website (www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd ), “Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation,” the website says. “Fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to help defend against danger or to avoid it.” PTSD can develop after exposure to a potentially traumatic event that's beyond a typical stressor. Events that may lead to PTSD include but aren't limited to: violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, combat, and other forms of violence.

One Ham's Experience

Bart Lee, K6VK, served with the American Red Cross Greater New York Region as Deputy Communications Lead at Ground Zero during the response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “After 10 days, on September 21, as I got into a cab to leave the area and head home to California, duty done, the proverbial ton of bricks hit me: it was all my fault — I should have warned everybody on September 10,” Lee shared with me in an email. “Irrational, yes, but emotionally staggering.”

Lee continued: “After a while I got it together, got back home, and life went on. I was able to get stress management [added] into a lot of local training with ARES, California's Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS), and RACES. But I kept seeing buildings (almost) falling down as I looked out my office window.” He concluded: “We have to be prepared for the reality that not only are we not iron men, but also that we will react and respond to the events with respect for the victims, and also ourselves and fellow responders — all of whom we're trying to help.” Lee stresses that if you think you might need help, that likely means you do, and you owe it to yourself to seek it.

Lee wrote about his experience in “9-11 Amateur Radio in New York,” published in the September 2002 issue of Popular Communications (https://californiahistoricalradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lee-K6VK-9-11-NYC-Popular-Commu-nications-IX-02-all.jpeg.pdf)

For years, I worked as a CCRN (critical care registered nurse) with the medical intensive care unit at a major city hospital, and was faced with life, dying, and death every day. Trained staff managers were available to help frontline workers with their mental health because their careers made them high risk for suffering from PTSD. It might be appropriate for ARES leaders to recruit and appoint a member as a qualified mental health counselor/volunteer to assess and assist ARES members in the trenches.

Looking Ahead

Mental health risks are often overlooked because there is still a stigma that one will be viewed negatively if they suffer from a mental illness. This needs to change.

All ARES and emergency communications group leaders should take some time to study the risks and concerns associated with PTSD, and learn how to recognize and respond to the signs and symptoms (see the sidebar “Signs and Symptoms of PTSD”) that are often subtle and insidious. This is to the benefit and the health of our ARES responders and programs at large. There's a wealth of reliable references and resources on the topic.

Reprinted with permission, April 2022 QST; © ARRL.

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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Fearing GPS Jamming By China, US Air Force Wants To Send Extra Layer Of Satellites To The Geostationary Orbit

By Tanmay Kadam - April 12, 2022

The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is working on a Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3) to be sent to geostationary orbit as an add-on to the GPS satellites already present in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO).

The satellite will be used to enhance the positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services that are currently provided by Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites.

A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an Earth-centred orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) — between 2,000 and 35,786 km above sea level.

“We wanted to look at how to use a constellation that has a hybrid architecture,” Joanna Hinks, NTS-3 deputy program manager at AFRL, told reporters on April 7 at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.

In 2018, L3Harris won an $84 million contract from AFRL to build NTS-3. The 1,250-kilogram satellite is being assembled at an L3Harris facility in Palm Bay, Florida.

Artist’s concept for NTS-3 in geostationary orbit. (AFRL)

Initially, the AFRL was considering sending NTS-3 into the MEO, according to Hinks, but later it was decided that Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) would be a better location for NTS-3 for the researchers to assess the possible advantages of having a multi-orbit PNT architecture.

“The idea here is that we already understand how navigation works from MEO,” Hinks said.

Pentagon growing weary One of the objectives for NTS-3 is to test new software-defined radio technologies which can be used to reprogram the signals to confuse jammers. Parsons Corp is developing a ground system that will integrate the GPS and NTS-3 signals to assess the network’s performance in a jamming environment.

In recent times, Pentagon is growing weary of the threat of electronic devices that can interfere with the signals from GPS satellites in MEO.

The US Space Force operates a constellation of 31 satellites orbiting Earth at an altitude of 20, 000 km for PNT services. These satellites in six orbital planes circle the Earth twice per day broadcasting PNT signals that are essential not only for military operations but also for the daily functioning of the civilian economy.

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, GPS technology has a $1 billion a day economic impact on the US. Such reliance on GPS makes it an attractive target for adversaries.

During the hearing of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee in May 2021, the chief of space operations of the US Space Force Gen. John Raymond pointed at China and Russia as the primary actors pursuing technologies aimed at “robust jamming of GPS and communications satellites.”

Bergman discovered at least 20 locations near the Chinese coast where GPS spoofing took place with GNSS [Global Navigation Satellite System] locations of ships operating in the area were replaced with fake coordinates.

These included the ports of Shanghai, Fuzhou (Huilutou), Qingdao, Quanzhou (Shiyucun), Dalian, and Tianjin.

Locations of detected GPS manipulation occurring in six Chinese cities in 2019. (SkyTruth)

The timing of the spoofing coincided with observations of Iranian oil being received by China in defiance of US sanctions on Iran suggesting that some of the spoofings may be designed to help conceal these transactions.

This phenomenon was first documented by the MIT Technology Review which described how the Captain of a US-flagged container ship noticed the apparent malfunctioning of the vessel’s AIS — vessels on the navigation screen appeared and disappeared without explanation and appeared to move when they were in fact stationery.

Bergman identified GPS spoofing rings or circles that were about 200 meters in diameter indicating that the actual spoofing device may be located at the center of each of these rings.

