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The Wireless
Messaging News

Please note the new advertisement from InfoRad about their Wireless Campus System. I am posting this as a free sample since I believe this is an important new product. If there are responses to this ad maybe it will motivate InfoRad to continue as an advertiser.

This Week's Wireless News Headlines:

• Please note the new advertisement from InfoRad about their Wireless Campus System. I am posting this as a free sample since I believe this is an important new product. If there are responses to this ad maybe it will motivate InfoRad to continue as an advertiser.
• InfoRad Wireless Campus System
• “Reliability is Everything”: J Roy Pottle
• Google Maps Alternative Announces Major New Feature for Personalized Navigation
• Mac continued to grow faster in 2021 than any Windows brand
• A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TWO-WAY PAGING
• IOS MALWARE FAKES IPHONE SHUT DOWN, KEEPS ON SPYING YOU THROUGH CAMERA AND MICROPHONE
• 800 MHz 12.5 kHz Channels Release?
  • Enterprise Wireless Alliance
• Inside Towers
  • Fiber Infrastructure Expands on All Fronts
• BloostonLaw Telecom Update
  • Reminder: Supply Chain Reimbursement Filing Window Closes January 14
  • FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for January Open Meeting
  • Chairwoman Rosenworcel Releases Draft ACP Rules
  • Consumers’ Research Challenges Q1 USF Contribution Factor in Fifth Circuit
  • FCC Announces New Procedures for Current CDBS Filings
  • USDA Offers ReConnect Program Application Workshops
  • Deadlines
  • BloostonLaw Contacts
  • Calendar At-a-Glance
• LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
  • Bill Reid
• TECHNICIAN'S CORNER
  • The K7RA Solar Update
• THIS WEEK'S MUSIC VIDEO
  • “Total Eclipse of the Heart”
  • Bonnie Tyler — (Official Lyric Video)

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.

What happens if you don't advertise? . . . NOTHING!

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There is not a lot of news about Paging these days but when anything significant comes out, you will probably see it here. I also cover text messaging to other devices and various articles about related technology.

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS NORTH AMERICA SOUTH AMERICA

“Reliability is Everything”: J Roy Pottle

Back in 2005, a boutique investment bank asked Roy Pottle if he was interested in acquiring Southwestern Bell Corporation’s paging subsidiary. At that time, demand for mobile phones was on the rise. In contrast, the paging industry was in decline, the technology increasingly viewed as a relic from a less convenient past. Roy thought otherwise.

As the former Executive Vice President and CFO of Arch Wireless Inc., the largest wireless messaging or paging company in the US, Roy had a unique understanding of the business and most importantly, understood which customers were leaving and which were not.

“For a subset of customers, particularly in the medical community, the use of pagers was deeply embedded in their communication processes for critical messaging. Those customers weren’t going anywhere,” he explains of his decision to partner with Co-Founders Marc Gineris and Tom Hopkins to buy and then rebrand SBC’s paging division into American Messaging.

Sixteen years later, American Messaging has evolved into a global leader in critical messaging. It has consolidated the US paging industry through 35 acquisitions, but more importantly, modernized its network infrastructure and broadened its product suite to integrate its networks with its proprietary secure messaging app, AMS Connect.

The narrower focus of critical messaging is simply communication required immediately and with great certainty.

“Five years ago, we set out to modernize our networks and related infrastructure to ensure it was modern, reliable and secure,” Roy says.

This need brought about a series of dependencies within the company’s operations, described by American Messaging President and COO Dave Andersen as a “circular connection”: “Our requirement to be secure drove investments which made us more reliable and modern. The requirement to be more reliable drove investments which made us more modern and secure. Our desire to modernize drove investments that made us more reliable and secure,” he says. “The relationship between these three dependencies supports each other for the benefit of our customers and improved network performance.”

Meanwhile, American Messaging set out to broaden its product suite through the development of a new, secure messaging application which was in turn integrated with traditional paging and third-party broadband networks. “We married two wireless networks — our traditional proprietary paging networks and third-party broadband networks, providing customers with redundancy and increased flexibility as messages are now delivered simultaneously, using two different networks, to a pager and our secure messaging app AMS Connect,” Roy says.

This provides end users with the flexibility to use their pager or their mobile device depending on the coverage and individual preferences. In hospitals, broadband coverage can be uncertain – sometimes resulting in missed or delayed messaging. In-building penetration associated with pagers, on the other hand, ensures messages are received immediately. “It’s not one or the other, it’s one and the other,” Roy says.

