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PAINFUL INFLATIONI filled up my vehicle’s tank the other day and it cost me one hundred bucks! Well . . . actually it was $99.86 but that is a life-long record. I can’t believe that a cheeseburger, fries, and a coke now costs over ten dollars most places.
HELP SUPPORT THE NEWSLETTER This Week's Wireless News Headlines
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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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Service Monitors and Frequency Standards for Sale
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Unjammable GPS system successfully tested on DeltaQuad VTOL UAVByPress JUN 16, 2022
With global tensions rising, the demand for aerial intelligence platforms has increased dramatically. Unfortunately, most commercial platforms are no match for the latest jamming technology, having their GPS and communication links jammed even before they are able to take off. In the last few months, the R&D team at DeltaQuad has successfully integrated one of the most advanced anti-jamming GPS systems on the market today. The solution was put to the test using one of the most powerful military jamming systems, and the DeltaQuad came through with a perfect score. The DeltaQuad equipped with the new anti-jamming GPS solution was flown in autonomous mode at close range to an active military jamming system. Even while being hit directly by a military-grade GPS jamming platform, the system maintained a solid GPS lock and the vehicle managed to autonomously resume its mission without any interruption.
For testing purposes, the ruggedized GPS system was installed together with the standard GPS system. As the vehicle came in range of the GPS jamming system, the standard solution quickly lost all positional awareness while the ruggedized system maintained an impressive amount of satellite locks, even while flying directly over the jammer at close range. In addition to the ruggedized GPS solution, the DeltaQuad UAV is equipped to maintain live aerial intelligence, even in the toughest environments. Therefore the transmission system on the DeltaQuad uses Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum techniques (FHSS) to mitigate attempts to disrupt the communication links and also uses redundant video & communication links. About the DeltaQuadThe DeltaQuad is an industrial-grade Vertical Takeoff and Landing Fixed-wing UAV that performs fully autonomous surveillance missions. The platform is extremely easy to deploy and control and offers a live video stream from a surveillance sensor for real-time reconnaissance missions. Organizations choose DeltaQuad because of its high endurance capabilities, extensive long-range connectivity options and the integration of smart technologies like object following. |
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| Leavitt Communications |
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Live coverage: SpaceX launches 53 more Starlink Internet satellitesJune 17, 2022 Stephen Clark Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Starlink 4-19 mission launched SpaceX’s next batch of 53 Starlink broadband satellites. SpaceX launched a reusable Falcon 9 booster for a record-breaking 13th time Friday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, hauling 53 more Starlink Internet satellites into orbit. Liftoff from pad 39A occurred at 12:09 p.m. EDT (1609 GMT). The Falcon 9 headed northeast from Kennedy to deliver the flat-packed broadband relay stations to an orbit ranging between 144 miles and 209 miles in altitude (232-by-337 kilometers). Deployment of the 53 flat-packed satellites from the Falcon 9’s upper stage occurred about 15 minutes after liftoff. The launch kicks off a busy weekend for SpaceX, with two more Falcon 9 flights on tap Saturday and Sunday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, then from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, a few miles south of the Kennedy Space Center. With Friday’s mission, SpaceX has launched 2,706 Starlink Internet satellites, including prototypes and test units no longer in service, nearly an order of magnitude more spacecraft than any other spacecraft fleet. The launch Friday marked the 48th SpaceX mission primarily dedicated to hauling Starlink Internet satellites into orbit. Stationed inside a firing room at Kennedy’s launch control center, SpaceX’s launch team began loading super-chilled, densified kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants into the 229-foot-tall (70-meter) Falcon 9 vehicle at T-minus 35 minutes Friday. Helium pressurant also flowed into the rocket in the last half-hour of the countdown. In the final seven minutes before liftoff, the Falcon 9’s Merlin main engines were thermally conditioned for flight through a procedure known as “chilldown.” The Falcon 9’s guidance and range safety systems were also configured for launch at 12:09:20 p.m. SpaceX’s launch team pushed back the liftoff time by 30 seconds during the countdown Friday. Officials did not say why they adjusted the launch time. After liftoff, the 229-foot-tall (70-meter) Falcon 9 rocket vectored its 1.7 million pounds of thrust — produced by nine Merlin engines — to steer northeast over the Atlantic Ocean. The rocket exceeded the speed of sound in about one minute, then shut down its nine main engines two-and-a-half minutes after liftoff. The booster released from from the Falcon 9’s upper stage, then fired pulses from cold gas control thrusters and extended titanium grid fins to help steer the vehicle back into the atmosphere. Two braking burns slowed the rocket for landing on the drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” around 400 miles (650 kilometers) downrange approximately eight-and-a-half minutes after liftoff.