Alternative PNT technologies

While the Defense Department uses several alternative PNT technologies to complement GPS or to serve as a backup if GPS is unavailable, such as an inertial navigation system that uses inertial sensors and clocks that allow a platform to identify its position and keep track of time without an external signal.

Other technologies rely on celestial and magnetic navigation to determine position. Also, there is a growing number of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) that transmit PNT information.

However, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), none of these alternatives, have reduced the US military’s heavy reliance on GPS.

“There are known vulnerabilities and military officials talk about the need for alternatives,” said Jon Ludwigson, GAO’s director of contracting and national security acquisitions. “But when it comes down to funding programs, by default they choose GPS.”

Therefore, the concept of adding another layer of PNT could be a significant offset of the U.S.’s over-reliance on GPS.

The NTS-3 is projected to launch on the USSF-106 mission planned by the U.S. Space Force to be launched in 2023 It will be the first national security mission to fly on United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket.

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.
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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
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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.

Prism-IPX Systems LLC.

11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
Ph: 678-242-5290 e-mail: sales@prism-ipx.com
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Solar storm: Blackout risk as NASA warns of 'direct hit' on Earth – impact time predicted

A SOLAR STORM heading straight for a "direct hit" with Earth on April 14 is expected to intensify, which could cause chaos to satellites and spark power grid fluctuations.

By JACOB PAUL 10:04, Tue, Apr 12, 2022 | UPDATED: 21:27, Tue, Apr 12, 2022

NASA and the NOAA projection models indicate that a solar storm will strike the Earth’s magnetic field in two days' time and will then “intensify”. Space weather physicist Tamitha Skov tweeted: ”Direct hit – solar storm prediction models from both NOAA and NASA show the storm hits April 14, just ahead of a fast solar wind stream. "This should intensify the storm as the stream will give it a push from behind!

She added this morning: "Chances of reaching G2-level conditions are 80 percent at high latitudes and 20 percent at mid-latitudes.

"Radio blackout risk remains low, but amateur #radio operators and GPS users face disruptions on Earth's nightside."

When geomagnetic storms come into contact with the Earth's magnetic field, they have been known to cause radio blackouts and can even cause power blackouts if they directly strike transformers.

A solar storm is expected to make a (Image: Getty )

A coronal mass ejection is a massive release of plasma from the Sun's corona (Image: Getty )

NASA has predicted that a G2-class geomagnetic storm will arrive as a result of coronal mass ejection (CME).

A CME is a massive release of plasma that gets shot out from the Sun’s corona (outer layer).

CMEs contain billions of tonnes of fast-moving solar particles as well as the magnetic field that binds them.

These can cause geomagnetic storms when they come into contact with the Earth's magnetic field.

The geomagnetic storm occurs if there is an efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding the Earth.

Extra radiation from CMEs can cause damage to satellites (Image: Getty )

The US Space Weather Center (SWPC) ranks solar storms on a scale of "G1 Minor", the least intense, all the way up to "G5 Extreme."

But even the weakest of storms threaten "power-grid fluctuations" and have a "minor impact on satellite operations."

At the stronger end of the scale, is where it starts to get more dangerous.

When CMEs collide with Earth’s magnetosphere, “all of that extra radiation can damage the satellites we use for communications and navigation, it can disrupt power grids that provide our electricity.”

In the case of the incoming storms, it is also expected that these will cause auroras, like the famous Northern Lights.

The aurora borealis could even be visible, if skies are clear, in far northern England and Northern Ireland.

Solar storms can also bring auroras (Image: PA

NASA predicted that the solar storm will strike on April 14 (Image: Getty )

The Met Office said you may be able to catch a glimpse in the evenings from Sunday to Tuesday.

Ms Skov wrote: “Aurora field reporters, be sure to charge your camera batteries!”

She continued: "The NASA solar storm prediction model shows the hit occurring a little later on April 14 at 12pm UTC time compared to the NOAA model, which shows the arrival a bit earlier at 7am UTC time!

"Either way, both indicate an excellent chance for aurora!”

This also comes after a G3 geomagnetic storm already struck the Earth’s atmosphere earlier this week. The storm, which started on Sunday and was reportedly still being felt yesterday, was classed as a major storm.

Experts have repeatedly warned that the Earth is not ready for the potential impacts that are caused when a G5 storm takes place.

The strongest solar storms can cause power outages that could even last days if the storm directly interferes with power transformers.

The SWPC said: "During storms, the currents in the ionosphere, as well as the energetic particles that precipitate into the ionosphere add energy in the form of heat that can increase the density and distribution of density in the upper atmosphere, causing extra drag on satellites in low-earth orbit.

"The local heating also creates strong horizontal variations in the ionospheric density that can modify the path of radio signals and create errors in the positioning information provided by GPS."

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
wirelessplannerron@gmail.com
www.wirelessplanners.com

New Amateur Radio License Applications Fee To Become Effective April 19, 2022

03/24/2022

A Public Notice released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on March 23, 2022, in MD Docket No. 20-270, announced that new application fees for Wireless Telecommunications Bureau applications will become effective on April 19, 2022. The new fees, mandated by Congress, apply to applications for Amateur Radio licenses including those associated with filing Form 605, the Amateur Operator/Primary Station Licensee Application.

Effective April 19, 2022, a $35 fee will apply to applications for a new Amateur Radio license, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call signs.