When messages are critical and seconds count, pagers are often the preferred device. When immediate receipt of messages is not critical, however, AMS Connect provides end users with the flexibility to carry their preferred device given their specific needs and circumstances at any point in time. “Essentially, we have transitioned from a network company to a network and software company as we continue to build the feature set for AMS Connect and its related software.”

Developing AMS Connect and its software suite for onboarding and feature selections has been crucial to American Messaging’s long-term strategy, Roy says. “Over the last few years, we’ve moved very quickly to position the company and grow through our integrated messaging solution,” he says. “We’ve evolved our software solution through our third-party offshore partner Intelligencia LLC. They’ve proven to be an outstanding collaborative partner.”

American Messaging listens to its customers and thereby determines incremental functionality; Intelligencia then handles the development and testing of the software platform to introduce additional features and ensures they work as intended.

According to Roy, the secure messaging world can be split into two components: critical messaging and clinical and collaborative care. The latter primarily relates to the software and related feature set that physicians and other medical personnel use to interact with one another during patient care. “However, the narrower focus of critical messaging is simply communication required immediately and with great certainty,” he says.

It’s a business that comes down to being a dependable and reliable choice for critical messaging. “When you’re a critical messaging company, your messages have to be received immediately, and you have to have high confidence that they will be,” Roy says. “For us, reliability is everything.”

As a company and as a culture, we must do what we say we’re going to do — and we are honest about what we do well and what we need to do better.

Reliability extends to supply chain competence and partners. According to Roy, American Messaging has relied upon its partners to build stronger and more reliable operations, allowing it to modernize its business. “We set out five years ago to modernize our network infrastructure and our device equation. We have two critical manufacturers on the device side, one in Seoul, South Korea, and another in Taipei, Taiwan. We’ve worked closely with them over the last several years.”

One of the fruits of this collaboration is a new paging device with a USB port. “We’ve also undertaken development work on encrypted pagers, ensuring all messages are secure.”

Reliability flows from the top down and is the cornerstone of the company’s culture. “American Messaging’s tagline is: ‘The Dependable Choice.’ Underpinning our strategy is the need to excel at service delivery,” Roy insists. “From the beginning, we’ve said that to be the dependable choice for our customers, we had to be dependable to one another. As a company and as a culture, we must do what we say we’re going to do — and we must be honest about what we do well and what we need to do better. We also accept that we don’t get everything right, but when we do make a mistake, we’re upfront and we commit to fixing the problem.

“We have a culture committed to getting things right and doing the right thing. We set out on a mission to be the best, most trusted provider of critical messaging services in the US, with a strategy to differentiate ourselves through every employee excelling at customer service and service delivery.”

While stoic words such as ‘reliable’ and ‘dependable’ are exactly what clients require, Roy says it’s fun that forms the basis of company culture. “The cornerstone of our culture is: ‘Let’s have fun doing it,’” he says. “We still have the same passion for having fun doing what we do and enjoying working with each other to make a difference in delivering critical messages that often save lives.”

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.

Google Maps Alternative Announces Major New Feature for Personalized Navigation

13 Jan 2022, 22:18 UTC · by Bogdan Popa

TomTom AmiGO is currently one of the most advanced navigation apps on the market, and more often than not, it’s considered just the perfect alternative to Google Maps on both iPhone and Android

One of the reasons AmiGO is such a good app is TomTom’s commitment to frequent updates, as the navigation software keeps getting additional polishing, as well as new functionality to improve and evolve the user experience.

This week, for example, TomTom announced a new AmiGO feature whose purpose is to pave the way for a more personalized navigation experience when getting behind the wheel.

To do this, TomTom has added support for profiles, which are essentially a way to tell the app what car you’re driving. The profile section lets you share plenty of details about your car, including the color, but without a doubt, the most important is the type of fuel it uses.

TomTom AmiGO supports both gas/diesel and electric, so just make sure you define the right setting in the app. Once this is configured, the application can automatically search for the right gas or charging station according to your settings whenever you tap the gas station icon on the main screen.

It goes without saying this feature comes in handy specifically for EV owners. AmiGO supports all kinds of extra information, including even compatible chargers, so the app can therefore look for the right charging station according to your profile.

TomTom says it’s working on several other ways to make the profile section more relevant to the personalized navigation, so users are strongly recommended to fill in the information after updating AmiGO to the latest version.