The booster stage flying Friday — tail number B1060 — set a new record to become the most-flown member of SpaceX’s fleet of reusable rockets. It debuted June 30, 2020, with the launch of a GPS navigation satellite for the U.S. military, then flew again in September and October of 2020 on Starlink missions. It launched six times in 2021 with the Türksat 5A geostationary communications satellite, four Starlink missions, and SpaceX’s Transporter 2 small satellite rideshare mission. Friday’s launch was the booster’s fourth flight of 2022, all dedicated missions for the Starlink network. SpaceX has qualified Falcon 9 boosters for at least 15 missions, up from the previous design life of 10 flights for each Falcon 9 first stage. Landing of the first stage on Friday’s mission occurred moments before the Falcon 9’s second stage engine cuts off to deliver the Starlink satellites into orbit. Separation of the 53 spacecraft, built by SpaceX in Redmond, Washington, was confirmed at T+plus 15 minutes, 26 seconds. Retention rods released from the Starlink payload stack, allowing the flat-packed satellites to fly free from the Falcon 9’s upper stage in orbit. The 53 spacecraft will unfurl solar arrays and run through automated activation steps, then use krypton-fueled ion engines to maneuver into their operational orbit. The Falcon 9’s guidance computer aimed to deploy the satellites in an elliptical orbit between 144 and 209 miles in altitude, at an orbital inclination of 53.2 degrees to the equator. The satellites will use on-board propulsion to do the rest of the work to reach a circular orbit 335 miles (540 kilometers) above Earth. The launch Friday was the first to place Starlink satellites into a lower-altitude elliptical transfer orbit since February, when aerodynamic drag produced by a solar storm caused nearly 40 Starlink satellites to re-enter the atmosphere shortly after launch. Since then, all of SpaceX’s Starlink launches have included two burns by the upper stage engine to climb to a higher orbit for spacecraft deployment. The Starlink satellites on Friday’s mission will fly in one of five orbital “shells” used in SpaceX’s global Internet network. After reaching their operational orbit, the satellites will enter commercial service and begin beaming broadband signals to consumers, who can purchase Starlink service and connect to the network with a SpaceX-supplied ground terminal. ROCKET: Falcon 9 (B1060.13) LAUNCH TIMELINE:
MISSION STATS:
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| Source: | SPACEFLIGHT NOW |
Paging Transmitters 150/900 MHz The RFI High Performance Paging Transmitter is designed for use in campus, city, state and country-wide paging systems. Designed for use where reliable simulcast systems where RF signal overlap coverage is critical.
Built-in custom interface for Prism-IPX ipBSC Base Controller for remote control, management and alarm reporting.