Anticipating the implementation of the fee in 2022, the ARRL Board of Directors, at its July 2021 meeting, approved the "ARRL Youth Licensing Grant Program." Under the program, ARRL will cover a one-time $35 application fee for license candidates younger than 18 years old for tests administered under the auspices of the ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC). Qualified candidates also would pay a reduced exam session fee of $5 to the ARRL VEC. ARRL is finalizing details for administering the program.

ARRL had filed comments in opposition to imposing a fee on Amateur Radio license applications. The FCC initially proposed a higher, $50 fee. In a Report and Order (R&O), released on December 29, 2020, the amount was reduced — the FCC agreeing with ARRL and other commenters that its proposed $50 fee for certain amateur radio applications was "too high to account for the minimal staff involvement in these applications."

ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC) Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, explained that all fees are per application. "There will be no fee for administrative updates, such as a change of mailing or email address. The fees will be the responsibility of the applicant regardless of filing method and must be paid within 10 calendar days of FCC's receipt of the application. For applications filed by a VEC, the period does not begin until the application is received by the Commission, a ULS file number assigned, and an email sent by the FCC directly to the applicant."

VECs and Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams will not collect the $35 fee at license exam sessions. New and upgrade candidates at an exam session will continue to pay the $15 exam session fee to the ARRL VE team as usual, and pay the new, $35 application fee directly to the FCC by using the CORES FRN Registration system (CORES - Login).

When the FCC receives the examination information from the VEC, it will email a link with payment instructions to each successful candidate who then will have 10 calendar days from the date of the email to pay. After the fee is paid and the FCC has processed an application, examinees will receive a second email from the FCC with a link to their official license or explanation of other action. The link will be good for 30 days.

Somma also explained that applications that are processed and dismissed will not be entitled to a refund. This includes vanity call sign requests where the applicant does not receive the requested call sign. "The FCC staff has suggested that applicants for vanity call signs should first ensure the call signs requested are available and eligible for their operator class and area, and then request as many call signs as the form allows to maximize their chances of receiving a call sign."

Further information and instructions about the FCC Application Fee are available from the ARRL VEC at www.arrl.org/fcc-application-fee. Details for the ARRL Youth Licensing Grant Program will be similarly posted there, when available.

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

APRIL 13, 2022

Why we shout during video calls if the image gets blurry

by Radboud University Nijmegen

Visual depiction of the actual blur grades used in this study. Credit: James Trujillo, Radboud University

If you find yourself shouting and gesticulating wildly if others can't hear you during a Zoom call, you're not alone. The more the video quality of an online meeting degrades, the louder we start talking, a new study by researchers at Radboud University and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics finds. People also tend to change up their gestures to compensate. Their findings were published today in the Royal Society Open Science journal.

When conversing over Zoom or Skype, we use some of the same tactics to make ourselves heard as we use in the real world, says James Trujillo, first author of the paper and a cognitive scientist at Radboud University and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. "If you're talking to someone in a busy area with a lot of background noise, you typically use gestures to support your speech, and you start talking louder. When we talk in a video call, any issues that make it harder for people to understand each other usually come from technical difficulties. However, we still tend to use similar methods to compensate for those issues."

Analyzing video calls

For the study, Trujillo and colleagues set up video calls between twenty pairs of participants. The participants sat in separate rooms, and were told to have a casual conversation for 40 minutes. Over the course of the call, the quality of the video deteriorated in ten steps, from very clear to extremely blurry. The researchers tracked how participants altered their speech and gestured over the course of the call.

At first, when the video quality deteriorated, participants reduced their arm and body movements somewhat, researchers found. However, when the quality decreased further, movement started increasing. The rate, speed and size of the gestures increased quickly at first, and then reached a certain plateau. Those participants who used gestures during the video call would also increase by up to 5 decibels when the video quality started dropping. Even when the image quality decreased so much that participants could barely see each other, they continued to use gestures and talk at a louder volume.

Trujillo says that "what this shows is that speech and gestures are integrated. People are compensating for losing out on visuals by adapting with louder speech and bigger gestures. Even when the image can barely be seen, people don't suddenly stop gesturing. It's similar to how people talk to each other on the phone: we don't see each other, and during an involved conversation we still move and gesticulate."

A fuller picture for future research

"Previous research has shown that speech and gestures are linked, but ours is the first to look into how visuals impact our behavior in those fields," notes Trujillo. "It indicates that speech and gestures are dynamically adapted to our demands. Our findings suggest that speech and gesture are two channels of communication that are tightly linked."

"What this study shows is that if you're studying communicative behavior, you have to look at the full picture. Some researchers have argued that gestures are only an addition to speech, that they are not integral to it. If that were the case, we wouldn't see people use louder speech to compensate for the loss of gestures, or the other way around. This study shows their connection works both ways. Further research into speech should not just look at factors like loudness and tone of voice, but also include these gestures to get a proper sense of people's behavior."

Scientists Shatter Record for the Amount of Energy Produced During a Controlled, Sustained Fusion Reaction

By DAVID DONOVAN AND LIVIA CASALI APRIL 12, 2022

Magnetic fusion reactors contain super hot plasma in a donut-shaped container called a tokamak.

Nuclear fusion hit a milestone thanks to better reactor walls – this engineering advance is building toward reactors of the future.