“We are continuously working towards improving the driving experience for everyone! So even if you do not have an electric vehicle, by adding your vehicle to the app you will help us to fine tune our routing to give you improved navigation in the future,” the company says.

You can find the latest TomTom AmiGO version on the Google Play Store and the App Store.

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.

Can You Help The Newsletter?

You can help support The Wireless Messaging News by clicking on the PayPal Donate button above. It is not necessary to be a member of PayPal to use this service.

Newspapers generally cost 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.

COMPUTING

Mac continued to grow faster in 2021 than any Windows brand

By Caleb Clark January 12, 2022 3:13PM

Apple’s M1 processor line is a big deal and good for sales, according to a report from Canalys. As Windows Central first reported, PC sales overall have grown in both 2020 and 2021. According to the report, PC sales last year were “15% higher than last year, 27% higher than 2019, and the largest shipment total since 2012.”

Apple far and away had the largest gains percentage-wise. Annual growth came in at 28%, and the company shipped 7.8 million units in 2021. While Apple’s growth is impressive, it still has a comparably small market share compared to its competitors. Though Lenovo and HP’s market share fell overall, they still make up a combined 45.8% of the market and shipped over 153.3 million units.

A 28% jump in one year is still impressive, though. Part of that massive growth is no doubt thanks to the popularity of the M1 series processors. The buzz around M1 in 2020 was massive, and the releases of the redesigned iMac and overhauled MacBook Pros definitely contributed to that growth.

Even in a market where all computer sales went up, Apple still handily outperformed its competitors. Lenovo, the largest in terms of market share, only had a 13.1% increase over 2020, and HP only went up 9.5%. Of course, that “only” is in the context of huge growth for all of them. Dell led the way in Windows-based PC growth with 18% year-over-year growth.

Even with the unprecedented growth, Apple only makes up 8.5% of the market.

The report covers all sales of PCs, including desktops and notebooks, and it has some pretty interesting data. For one, individuals owning more than one PC is becoming the norm in more developed markets, and the market is becoming more saturated as younger and older consumers get their hands on PCs.

As Ishan Dutt, a Canalys Senior Analyst, said:

“Taking a long-term view, the most important developments in 2021 were the large increases in PC penetration and usage rates. PCs are now in the hands of both young students and older family members, while ownership of two or more PCs per person has become more common in developed markets. Since the onset of the pandemic, a larger than normal proportion of PCs shipped have been new additions to the installed base rather than replacement devices, especially in areas such as education and remote work.”

It will be interesting to see how PC sales continue in 2022 as the silicon shortage gets shorted out and more components and devices are more readily available.

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

If the various versions of two-way paging are a little confusing to you—you are not alone. Maybe the illustration below will help clear up what the different versions are.

We all know what one-way paging is—the pager is just a selective-call radio receiver. If you add a tiny transmitter inside of the pager then you are moving into the realm of two-way paging, since the pager now has the ability to talk back. The early ones were called "one-and-a-half-way pagers" (1.5) since they could only send limited responses back to the infrastructure. Even though limited, the simple responses of "I am here" and "I got it" allowed the paging industry to offer automatic roaming and assured message delivery. This was a great step forward. You will never miss a message because the system keeps trying until your pager says "I got it" and automatic roaming to other cities (and even other countries) is possible because the pager always says "I am here" as soon as you get off of an airplane and turn it on. Other features were added later with various names and numbers, until we finally got to "full two-way" (2.0) pagers—which are basically pagers that can send and receive alphanumeric text messages—usually with a small keyboard. We will be seeing many more variations such as wireless-telemetry devices, wireless e-mailers, and wireless-enabled PDAs. (Personal Digital Assistants.) I hope this brief description helps clarify what the different version of two-way paging are—not everyone who reads this is an engineer.

1.5-way paging
Refers to guaranteed message receipt or advanced messaging, ensuring subscribers receive messages sent when they are out of range, but users cannot send text pages. "One and a half way" also allows for automatic roaming.

Assured Delivery
A one-and-a-half-way device is capable of providing guaranteed message delivery by acknowledging receipt of a message, on a per message basis. Even when the user is out of range, or when the pager is turned off, messages are stored and then forwarded to the pager when it's back on or within range.

Automatic Roaming
With automatic registration, the one-and-a-half-way device can register its geographic location on the network. This allows for transmission of alphanumeric text messages more efficiently and economically than traditional one-way-broadcast paging networks, where the pager location is unknown.