Prism-IPX Systems LLC. 11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022
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The Wireless Messaging News
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Photoshop’s stunning new tool instantly restores your old family photosBy Mark Wilson JUNE 14, 2022 AI-powered 'Neural Filter' does the photo restoration for you
Restoring old family photos can be an enjoyable time-sink, but an impressive new Photoshop tool has just arrived to speed up the task for those who'd rather do it with a single click. Photoshop's new Photo Restoration Neural Filter effectively automates a lot of the program's tools, like Content-Aware Fill, to help restore your old photos in a few seconds. 'Neural Filters' are the collective name for Adobe's AI-powered editing tools, which also include effects like Depth Blur (for artificially creating shallow depth-of-field effects) and Colorize, which colorizes black-and-white photos. But the new Photo Restoration tool looks particularly handy if you've recently digitized a bunch of dog-eared portrait photos. As you can see in the demo below, it can detect and fix scratches, while also working its magic on the contrast, noise and color in the image. All of these things are already possible in Photoshop, but the leap forward is the ability for the program to spot a photo's issues and automatically fix them for you. This opens up photo restoration to those who don't know Photoshop's often arcane menus. Because most of Photoshop's Neural Filters run locally on your computer, though, you'll need a relatively recent machine in order to use Photo Restoration and those other tricks. Adobe says you need either a Mac running macOS 10.15 Catalina (or later), or a Windows computer running Windows 10 (or later). Adobe hasn't said exactly when the Photo Restoration filter will be available to download, but we've asked it for an estimate, and we'll update this story when we hear back. When Photoshop updates are available the program usually prompts you to update your filters — so look out for a nudge soon. Analysis: Robot Photoshop is learning fast
Photoshop's Neural Filters only arrived in 2020, but these AI-powered tools have already grown significantly in both number and versatility. The new Photo Restoration tool, though, might be one of its most useful ones yet. It isn't the first program to tackle the growing demand for digitizing old snaps. Google's PhotoScan app lets Android and iOS smartphone users bring prints into their digital library, and applies automated fixes like removing glare. There are other cloud-based services around too, like VanceAI. But the power of the Photoshop brand, and its ubiquity, means its photo restoration tool has a good chance of being used more widely, particularly among beginners who aren't familiar with all of its tools and are looking for a one-click solution. The only downside is that you need the full version of Photoshop in order to use the feature — it's not available in Photoshop Elements. If you don't want the program to be too heavy-handed with your photo, there are adjustment sliders and check boxes for tools like Enhance Face and Scratch Reduction that enable you to customize the look. This is good news because, while the Photo Restoration demos are impressive, some may find the finished result a little too bold and artificial. Still, there's no doubt that the feature will improve with time, and it's just the start of a new 'robot' Photoshop for those who don't know their Curves from their Smart Objects.
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| Source: | TechRadar |
| PRISM IPX Systems |
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Thousands of Users Worldwide Depend on Prism IPXOur Customers Trust Us To Make Sure That Their Messages Get Delivered
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| Easy Solutions |
Providing Expert Support and Service Contracts for all Glenayre Paging Systems.The GL3000 is the most prolific paging system in the world and Easy Solutions gladly welcomes you to join us in providing reliable support to the paging industry for many more decades in the future. Easy Solutions provides cost effective computer and wireless solutions at affordable prices. We can help in most any situation with your communications systems. We have many years of experience and a vast network of resources to support the industry, your system and an ever changing completive landscape.
Experts in Paging Infrastructure
Please see our web site for exciting solutions designed specifically for the Wireless Industry. We also maintain a diagnostic lab and provide important repair and replacement parts services for Motorola and Glenayre equipment. Call or Easy Solutions |
GLENAYRE INFRASTRUCTUREService ContractsI would like to recommend Easy Solutions for Support of all Glenayre Paging Equipment. This Texas company is owned and operated by Vaughan Bowden. I have known Vaughan for over 35 years. Without going into a long list of his experience and qualifications, let me just say that he was the V.P. of Engineering at PageNet which was—at that time—the largest paging company in the world. So Vaughan knows Paging. GTES is no longer offering support contracts. GTES was the original group from Vancouver that was setup to offer support to customers that wanted to continue with the legacy Glenayre support. Many U.S. customers chose not to use this service because of the price and the original requirement to upgrade to version 8.0 software (which required expensive hardware upgrades, etc.). Most contracts ended as of February 2018. If you are at all concerned about future support of Glenayre products, especially the “king of the hill” the GL3000 paging control terminal, I encourage you to talk to Vaughan about a service contract and please tell him about my recommendation. Click on the image above for more info about advertising here. |
INTERNET Protocol Terminal The IPT accepts INTERNET or serial messaging using various protocols and can easily convert them to different protocols, or send them out as paging messages. An ideal platform for hospitals, on-site paging applications, or converting legacy systems to modern protocols.
Additional/Optional Features
Prism-IPX Systems LLC. 11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022 |
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Paging Data Receiver PDR-4 The PDR-4 is a multi-function paging data receiver that decodes paging messages and outputs them via the serial port, USB or Ethernet connectors. Designed for use with Prism-IPX ECHO software Message Logging Software to receive messages and log the information for proof of transmission over the air, and if the data was error free.