Scientists at a laboratory in England have shattered the record for the amount of energy produced during a controlled, sustained fusion reaction. The production of 59 megajoules of energy over five seconds at the Joint European Torus — or JET — experiment in England has been called “a breakthrough” by some news outlets and caused quite a lot of excitement among physicists. But a common line regarding fusion electricity production is that it is “always 20 years away.”

We are a nuclear physicist and a nuclear engineer who study how to develop controlled nuclear fusion for the purpose of generating electricity.

The JET result demonstrates remarkable advancements in the understanding of the physics of fusion. But just as importantly, it shows that the new materials used to construct the inner walls of the fusion reactor worked as intended. The fact that the new wall construction performed as well as it did is what separates these results from previous milestones and elevates magnetic fusion from a dream toward a reality.

Fusion reactors smash two forms of hydrogen together (top) so that they fuse, producing helium and a high energy electron (bottom).

Fusing particles together

Nuclear fusion is the merging of two atomic nuclei into one compound nucleus. This nucleus then breaks apart and releases energy in the form of new atoms and particles that speed away from the reaction. A fusion power plant would capture the escaping particles and use their energy to generate electricity.

There are a few different ways to safely control fusion on Earth. Our research focuses on the approach taken by JET – using powerful magnetic fields to confine atoms until they are heated to a high enough temperature for them to fuse.

The fuel for current and future reactors are two different isotopes of hydrogen — meaning they have the one proton, but different numbers of neutrons — called deuterium and tritium. Normal hydrogen has one proton and no neutrons in its nucleus. Deuterium has one proton and one neutron while tritium has one proton and two neutrons.

For a fusion reaction to be successful, the fuel atoms must first become so hot that the electrons break free from the nuclei. This creates plasma — a collection of positive ions and electrons. You then need to keep heating that plasma until it reaches a temperature over 200 million degrees Fahrenheit (100 million Celsius). This plasma must then be kept in a confined space at high densities for a long enough period of time for the fuel atoms to collide into each other and fuse together.

To control fusion on Earth, researchers developed donut-shaped devices — called tokamaks — which use magnetic fields to contain the plasma. Magnetic field lines wrapping around the inside of the donut act like train tracks that the ions and electrons follow. By injecting energy into the plasma and heating it up, it is possible to accelerate the fuel particles to such high speeds that when they collide, instead of bouncing off each other, the fuel nuclei fuse together. When this happens, they release energy, primarily in the form of fast-moving neutrons.

During the fusion process, fuel particles gradually drift away from the hot, dense core and eventually collide with the inner wall of the fusion vessel. To prevent the walls from degrading due to these collisions — which in turn also contaminates the fusion fuel — reactors are built so that they channel the wayward particles toward a heavily armored chamber called the divertor. This pumps out the diverted particles and removes any excess heat to protect the tokamak.

JET Magnetic Fusion Experiment The JET magnetic fusion experiment is the largest tokamak in the world. Credit: EFDA JET

The walls are important

A major limitation of past reactors has been the fact that divertors can’t survive the constant particle bombardment for more than a few seconds. To make fusion power work commercially, engineers need to build a tokamak vessel that will survive for years of use under the conditions necessary for fusion.

The divertor wall is the first consideration. Though the fuel particles are much cooler when they reach the divertor, they still have enough energy to knock atoms loose from the wall material of the divertor when they collide with it. Previously, JET’s divertor had a wall made of graphite, but graphite absorbs and traps too much of the fuel for practical use.

Around 2011, engineers at JET upgraded the divertor and inner vessel walls to tungsten. Tungsten was chosen in part because it has the highest melting point of any metal – an extremely important trait when the divertor is likely to experience heat loads nearly 10 times higher than the nose cone of a space shuttle reentering the Earth’s atmosphere. The inner vessel wall of the tokamak was upgraded from graphite to beryllium. Beryllium has excellent thermal and mechanical properties for a fusion reactor – it absorbs less fuel than graphite but can still withstand the high temperatures.

The energy JET produced was what made the headlines, but we’d argue it is in fact the use of the new wall materials which make the experiment truly impressive because future devices will need these more robust walls to operate at high power for even longer periods of time. JET is a successful proof of concept for how to build the next generation of fusion reactors.

ITER Fusion Reactor Diagram The ITER fusion reactor, seen here in a diagram, is going to incorporate the lessons of JET, but at a much bigger and more powerful scale. Credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ITER Tokamak and Plant Systems

The next fusion reactors

The JET tokamak is the largest and most advanced magnetic fusion reactor currently operating. But the next generation of reactors is already in the works, most notably the ITER experiment, set to begin operations in 2027. ITER — which is Latin for “the way” — is under construction in France and funded and directed by an international organization that includes the U.S.

ITER is going to put to use many of the material advances JET showed to be viable. But there are also some key differences. First, ITER is massive. The fusion chamber is 37 feet (11.4 meters) tall and 63 feet (19.4 meters) around — more than eight times larger than JET. In addition, ITER will utilize superconducting magnets capable of producing stronger magnetic fields for longer periods of time compared to JET’s magnets. With these upgrades, ITER is expected to smash JET’s fusion records – both for energy output and how long the reaction will run.

ITER is also expected to do something central to the idea of a fusion power plant: produce more energy than it takes to heat the fuel. Models predict that ITER will produce around 500 megawatts of power continuously for 400 seconds while only consuming 50 MW of energy to heat the fuel. This mean the reactor produced 10 times more energy than it consumed — a huge improvement over JET, which required roughly three times more energy to heat the fuel than it produced for its recent 59 megajoule record.