1.7-way paging
A paging service that offers more than guaranteed messaging but not as much as full two-way paging. The subscriber has limited response messaging, such as canned messages, rather than the ability to create responses.

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

IOS MALWARE FAKES IPHONE SHUT DOWN, KEEPS ON SPYING YOU THROUGH CAMERA AND MICROPHONE

Jan 14, 2022 by Dunja Djudjic

Have you ever felt like someone is spying on you through your phone? Well, they just might. In a recent video, security researchers from ZecOps have demonstrated a scary malware that makes it seem like your iPhone has been shut down and rebooted. But in reality, its camera and microphone remain up and running without any indicators, enabling hackers to on you.

In the demo video above, you can see that the camera on the infected iPhone is still rolling even when it appears to be turned off. There’s no LED indicator that it’s filming, so there’s no way you could know about it. But it gets worse.

Normally, when you turn off your iPhone, everything is turned off. The screen goes dark and it no longer responds to any stimuli from you. But with ZecOps’ “trojan proof of concept,” the shutdown is only simulated. Your phone appears to be turned off, but the camera and the microphone are still rolling. The researchers dubbed the attack “NoReboot,” as not even a reboot is enough to get rid of it. Since your phone is only seemingly shut down, the process of turning it on is also simulated and the attack is always ongoing.

As Bleeping Computer notes, Apple recently introduced a new feature in iOS 15. It enables you to locate your device even when it’s switched off. This raises a question – is it really ever switched off? Apple never explained how exactly this works, which makes room for concerns. However, researchers found it is achieved “by keeping the Bluetooth LPM chip active and running autonomously even when the iPhone is switched off,” this source writes.

Scary as it may sound, there is a way to figure out that your phone has been infected. As one of the commenters on YouTube notes, it’s a red flag that no SIM or passcode is required after you reboot your phone. Still, you need to have it set up in the first place, otherwise, this tip is of no use.

Some users wonder what happens after a hard reboot or if your battery runs out of power completely. Sadly, there’s no answer to any of these questions. I guess it’s time for camera covers and tinfoil hats, then.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Andrea Cumpston, Communications Director
Email: andrea.cumpston@enterprisewireless.org
Phone: 703-797-5111

800 MHz 12.5 kHz Channels Release?

HERNDON, VIRGINIA, January 11, 2022 — On January 7, the Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA) reminded the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that the “private land mobile community is eager to make productive use” of the 12.5 kHz channels in the 800 MHz band. The FCC finalized the rules for these channels in 2020, and the frequency coordination processes for these channels have been established. All that remains is for the FCC to issue a Public Notice announcing the date when it will accept applications.

“In August of last year, EWA noted that there were no apparent technical encumbrances that would prohibit releasing these 318 channels. The FCC has not responded nor indicated when it might make these channels available to public safety and business enterprises” said EWA President and Chief Executive Officer Robin Cohen. “Perhaps the FCC will provide an update.”

About the Enterprise Wireless Alliance

The Enterprise Wireless Alliance is an FCC-certified frequency advisory committee and leading advocate for business enterprises, private carrier operators, wireless sales and service organizations and private wireless equipment vendors. EWA provides spectrum acquisition strategies, frequency coordination, license preparation, license management and associated reporting services. Membership in EWA is open to users of wireless communications systems, vendors, system operators and service organizations. EWA develops innovative services to support member businesses, such as Spectrum Intel, Cevo®, a powerful online frequency coordination solution, which simplifies the FCC-license application process and allows users to select their own frequencies, and Cevo Go™ a mobile app that delivers frequencies certified by EWA in hours, not days. More information about membership and services is available at www.enterprisewireless.org.

Fiber Infrastructure Expands on All Fronts

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor

There’s that old adage: “It takes a lot of wires to make wireless work!” After all, signals are only wireless between your mobile device and the nearest cell tower. From there, signals are carried over wireline terrestrial networks. These days, those wires increasingly are fiber optic cables, and lots of them.

Fiber cable use is expanding across multiple fronts with different network architectures. More and more, fiber is applied in wireless infrastructure at several so-called X-haul levels: fronthaul, mid-haul and backhaul.

At the same time, fiber companies operate millions of route miles delivering wholesale long-haul transport and middle mile dark fiber and wavelengths to enterprises and other carriers with high capacity dense wave division multiplex (DWDM) systems. Telephone and cable companies are selling fiber-based retail broadband services to tens of millions of residences and small businesses via fiber-to-the-home/fiber-to-the-premise architectures.