Prism-IPX Systems LLC. 11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022 |
Wireless Network Planners
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R.H. (Ron) Mercer |
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The James Webb Space Telescope: Prepare for a New Way To See the Universe
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is finally ready to do science – and it’s seeing the universe more clearly than even its own engineers hoped for.NASA is scheduled to release the first images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope on July 12, 2022. They’ll mark the beginning of the next era in astronomy as Webb – the largest space telescope ever built – begins collecting scientific data that will help answer questions about the earliest moments of the universe and allow astronomers to study exoplanets in greater detail than ever before. But it has taken nearly eight months of travel, setup, testing, and calibration to make sure this most valuable of telescopes is ready for prime time. Marcia Rieke, an astronomer at the University of Arizona and the scientist in charge of one of Webb’s four cameras, explains what she and her colleagues have been doing to get this telescope up and running. |
| Source: | ScienceDaily |
Brad Dye, Ron Mercer, Allan Angus, Vic Jackson, and Ira Wiesenfeld are friends and colleagues who work both together and independently, on wireline and wireless communications projects. Click here Note: We do not like Patent Trolls, i.e. “a person or company who enforces patent rights against accused infringers in an attempt to collect licensing fees, but does not manufacture products or supply services based upon the patents in question.” We have helped some prominent law firms defend their clients against this annoyance, and would be happy to do some more of this same kind of work. Some people use the title “consultant” when they don't have a real job. We actually do consulting work, and help others based on our many years of experience. “If you would know the road ahead, ask someone who has traveled it.” — Chinese Proverb |
Remote AB Switches ABX-1 switches are often used at remote transmitter sites to convert from old, outdated and unsupported controllers to the new modern Prism-IPX ipBSC base station controllers. Remotely switch to new controllers with GUI commands. ABX-1 ABX-3 switches are widely used for enabling or disabling remote equipment and switching I/O connections between redundant messaging systems. ABX-3 Common Features:
Prism-IPX Systems LLC. 11175 Cicero Dr., Alpharetta, GA 30022 |
watchOS 9 is Apple Watch’s greatest update in years thanks to Series 3 being discontinuedJosé Adorno - Jun. 18th 2022 5:18 am PT
Apple previewed watchOS 9 during the WWDC 2022 keynote. For the first time, not only the company is bringing a ton of features to the Apple Watch, but it seems Apple finally learned how to let go of the Apple Watch Series 3, as the five-years-old wearable won’t support this upcoming operating system. It’s been at least a year since 9to5Mac reports why Apple should stop selling Apple Watch Series 3. With a small screen, fewer sensors, an old processor, and inside storage limitations, the Series 3 owners have been struggling for years, especially when trying to update the Watch to a new version of the operating system. As it does with the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Apple decided it was going to keep supporting Apple Watch Series 3 but limiting the number of features available. Now, finally, the company stated that watchOS 9 won’t be available for this model. Weirdly enough, although the Apple Watch Series 3 won’t get watchOS 9, Apple is still selling it from its online store by only stating it won’t support the latest software update. As it seems, Apple wants to profit the most it can from this product before discontinuing it later this fall, when the company is rumored to announce not only the Apple Watch Series 8, but also a second-generation Apple Watch SE, and an extreme sports Apple Watch. Why the end of the Apple Watch Series 3 mean watchOS 9 can finally shine?
With the Apple Watch Series 3 losing support to watchOS 9, Apple can finally ditch smaller screens. As you can see with the Watch Faces, Apple revamped a lot of older ones so they now look better on the new 41mm and 45mm displays, as well as bringing more complexity to them, thanks to newer processors. If you have an Apple Watch Series 7 and try some of the old Watch Faces on watchOS 8, you’ll see how off they seem, without being perfectly optimized. With Series 3 gone, Apple fixed that. In addition, Apple even revamped the notification system, which is now closer to the one available on the iPhone. For me, it feels like watchOS 9 is tying up loose ends. For example, watchOS 8 introduced the Sleep app, but it only provided a few tidbits on your sleep schedule. Now, Apple is preparing a proper app with information that you want to know about the period you’re resting. Previously, the Health app brought lots of new functions, such as Cycle Tracking, now watchOS 9 brings a Medications app that helps you track all the pills and vitamins you take every day. watchOS 9 also offers deeper Focus Mode integration, more languages available with the QWERTY keyboard, and even QuickType, which brings word prediction to the Apple Watch for the first time.