JET’s recent record has shown that years of research in plasma physics and materials science have paid off and brought scientists to the doorstep of harnessing fusion for power generation. ITER will provide an enormous leap forward toward the goal of industrial scale fusion power plants.

Written by:

• David Donovan – Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee
• Livia Casali – Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering, Zinkle Faculty Fellow, University of Tennessee

This article was first published in The Conversation.

Deutsche Telekom Buys More T-Mobile US Shares for $2.4 Billion

Deutsche Telekom (OTCMKTS:DTEGY) announced it has bought additional shares in T-Mobile US yesterday from Softbank for $2.4 billion. According to Reuters, the move brings CEO Tim Hoettges closer to his goal of securing direct control over the U.S. telecom operator. The acquisition of the 21.2 million shares was made via a call option that raises Deutsche Telekom's stake in T-Mobile US to 48.4 percent, the German company said on Wednesday.

In 2020, Deutsche Telekom agreed to pay Softbank a fixed price of $101.46 per T-Mobile US share for 11.8 million of the shares. The rest of the deal would be based on the stock's weighted average price. The average price for the deal was $113 per T-Mobile US share, compared with Tuesday's closing price of $131.44. Reuters said Deutsche Telekom used part of the roughly $4.3 billion it received from the sale of its T-Mobile Netherlands business to pay for the shares.

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.

Deadline Approaches to File Suit over Misrepresentations on A-CAM II 477 Data

Some clients have reported having A-CAM II support eliminated from their 2019 offer letters due to misreported Form 477 reports from would-be competitors in rural ILEC markets. Given the passage of time since the A-CAM II offers were made, it appears that any judicial remedies would be in the state courts. And, despite the FCC’s recent action re-assigning A-CAM II support in the Red River waiver order (See BloostonLaw Telecom Update of February 16, 2022), we do not expect an FCC remedy to be viable in the vast majority of circumstances. However, clients seeking a state remedy must be mindful of the applicable statute of limitations. It appears that in some, but not all, states, the deadline to file such suits based on fraudulent reporting will be May 2, 2022. For other states, the deadline will be later, but should be identified ASAP.

Clients who suspect that their A-CAM II offers may have been reduced due to false claims of service or fraudulent activity, and who wish to pursue recovery, may contact the firm ASAP for more information about a possible legal remedy. We will collaborate with The Casper Firm, LLC, which is handling pending litigation to recover the loss of A-CAM II funding on behalf of another client.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Sal Taillefer.

Headlines

CAF II Auction Deployment Data Available; Responses to Non-Deployment Letters Due May 9

On April 8, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing that the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) has posted the total locations deployed to by Connect America Fund Phase II (CAF II) Auction support recipients, reflecting deployment as of December 31, 2021. The data is available here, https://www.usac.org/high-cost/funds/caf-phase-ii-auction/, and reflects the number of locations (257,886 total) certified in the High Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) portal as of March 7, 2022 that are receiving broadband through this program.

CAF II Auction support recipients are required to deploy to 40% of model locations by December 31, 2022, and some providers have already met the initial deployment requirement. As part of Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s Rural Broadband Accountability Plan (RBAP), the FCC has also separately sent letters to each company that has not yet reported deployment in an authorized state and asked these companies to explain in detail the steps underway to ensure their compliance with the initial 40% deployment milestone by December 31, 2022. Responses must be filed by May 9. Carriers that received such letters and are seeking assistance with responses may contact the firm for more information and assistance.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Sal Taillefer.

White House Releases Infrastructure Law “Rural Playbook” on Upcoming Funding Opportunities

On April 12, the White House released the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Rural Playbook,” which is touted as “A roadmap for delivering opportunity and investments in rural America.” A copy of the playbook can be found here. BloostonLaw attorneys are available to assist in all aspects of reviewing and participating in the opportunities discussed in the playbook.

Specifically, the playbook is designed to identify programs and sources of funds set aside for rural communities under the law and provide an overview of key flexibilities and other benefits available to rural communities under the law, such as waivers for matching requirements. For broadband, this means:

• Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program – $42.5 billion for high speed Internet to unserved and underserved areas, including rural areas. The program guidelines (Notice of Funding Opportunity) will be released in the second quarter of 2022.
• ReConnect Program –$1.9 billion to the established ReConnect program, which offers loans, grants, and other funds directly to states, territories, local governments, Tribes, cooperatives, non-profits, and certain for-profit entities to build infrastructure and install equipment to provide high-speed Internet service in rural communities. Applications will open in the third quarter of 2022.
• Middle Mile Grants Program –$1 billion for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of middle mile infrastructure to reduce the cost of connecting unserved and underserved areas to the Internet backbone. NTIA will release the Notice of Funding Opportunity and open up the application window for this program in the second quarter of 2022.
• Digital Equity Grants - $1.7 billion for three, sequenced, digital equity grant programs to fund initiatives that “promote digital inclusion and equity to ensure that all individuals and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy.”
• Tribal Connectivity Broadband Program - $2 billion in funds to tribal governments to be used for broadband deployment on tribal lands, as well as for telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion.
• Affordable Connectivity Program – Ongoing program that provides eligible lower-income households with a discount of up to $30 per month (up to $75/month on Tribal lands) toward Internet services – as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop, or tablet.