These different applications allow fiber companies to generate revenues two ways: business-to-consumer (B2C) local access retail broadband services, and business-to-business (B2B) wholesale data and transport services.

Over 1,000 operating companies in the U.S. provide fiber-based services both on a B2C and B2B basis. These companies fall into several categories:

• Tier 1/Tier 2 incumbent local exchange companies (ILECs) — AT&T, Verizon, Lumen Technologies, Frontier Communications and Windstream — provide both local access and long-haul transport services.
• Broadband companies comprising nearly 850 small, regional, and rural independent telephone companies (ITCOs), led by TDS Telecom and Shentel, are upgrading their networks to FTTH/FTTP-based local access services.
• Dozens of large and small cable companies led by Comcast, Charter Communications, Cox Communications, Altice USA, and Mediacom, deliver triple-play (voice, Internet, video) local access broadband services over both hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) and FTTH networks.
• Several dozen fiber companies including Crown Castle International, Uniti Group, Zayo and Fiberlight operate long-haul transport networks and metro rings in regional markets and in key cities around the country selling only B2B services.
• Broadband overbuilders such as WideOpenWest (WOW), Google Fiber, Metronet and Fusion Media are competing with incumbent cable and broadband operators in select markets.

Fiber networks require extensive capital expenditures to install, operate and maintain. We estimate that aggregate capex among U.S. public and private telcos, cablecos, fibercos, and overbuilders is nearly $50 billion a year. These investments encompass intercity long-haul transport, regional and metro rings and local access broadband connections in major cities, small towns, and rural communities across the country.

A detailed analysis entitled ‘Understanding the Fiber Infrastructure Business’ is presented in the just-released Intelligence Q3 2021 issue. The report provides a deep dive into fiber network architectures and fiber company business models along with profiles of the leading fiber companies.

For more information, or to subscribe, visit: www.insidetowers.com/intelligence

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: Supply Chain Reimbursement Filing Window Closes January 14

The application filing window for the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (Reimbursement Program) closes this Friday, January 14, 2022 at 11:59 PM ET. BloostonLaw attorneys are available to assist clients interested in participating in the Reimbursement Program.

As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (Secure Networks Act), as amended, required the FCC to establish the Reimbursement Program to reimburse providers of advanced communications services with ten million or fewer customers for costs incurred in the removal, replacement, and disposal of covered communications equipment or services from their networks that pose a national security risk. Covered communication equipment or services eligible for Reimbursement Program support is limited to the communications equipment or services produced or provided by Huawei Technologies Company (Huawei) or ZTE Corporation (ZTE), that were obtained by providers on or before June 30, 2020.

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

Headlines

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for January Open Meeting

On January 7, the FCC issued a Press Release announcing that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the January Open Commission Meeting scheduled for the 27th:

• Empowering Broadband Consumers Through Transparency: a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would propose to require that broadband Internet access service providers display, at the point of sale, labels to disclose to consumers certain information about their prices, introductory rates, data allowances, broadband speeds, and management practices, among other things. (CG Docket No. 22-2)
• Connecting Tribal Libraries: a Report and Order that would amend the definition of library in the Commission’s rules to clarify that Tribal libraries are eligible for support through the E-Rate Program. (CC Docket No. 02-6)
• Updating Outmoded Political Programming and Record-Keeping Rules: a Report and Order to update outmoded political programming rules. (MB Docket No. 21-293)
• Facilitating Better Use of ‘White Space’ Spectrum: a Second Order on Reconsideration and Order resolving pending issues associated with white space devices and the white spaces databases, enabling unlicensed white space devices to continue operating efficiently while protecting other spectrum users. (ET Docket Nos. 04-186, 14-165)
• Updating Equipment Authorization Rules: a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would propose to update existing equipment authorization rules to reflect more recent versions of the technical standards that are incorporated by reference and incorporate by reference a new technical standard so that our equipment authorization system can continue to keep pace with technology developments. (ET Docket Nos. 21-363, 19-48).

Each summary above contains a link to the draft text of each item expected to be considered at this Open Meeting. However, it is possible that changes will be made before the Meeting. One-page cover sheets prepared by the FCC are included in the public drafts to help provide an additional summary.

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

Chairwoman Rosenworcel Releases Draft ACP Rules

On January 7, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated and released to the public a draft Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that, if adopted, would establish the rules for the $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) pursuant to Congressional directives in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. A copy of the draft document can be found here. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the Affordable Connectivity Program would provide eligible households with discounts of up to $30 a month for broadband service, and up to $75 a month if the household is on Tribal lands. It also will provide a one-time discount of up to $100 on a computer or tablet for eligible households, as directed under the law.

According to the fact sheet prepared by the FCC, the Report and Order would:

• Establish household eligibility requirements for the Affordable Connectivity Program, including adding USDA’s WIC Program and expanding the income eligibility to 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
• Adopt technology neutral Program rules for participating broadband providers.
• Define the rules governing broadband plans and connected devices available in the new Program, and outline the reimbursement and claims processes providers must follow to receive the up to $30 per month standard subsidy or the up to $75 per month subsidy for eligible households on Tribal lands.
• Adopt consumer protection rules as well as disclosure and consumer consent requirements; establish a dedicated FCC complaint process for Program participants.
• Establish a roadmap and consent requirements to assist legacy EBB Program households transitioning to the Affordable Connectivity Program.
• Initiate the FCC’s outreach program as permitted in the Infrastructure Act to encourage eligible households to enroll in the new Program.

The Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks comment on the structure of and objectives for an outreach partner grant program, and on a mechanism with which an eligible household in a high-cost area may receive an enhanced benefit of up to $75 per month. This document has been circulated for tentative consideration by the Commission by January 14, 2022, the statutory deadline for promulgating rules for the Affordable Connectivity Program. In a footnote, the FCC indicates that the issues referenced in this document and the ultimate resolution thereof remain under consideration and subject to change.

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

Law and Regulation

Consumers’ Research Challenges Q1 USF Contribution Factor in Fifth Circuit

On January 5, a group of petitioners led by Consumers’ Research filed a Petition for Review of the proposed Universal Service Fund contribution factor for first quarter 2022. Specifically, the petitioners seek review of the FCC’s approval of the proposed USF contribution factor on the grounds that they exceed the FCC’s statutory authority, and violate the Constitution and other federal laws, including:

• Congress’s delegation to the FCC of legislative authority to raise and spend money via the Universal Service Fund violates Article I, section 1 of the U.S. Constitution.
• The revenues raised for the Universal Service Fund pursuant are taxes and therefore Congress’s delegation to the FCC of authority to raise and spend taxes violates Article I, section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.
• To the extent Congress permitted the FCC to re-delegate to USAC the authority to raise and spend taxes for FCC-defined “universal service,” Congress unconstitutionally delegated its taxing power to a private entity in contravention of Article I, section 8 of the Constitution.
• The USF Tax Factor is a binding legislative rule, but the FCC did not comply with the APA’s requirements for rulemaking, nor with the Federal Register Act’s requirements for publication.

This is the second such suit filed by Consumers’ Research, the first being on the same grounds but regarding the fourth quarter 2021 USF contribution factor.

BloostonLaw Contact: Sal Taillefer.

FCC Announces New Procedures for Current CDBS Filings

On January 11, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing that, as of today, January 12, it will no longer accept filings in the Consolidated Database System (CDBS). According to the Public Notice, this action is necessary due to pressing technical issues that prevent the effective use of CDBS going forward and is intended to facilitate the ongoing transition of all filings to the Licensing and Management System (LMS) database.

The majority of applications and submissions handled by CDBS have transitioned to LMS, and those applications and submissions must continue to be submitted using LMS. The FCC will dismiss as procedurally defective any applications that are required to be filed using LMS that are not submitted through that system.

Effective with the sunset of CDBS filings on January 12, all filings that cannot be submitted using LMS, it must be submitted by email to audiofilings@fcc.gov. In the case of filings using an FCC form, the form should be submitted as an attachment to the email in “pdf” format.

Carriers with questions about CDBS and LMS filings may contact the firm for more information.

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Richard Rubino.

Industry

USDA Offers ReConnect Program Application Workshops

On January 5, the USDA Rural Development Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced it is providing two three-day workshops for those interested in applying for ReConnect Program funding. As we reported in previous editions of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the ReConnect Program offers loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in areas of rural America without sufficient access to broadband.

The first workshop will take place Tuesday, January 18th — Thursday, January 20th, and the second workshop will take place Tuesday, February 8th — Thursday, February 10th. The three-day workshops will take place virtually and provide attendees with an understanding of the ReConnect program application system and program requirements for FY2022.