According to the playbook, communities can currently use American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for broadband deployment to get started now, including:

• $350 billion in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, administered by the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), which state, Tribal, and local governments can use to make Internet more affordable and to fund deployment to new areas, helping rural communities respond to the negative economic impacts of the pandemic and meeting the necessary investments to expand affordable access to broadband. Learn more about this program via the Treasury’s frequently asked questions resources here.
• Broadband deployment projects and digital connectivity projects are eligible uses for funding from the $10 billion Capital Projects Program, administered by Treasury and funded by the American Rescue Plan. Each State has been allocated more than $100 million, each Territory has been allocated more than $14 million, and each Tribal government has been allocated $167,000 under the Capital Projects Program.

To get ready to apply for and deploy the Department of Commerce funding, the White House is encouraging rural communities to begin to work with their state legislators and state infrastructure coordinators to solidify partnerships required to improve connectivity across the state.

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

FCC Issues Warning on Security Threat from Use of Uninterruptible Power Supply Devices

On April 7, the FCC issued a Public Notice encouraging communications companies that use uninterruptable power supply (UPS) devices as either a primary or backup power source to review the Joint Cybersecurity Advisory (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Department of Energy (DOE)), Mitigating Attacks Against Uninterruptible Power Supply Devices. According to the Notice, those agencies have become aware of “threat actors” gaining access to a variety of Internet-connected UPS devices, often through unchanged default usernames and passwords.

CISA and DOE recommend that communications companies, along with all other critical infrastructure entities, immediately identify all UPSs and similar systems and ensure they are not accessible from the Internet; when a UPS or similar system’s management interface must be accessible from the Internet, these devices should have compensating controls, such as ensuring the device or system is behind virtual private network; enforcing multifactor authentication; and applying strong, long passwords.

Carriers with questions about the Public Notice may contact the firm for more information.

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Sal Taillefer.

Federal Government Transition from DUNS to Unique Entity Identifier Effective April 4

On April 6, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing that, as of April 4 (two days earlier), the Federal Government is no longer using the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to uniquely identify entities registered in the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) System for Award Management (SAM) and is instead using the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) generated directly in SAM.gov. If you are registered to participate in the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, ACP, or ECF, you already have a UEI and do not need to update your registration in SAM.gov. No further action is required; USAC will reach out directly to participants if needed. If you participate in one of the USF programs, you are not required to register in SAM.gov at this time, but USAC recommends initiating this process as it will be required at a later date. If you need help obtaining a UEI, registering with SAM.gov or have additional questions, please contact the firm for more information.

Previously, entities seeking to register on SAM.gov were required to obtain a nine-digit unique DUNS number through the Dun & Bradstreet website. Only after a DUNS number was assigned, was an entity able to register on SAM.gov. Effective immediately, entities can now go directly to SAM.gov to request a UEI and no longer need a DUNS number to register. Thus, entities may go directly to SAM.gov to:

• Register their entity and request a UEI;
• Make any updates to their legal business name and physical address associated with the UEI; and
• Find customer support at a single support center for all UEI and entity registration issues.

If a carrier is currently registered in SAM.gov with either an active or inactive registration, a UEI has already been assigned, and can be viewed within SAM.gov. Entities who are not registered in SAM.gov will be assigned a UEI when they register. While you can acquire a UEI without having to complete a full entity registration in SAM.gov, it is necessary to do so in order to receive payments from the FCC.

The transition from using DUNS numbers to using UEIs does not impact SAM.gov expiration or renewal dates. Once an entity is assigned a UEI through SAM.gov, the UEI will never expire; however, entities’ registrations in SAM.gov require annual renewal, or the accounts are deactivated. It is extremely important that information is kept current in SAM.gov because payments may not be able to be processed if the SAM.gov registration is not updated and/or has expired.

At this time, only entities that receive direct payments or disbursements from the FCC must obtain a UEI and complete full entity registration in SAM.gov. This includes the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and Emergency Connectivity Fund Program (ECF). Most organizations who participate in these programs should have already registered with SAM.gov to complete their registration with USAC. For Universal Service Fund (USF) recipients (High Cost, E-Rate, Rural Health Care, and Lifeline), program payments will continue as of April 4, 2022 without full entity SAM.gov registration; however, these programs will require full entity registration at a later date. Additionally, USAC will begin collecting UEIs on program forms later this year. More information will be forthcoming.

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

Law and Regulation

FCC Announces Pricing Changes for Reassigned Numbers Database; Guidance on Safe Harbor

On April 8, the FCC announced that it is improving its Reassigned Numbers Database by updating its subscriber rate structure to support access by callers so they can avoid making unwanted calls and clarified its safe harbor rules to encourage the use of the database.

Specifically, the FCC recently approved new usage pricing that will “give users more pricing options, lower prices for most subscribers, and discounts for caller agents subscribing to the highest tiers.” More information about pricing can be found on the Reassigned Numbers Database website at www.reassigned.us.

The FCC also clarified for callers that using agents to check the database will not impair their eligibility for a safe harbor from liability under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. “The clarification resolves potential confusion about whether the use of agents – an option many callers may choose for convenience – would deprive them of the safe harbor.” Specifically, the Reassigned Numbers Order stated that both callers and their agents can query the database; however, neither the Order nor the rules make clear that the caller may be eligible for the safe harbor if its agent makes the query. Accordingly, the FCC clarified that a caller that otherwise meets the criteria for the safe harbor does not need to perform the query of the database itself, but may instead rely on a query made on its behalf by a duly authorized agent. Callers should be aware that they, not their agents, are responsible for providing proof that the most recent version of the database was queried and it returned an erroneous response. Further, the caller should be prepared to prove that it authorized the agent to query the database on its behalf prior to making the calls at issue.