Topics will include:

• Program Eligibility
• Evaluation Criteria
• Live Demonstrations of the Application System
• Overview and deep dive sessions on financial, network, environmental, and mapping requirements
• Compliance and Post-award Reporting

Both workshops are identical and cover the same content.

Deadlines

JANUARY 31: Form 855 HAC Compliance Certification. The next Hearing Aid Compatibility regulatory compliance certification, certifying compliance with the FCC’s HAC handset minimums as well as enhanced record retention and website posting requirements for the 2021 calendar year, will be due Monday, January 18, 2022, for all CMRS service providers (including CMRS resellers) that had operations during any portion of 2021. Companies that sold their wireless licenses during the 2021 calendar year will need to file a partial-year HAC compliance certifications if they provided mobile wireless service at any time during the year. Under current FCC rules, at least 66% of a Tier III provider’s handset must meet ratings of M3- or better and T3- or better. The benchmark applicable to Tier III providers will increase from 66% to 85% on April 3, 2023.

BloostonLaw has prepared a 2022 HAC Regulatory Compliance Template to facilitate our clients’ compliance with the revised HAC rules. Contact Cary Mitchell if you would like to obtain a copy of the HAC Regulatory Compliance Template.

BloostonLaw Contact: Cary Mitchell.

JANUARY 31: FCC FORM 555, ANNUAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIER CERTIFICATION FORM. All Lifeline Program service providers are required to file the FCC Form 555, except where the National Verifier, state Lifeline administrator, or other entity is responsible. Since January 31 falls on a weekend or holiday this year, Form 555 may be filed by February 1. The FCC Form 555 must be submitted to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) electronically via USAC’s E-File (One Portal). Carriers must also file a copy of their FCC Form 555 in the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System, Docket 14-171, and with their state regulatory commission. The form reports the results of the annual recertification process and non-usage de-enrollments. Recertification results are reported month-by-month based on the subscribers’ anniversary date.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and John Prendergast.

FEBRUARY 1: FCC FORM 499-Q, TELECOMMUNICATIONS REPORTING WORKSHEET. All telecommunications common carriers that expect to contribute more than $10,000 to federal Universal Service Fund (USF) support mechanisms must file this quarterly form. The FCC has modified this form in light of its decision to establish interim measures for USF contribution assessments. The form contains revenue information from the prior quarter plus projections for the next quarter. Form 499-Q relates only to USF contributions. It does not relate to the cost recovery mechanisms for the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund, the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA), and the shared costs of local number portability (LNP), which are covered in the annual Form 499-A that is due April 1.

FEBRUARY 1: FCC FORM 502, NUMBER UTILIZATION AND FORECAST REPORT. Any wireless or wireline carrier (including paging companies) that have received number blocks—including 100, 1,000, or 10,000 number blocks—from the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), a Pooling Administrator, or from another carrier, must file Form 502 by February 1. Carriers porting numbers for the purpose of transferring an established customer’s service to another service provider must also report, but the carrier receiving numbers through porting does not. Resold services should also be treated like ported numbers, meaning the carrier transferring the resold service to another carrier is required to report those numbers but the carrier receiving such numbers should not report them. Reporting carriers are required to include their FCC Registration Number (FRN). Reporting carriers file utilization and forecast reports semiannually on or before February 1 for the preceding six-month reporting period ending December 31, and on or before August 1 for the preceding six-month reporting period ending June 30. BloostonLaw contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Sal Taillefer. FEBRUARY 1: Live 911 Call Data Reports – Non-Nationwide Providers that do not provide coverage in any of the Test Cities must collect and report aggregate data based on the largest county within its footprint to APCO, NENA, and NASNA on the location technologies used for live 911 calls in those areas. Clients should obtain spreadsheets with their company’s compliance data from their E911 service provider (e.g., Intrado / West).

BloostonLaw Contacts: Cary Mitchell.

MARCH 1: COPYRIGHT STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT FORM FOR CABLE COMPANIES. This form, plus royalty payment for the second half of 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.

BloostonLaw 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 the firm for more information. Note: If you file the CPNI certification, you must also file the FCC Form 499-A Telecom Reporting Worksheet by April 1.

BloostonLaw contacts: Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer.

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 Sal Taillefer.

MARCH 1: HUBB LOCATION DATA FILING AND CERTIFICATION. Carriers participating in modernized Connect America Fund (CAF) programs with defined broadband buildout obligations have until March 1 of each year to file deployment data with USAC's High Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) portal showing where they built out mass-market, high-speed Internet service in the previous calendar year. Carriers that have no locations to upload must certify this fact in the HUBB. Affected programs include: CAF Phase II Model; Alternative Connect America Cost Model (Original A-CAM) and Revised ACAM; ACAM II; Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS); Rural Broadband Experiments (RBE); Alaska Plan (other than carriers with individualized performance plans that only require them to maintain service at existing levels); CAF Phase II Auction; and Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF).

Carriers with 2021 deployment milestones must also complete milestone certifications as part of the annual HUBB filing and will face verification reviews tied to those milestones. Carriers subject to defined deployment milestones must notify the FCC and USAC, and relevant state, U.S. Territory or Tribal governments if applicable, within 10 business days after the applicable deadline if they have failed to meet a milestone. Carriers that miss milestones face increased reporting obligations and potential loss of support.

BloostonLaw attorneys have successfully assisted clients in uploading and certifying their HUBB location data, as well as obtain petitions for waiver of the FCC’s rules where necessary.

BloostonLaw Contact: Sal Taillefer.

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

January
Jan. 14 – Deadline to file applications to participate in the Rip and Replace Reimbursement Program.
Jan. 14 – Reply comments on FM Directional Antenna NPRM are due.
Jan. 18 – Reply comments on TRS Fund Compensation for IP Relay are due.
Jan 31 – Comments on SIP Code Usage for Call Blocking are due.
Jan. 31 – Annual Hearing Aid Compatibility Report is due.
Jan. 31 – FCC Form 555 (Annual Lifeline ETC Certification Form) is due.

February
Feb. 1 – FCC Form 499-Q (Quarterly Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet) is due.
Feb. 1 – FCC Form 502 (Number Utilization and Forecast Report) is due.
Feb. 1 – Live 911 Call Data Reports from Non-Nationwide Providers are due.
Feb. 14 – Reply comments on SIP Code Usage for Call Blocking are due.
Feb. 17 – Reply comments are due on Report on the Future of USF.

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. 1 – Annual HUBB Deployment Report is due.
Mar. 17 – Comments are due on Report on the Future of USF.
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.
Mar. 31 – COVID Lifeline waivers set to expire.

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Two new sunspot groups emerged on January 9 and another showed up on January 12. Average daily sunspot numbers rose six points this week to 42.4, and average daily solar flux increased from 91.4 to 101.6.

Geomagnetic indicators were quieter, with average daily planetary A index declining from 7.7 to 6.1, and average daily middle latitude A index from 6 to 4.1.

The higher A index values on January 8 and 9 were from a G-1 class storm caused by co-rotating interaction regions.

Predicted solar flux for the next month shows values peaking at 120 on January 21 - 24 and again around mid-February. Predicted values are 104 and 106 on January 13 - 14; 108 on January 15 - 17; 106 on January 18 - 20; 120 on January 21 - 24; 110 on January 25; 100 on January 26 - 27; 95 and 90 on January 28 - 29; 85 on January 30 - February 1; 95 and 105 on February 2 - 3; 100 on February 4 - 5; 102 on February 6 - 7; 105 on February 8; 110 on February 9 - 10; 115 on February 11 - 12, and 120 on February 13 - 20.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on January 13 - 14;14, 24, 12, and 8 on January 15 - 18; 5 on January 19 - 22; 10 on January 23; 8 on January 24 - 26; 5 on January 27; 10 on January 28 - 30; 5 on January 31 - February 3; 15, 10, and 8 on February 4 - 6; 5 on February 7 - 11; 12, 10, and 8 on February 12 - 14, and 5 on February 15 - 18.

Sunspot numbers for January 6 through 12 were 35, 38, 31, 36, 38, 51, and 68, with a mean of 42.4. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 93.7, 107.3, 102.4, 102.1, 102.2, 100, and 103.2, with a mean of 101.6. Estimated planetary A indices were 2, 2, 14, 10, 6, 5, and 4, with a mean of 6.1. Middle latitude A index was 2, 1, 9, 7, 4, 3, and 3, with a mean of 4.1.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...," and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.

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• ex KN9IQY, KN4BK, KM5NK, WB4JCF, ZP5TQ, WA4VXU, WA9RVL, /TI2, /9Y4, /6Y5, /KP4, HH2FJ
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