BloostonLaw Contact: Sal Taillefer.

Broadband Data Collection Mobile Technical Requirements Order Effective May 11

On April 11, the FCC published in the Federal Register its Broadband Data Collection (BDC) Mobile Technical Requirements Order, which adopted technical requirements to implement the BDC mobile challenge, verification, and crowdsourcing processes. Accordingly, those rules will become effective on May 11.

The requirements adopted in this Order will enable the Commission to collect sufficient measurements to ensure that the challenge process is “statistically valid while remaining ‘user-friendly.’” In particular, the FCC establishes a methodology for determining a threshold number of mobile speed tests and the geographic boundaries within a specified area. Based on this methodology, a challenge is created by associating the locations of validated speed tests within geographical hexagons defined by the accessible, open-source H3 geospatial indexing system and analyzing those speed tests. The FCC also adopts the parameters and metrics that speed tests must meet to be validated and used to meet the challenge thresholds.

The general requirements and framework for the mobile challenge process were actually established prior to the BDC Mobile Technical Requirements Public Notice, having been set forth in the Broadband DATA Act or prior Commission orders. Challenges must be based upon on-the-ground speed test data taken outdoors (i.e., from an in-vehicle mobile or outdoor stationary environment). Providers must either submit a rebuttal to the challenge or concede the challenge within 60 days of being notified of the challenge; rebuttals must consist of either on-the-ground test data or infrastructure data. A challenge respondent may also submit supplemental data in support of its rebuttal, either voluntarily or in response to a request for additional information from OEA.

As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the FCC has also published two documents setting forth data specifications related to the BDC. They are available at https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/resources. The two data specifications provide additional detail about the technical elements of the data to be collected as part of the mobile challenge, verification, and crowdsource processes. The Data Specifications for Mobile Speed Test Data document provides information on the on-the-ground speed test data that must be collected and reported by approved third-party mobile speed test apps that consumers will use to run crowdsource or challenge speed tests and submit those test results to the Commission’s BDC system; other entities participating in the BDC mobile challenge process or collecting crowdsource data; and service providers responding to mobile challenges or verification inquiries. The Data Specifications for Provider Infrastructure Data in the Mobile Challenge and Mobile Verification Process document specifies the data files that mobile service providers must submit when they choose to respond to a mobile challenge or verification inquiry with infrastructure data. These files include specific fields related to the location and height of base stations; base station carriers; base station loading; and, if a mobile service provider chooses to submit band-specific coverage maps along with speed test or infrastructure data in response to a challenge or verification inquiry, information on how those coverage map files should be formatted.

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Sal Taillefer.

Spectrum Mapping, Maternal Health Data Bills Pass House

On April 5, two bills introduced by Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The two bills, titled the Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act and the Spectrum Coordination Act, now await final action in the Senate.

According to a press release by Rep. Bilirakis, the Spectrum Coordination Act would “require the NTIA and FCC to revisit and update their 19-year-old policies.” According to the text, the legislation is meant to “(1) improve the process for resolving frequency allocation disputes in shared or adjacent spectrum bands, (2) ensure the efficient use of spectrum, and (3) establish reasonable timelines for information exchanges between the Administration and the Commission.” At present, NTIA and the FCC hold shared jurisdiction over the management of spectrum policies, but have not created a system to coordinate usage of spectrum policies since their 2003 Memorandum of Understanding.

The Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act, according to the same press release, “will help improve maternal health outcomes, by using data mapping to identify areas of the country where poor maternal health rates overlap with a lack of broadband access in order to deploy telehealth services most effectively.” Congressman Bilirakis said, “We need to use every tool at our disposal to improve health outcomes for moms and babies. Including this information into our broadband mapping will help us achieve this goal and ensure these moms get the prenatal care they deserve.”

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Richard Rubino.

Industry

Verizon Indicates Failure to Comply with Unlocking Obligations in TracFone Transfer Order

On April 8, TR Daily reported that Verizon filed an ex parte with the FCC indicating it had inadvertently failed to meet two aspects of the unlocking condition imposed in the order granting the transfer of control to Verizon of TracFone Wireless. It is unclear at this time whether the FCC will act.

Specifically, the transfer order required that “for 700 MHz C Block TracFone devices that operate on the Verizon network and lack an automatic unlocking capability, Verizon will provide customers with manual means to unlock the device sixty days after activation. When the 60-day period expires, Verizon will provide clear and easy to follow instructions to those customers as to how they can manually unlock their devices.” In its letter, Verizon indicated that it “it did not fully meet two aspects of this condition for some customers from January 22, 2022, to March 24, 2022, and has taken corrective action.”

For some customers, it appears that the SMS informing them that their device could be unlocked was deleted by an internal Verizon system designed to prevent duplicate notifications. For others, the web portal with instructions on how to unlock the phones returned an error. Verizon said it has sent new messages, and is working on correcting the web portal issue.

FCC Activates DIRS in Puerto Rico due to Power Outage; 18.6% of Cell Sites Down

On April 7, the FCC activated the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) in response to communications impacted by the island-wide power outage caused by a faulty circuit breaker in Puerto Rico. According to the DIRS data collected the next day, approximately 18.6% of cell sites throughout Puerto Rico were affected at the peak of the outage.

The DIRS report states, however, that the number of cell site outages in a specific area does not necessarily correspond to the availability of wireless service to consumers in that area. Overlapping cell sites that provide maximum capacity and continuity of service even when an individual site is inoperable may affect actual service. In addition, the data does not consider temporary facilities such as cells-on-wheels (also known as COWs), increased power at operational sites, roaming agreements, or other actions wireless providers may take to maintain service during outages. The DIRS data also indicates that cable and wireline companies reported 267,111 subscribers out of service. This may include the loss of telephone, television, and/or Internet services.

DIRS was deactivated on April 9.

Deadlines

MAY 31: 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. 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 May 31. 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.

[WAIVED; NEW DEADLINE NOT YET ESTABLISHED] 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 FCC 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 FCC, 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 FCC’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.

Law Offices Of Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & Prendergast, LLP 2120 L St. NW, Suite 300 Washington, D.C. 20037 (202) 659-0830 (202) 828-5568 (fax) — CONTACTS — Benjamin H. Dickens, Jr., 202-828-5510, bhd@bloostonlaw.com Gerard J. Duffy, 202-828-5528, gjd@bloostonlaw.com John A. Prendergast, 202-828-5540, jap@bloostonlaw.com Richard D. Rubino, 202-828-5519, rdr@bloostonlaw.com Mary J. Sisak, 202-828-5554, mjs@bloostonlaw.com D. Cary Mitchell, 202-828-5538, cary@bloostonlaw.com Salvatore Taillefer, Jr., 202-828-5562, sta@bloostonlaw.com This newsletter is not intended to provide legal advice. Those interested in more information should contact the firm.

Calendar At-a-Glance

April
Apr. 15 – Reply comments are due on Affordable Connectivity Program rules.
Apr. 18 – Comments are due on Windstream Petition to Exceed 25% Foreign Ownership Rule.
Apr. 19 – New Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Fees are effective.

May
May 1 – 64.1900 Geographic Rate Averaging Certification is due.
May 1 – FCC Form 499-Q (Quarterly Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet) is due.
May 3 – Reply comments are due on Windstream Petition to Exceed 25% Foreign Ownership Rule.
May 10 – Reply comments are due on Emergency Alert System NOI.
May 13 – Application window for Emergency Connectivity Fund closes.
May 13 – Deadly to register for Eligible Locations Adjustment Process.
May 16 – Comments are due on Pole Replacement Dispute Process.
May 16 – Comments are due on Digital Discrimination NOI.
May 31 – FCC Form 395 (Annual Employment Report) is due.

June
Jun. 1 – Rural Healthcare Applications for 2022 are due.
Jun. 30 – Inmate Calling Service data reports are due.
Jun. 30 – Reply comments are due on Pole Replacement Dispute Process.
Jun. 30 – Reply comments are due on Digital Discrimination NOI.
Jun. 30 – COVID Lifeline waivers set to expire.

July
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.
Jul. 31 – FCC Form 507 A-CAM/Alaska Plan Line Count Data is due.

TBD
FCC Form 481 (Carrier Annual Reporting Data Collection Form) is due.

FCC Opens Up the 470-512 MHz T-Band to New Applicants

The FCC has just released a Public Notice which modifies the application freeze from incumbent licensees and new applicants who seek to license facilities in the 470-512 MHz band (T-Band), provided that the applications meet the FCC’s requirements for spectrum efficiency. This may offer our clients an opportunity to obtain a UHF channel in order to meet their communications needs.

Background

On April 26, 2012, the FCC suspended the acceptance and processing of certain applications for Part 22 (Public Mobile Services) and Part 90 (Private Land Mobile Radio) services operating in the T-Band. Ostensibly, the froze the acceptance of applications in order to “maintain a stable spectral environment pending implementation of Section 6103 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, which mandated the Commission reallocate and auction frequencies used by public safety eligible entities in the T-Band.” The Section 6103 T-Band Mandate was repealed on December 27, 2020 when the President signed the Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

Since January 19, 2021, the FCC opened a special filing window in which it would accept Part 22 and Part 90 applications for T-Band facilities from incumbent licensees through a special filing window. That window ended on April 1, 2022.

Modifying Suspension for Certain Applications

With the close of the special incumbent-only filing window, the FCC has determined that it will now accept the following applications from incumbents and new entrants for T-Band facilities as of Monday, April 4, 2022:

• Applications for modification of license characterized as minor the FCC’s Rules.
• Applications characterized as major under Part 22 of the FCC's rules from new applicants or incumbent licensees.
• Applications governed by Part 90 of the Commission's rules from new applicants or incumbent licensees, but only if such applications;
  • propose operation with 12.5 kHz bandwidth (11.25 kHz occupied bandwidth) or narrower channels; or
  • employ a technology that achieves the narrowband equivalent of at least one channel per 12.5 kHz of channel bandwidth for voice, and transmission rates of at least 4800 bits per second per 6.25 kHz for data systems operating with bandwidths greater than 12.5 kHz (narrowband-equivalent technology).

The FCC has noted that it will not accept any Part 90 Private Land Mobile T-Band applications that do not meet the spectral efficiency requirements described above. This means that interested applicants should carefully plan their proposed facilities in order to make sure that the T-Band frequency proposals will meet the FCC’s processing requirements.

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Richard Rubino

Installing a Low Voltage Mounting Bracket

“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.

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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