Focusing on a larger display also makes the Apple Watch way more useful with watchOS 9. Apple revamped the Workouts app. For runners, there’s a new Workout Views that I just need to turn the Digital Crown to see lots of the metrics available during my run:
Even for other exercises, watchOS 9 will also display at least the calories burned plus the Activity Ring. In addition, watchOS 9 lets me customize my workout by tailoring work and recovery intervals to suit my training style. I can receive alerts for pace, heart rate, cadence, and power. With instant feedback, I know if I’m on pace to meet my goal. Thanks to dynamic pacing, it helps me know whether I need to push a bit more. Also, for the first time, watchOS 9 supports multisport workouts. Wrap upI honestly think watchOS 9 is the greatest update for the Apple Watch in years and the main reason is Apple Watch Series 3 going away for good. I know it’s a very affordable wearable for those who just want an Apple device to track their daily activities, but with new Watches coming soon and so many new technologies available, Apple is making the right move to support watchOS 9 only to newer Watches.
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| Source: | 9to5Mac |
| Leavitt Communications |
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Adobe plans to make Photoshop on the web free to everyoneFor now, it’s testing a freemium version in CanadaBy Jacob Kastrenakes Jun 14, 2022, 9:00am EDT
Adobe has started testing a free-to-use version of Photoshop on the web and plans to open the service up to everyone as a way to introduce more users to the app. The company is now testing the free version in Canada, where users are able to access Photoshop on the web through a free Adobe account. Adobe describes the service as “freemium” and eventually plans to gate off some features that will be exclusive to paying subscribers. Enough tools will be freely available to perform what Adobe considers to be Photoshop’s core functions. “We want to make [Photoshop] more accessible and easier for more people to try it out and experience the product,” says Maria Yap, Adobe’s VP of digital imaging.
Adobe first released its web version of Photoshop in October, delivering a simplified version of the app that could be used to handle basic edits. Layers and core editing tools made the jump, but the service didn’t come anywhere close to including the app’s full breadth of features. Instead, Adobe framed it primarily as a collaboration tool — a way for an artist to share an image with others and have them jump in, leave some annotations and make a couple small tweaks, and hand it back over. In the months since, Adobe has made a handful of updates to the service, and it’s also started to open it up beyond collaboration use cases. Before, someone had to share a document to the web from the desktop app, but now, any Photoshop subscriber can log in and start a new document straight from the web. Adobe’s goal is to use the web version of Photoshop to make the app more accessible and potentially hook users who’ll want to pay for the full version down the road. The company has taken a similar route with a number of its mobile apps, including Fresco and Express. The web version of Photoshop is a particularly important offering since it opens one of the company’s most powerful tools up to Chromebooks, which are widely used in schools. “I want to see Photoshop meet users where they’re at now,” Yap says. “You don’t need a high-end machine to come into Photoshop.” Adobe didn’t provide a timeline on when the freemium version would launch more widely. In the meantime, the company is continuing to update Photoshop for web with more tools, including refine edge, curves, the doge and burn tools, and the ability to convert Smart Objects. The web version is also getting mobile support for reviewing and commenting on images. Adobe also previewed a new AI-powered Neural Filter today that’s coming to Photoshop proper. The new “photo restoration” filter can take a beaten-up yellowed photo and automatically clean up scratches and restore some of its color. When combined with Adobe’s existing colorize filter for adding color to black-and-white photos, the two filters can quickly bring an old photo to life, even if the end result looks a bit cartoony. |
| Source: | The Verge |
| Inside Towers Newsletter |
The FAA on Wednesday urged the chief executives of major U.S. airlines to move quickly to address risks from a 5G wireless rollout by retrofitting their radio altimeters. It’s a bid to avoid potential disruptions at key airports next month. Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen said in a letter reviewed by Reuters that AT&T and Verizon want to begin transmitting 5G operations on C-band frequencies in July using some towers around airports that had been depowered and restoring others to full strength. The carriers delayed those operations twice to give the airlines more time to upgrade or fix radio altimeters. The last delay was for six months, which ends July 5. That date “is rapidly approaching,” Nolen wrote. Radio altimeters tell pilots how close the plane is to the ground; they’re crucial for bad weather landings, according to Reuters. Concerns that 5G service could cause harmful RF interference with altimeters on nearby frequencies, led to disruptions at some U.S. airports earlier this year. Nolen urged airlines to urgently press ahead with retrofitting radio altimeters, saying “there are no guarantees that all large markets will retain the current [safeguards].” He warned that as wireless carriers boost signals, some “less capable aircraft” may be unable to access certain airports without altimeter retrofits during inclement weather. In recent months, the FAA has been urging airlines to complete retrofits of some airplane radio altimeters that could face interference from C-band 5G operations by the end of 2022. The FAA said it’s in the early stages of working with AT&T and Verizon “to identify markets where either a new tower or an increase in signal power will cause the least disruption,” Reuters reported. Nolen said in three recent rounds of talks, industry officials identified a pathway to retrofit the first two groups of aircraft with the most vulnerable radio altimeters by the end of the year. Another round of talks is set for today. “We are working toward an equally aggressive schedule that would necessitate the completion of retrofits for the third and largest group in 2023,” Nolen said. He added that “as the situation stands, Verizon and AT&T plan to pursue a full rollout of their networks by the end of 2023.” Another 19 radio altimeter manufacturers “are expected to enter the market during that time frame, hopefully employing some level of the voluntary mitigations that have enabled our progress so far,” he added. Verizon said it was working with the FAA, FCC and aviation industry, and was confident it would achieve “robust deployment of C-band without significant disruptions to the traveling public.” AT&T did not comment. Airlines for America, an industry trade group representing American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and others, said the industry recognized the need “to implement a permanent solution, while continuing to ensure the highest level of safety.” Some airlines have raised concerns about paying to retrofit altimeters only to face paying for a replacement in a few years. Nolen said, “without additional action by the FCC to cap transmissions at currently attainable power levels, the prospect of additional disruption remains and we are not in any position to offer assurances.” By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief |
| Source: | Inside Towers newsletter | Courtesy of the editor of Inside Towers, Jim Fryer. Inside Towers is a daily newsletter by subscription. |
| BloostonLaw Newsletter |
Non-Facilities Based Small Voice Providers Must Implement STIR/SHAKEN by June 30On June 13, the FCC issued a Public Notice reminding non-facilities-based small voice service providers that they must implement the STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication framework in their Internet Protocol networks no later than June 30, 2022. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the FCC adopted rules pursuant to the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act requiring voice service providers to implement STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication technology in the Internet Protocol portions of their networks by June 30, 2021. Small voice providers were provided a two year extension, but the FCC subsequently shortened this period for non-facilities based service providers by one year. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer. HeadlinesUS Treasury Announces First State Awards under Coronavirus Capital Projects FundOn June 7, the U.S. Treasury announced the first state awards from the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, a $10 billion program that was part of the American Rescue Plan Act. These first awards totaled $583 million in funding for in Virginia, West Virginia, Louisiana and New Hampshire. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund allocates funds for eligible governments to carry out critical capital projects that “directly enable work, education, and health monitoring, including remote options, in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.” Each state will use the awarded funding to administer its own programs to build supported projects. Specifically, the Treasury indicates as follows:
Carriers in these states interested in learning more about these new state-level programs may contact the firm for more information. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer. Comment Sought on ACP Data Transparency Rules and Information CollectionOn June 8, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on “broadband transparency rules” regarding the annual collection of information about the price and subscription rates of Internet service offerings received by households enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program, as required by the Infrastructure Act. Comment and reply comment deadlines have not yet been established. Specifically, the FCC seeks comment on the data to be collected, mechanism for collecting this data, and format for the data’s publication. Specific proposals, along with related questions, include the following:
The FCC also seeks comment on related issues, such as:
Carriers interested in participating in the proceeding may contact the firm for more information. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer. FCC Seeks to Refresh Record on Location-Based Routing for Wireless 911; Due July 11On June 9, the FCC issued a Public Notice inviting interested parties to refresh the record on issues raised in the 2018 Location-Based Routing for Wireless 911 Calls Notice of Inquiry (NOI), which sought comment on the feasibility of location-based routing as a means of reducing the incidence of misrouted wireless calls to 911 and improving emergency response times. Comments are due July 11, and reply comments are due July 25. Specifically, the FCC seeks information regarding the current state of play of cell sector-based misroutes, the implementation of location-based routing by wireless carriers, interdependencies of location-based routing and NG911 to optimize emergency response, location-based routing technology, the use of location-based routing for text-to-911, security considerations of location-based routing, the means available to the Commission to improve 911 routing, and related costs and benefits. Key topics include:
Carriers interested in participating in the proceeding may contact the firm for more information. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Cary Mitchell. Law and RegulationFCC Announces Status of Auction 108 Applications; Upfront Payment Due June 23On June 9, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing the status of 93 short-form applications received for Auction 108. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, Auction 108 will offer new flexible‐use geographic overlay licenses in the 2.5 GHz band. Upfront payments for Auction 108 are due in the proper account at the U.S. Treasury before 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Thursday, June 23, 2022. Of the 93 applications received, 39 applications were deemed complete and 54 applications were deemed incomplete. Those filers whose applications were deemed complete, which can be seen here, will become a qualified bidder upon receipt by the Commission of the required upfront payment by the upfront payment deadline. Those filers whose applications were deemed incomplete, which can be seen here, will receive a letter identifying each deficiency in its application, and will become a qualified bidder for Auction 108 if it resubmits its application, having corrected any deficiencies, and make the required upfront payment by the upfront payment deadline. In order to meet the Commission’s upfront payment deadline, an applicant’s payment must be credited to the Commission’s account by the deadline. Payments must be made by wire transfer in accordance with the instructions provided in the Auction 108 Procedures Public Notice. Bidding in Auction 108 is scheduled to begin on July 29, 2022. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Cary Mitchell. TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund Invoices due September 6On June 8, the FCC issued a Public Notice reminding all low power TV and TV translator (LPTV/translator) stations, multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), and FM stations that they must submit all remaining invoices in the TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund no later than September 6, 2022. Entities do not need to wait for the deadline to submit all remaining invoices and initiate close-out procedures and are encouraged to make submissions as soon as possible. The Fund Administrator will initiate close out for any entity that has failed to initiate the process by the invoice filing deadline assigned to that entity. Any unused allocations made to that entity’s account will be returned to the Fund and made available for allocation to other program participants. The FCC also reminded participants that they must retain documents for a period ending 10 years after the date they receive their final payments from the Reimbursement Fund. Additionally, entities may be selected for audits, data validations, and site visits at any time during the repack and reimbursement process, i.e., before or after the entity has completed its construction project; during the close-out period; or at a time thereafter. BloostonLaw Contact: Gerry Duffy. FCC Proposes 33% USF Contribution Factor for Q3 2022On June 9, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the third quarter of 2022 will be 33 percent. The Commission calculates the quarterly contribution factor based on the ratio of total projected quarterly costs of the universal service support mechanisms to contributors’ total projected collected end-user interstate and international telecommunications revenues, net of projected contributions. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) submitted the following projections of demand and administrative expenses for the third quarter of 2022: ($ millions)
To determine the quarterly contribution base, the FCC decreases the third quarter 2022 estimate of projected collected interstate and international end-user telecommunications revenues by the projected revenue requirement to account for circularity and decrease the result by one percent to account for uncollectible contributions. To arrive at the final proposed contribution base, USAC reduces each provider’s contribution obligation by a circularity discount approximating the provider’s contributions in the upcoming quarter. BloostonLaw Contact: Sal Taillefer. FCC Grants Informal Complaint Against Verizon for Accessibility ViolationOn June 9, the FCC issued an Order finding Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless (Verizon) failed to comply with section 255 of the Communications Act and part 7 of the FCC’s rules, which govern accessibility to telecommunications services for individuals with disabilities. Specifically, the FCC found that Verizon failed to meet its burden of proof and thus did not establish that its Premium Visual Voicemail service is accessible or that accessibility is not readily achievable. According to the Order, Verizon offers Premium Visual Voicemail as a service that transcribes into text the first 45 seconds of audio voicemail messages. In 2021, Mr. Juan “Sophia” De Anda (Mr. De Anda) filed an informal complaint (Complaint) with the FCC alleging Verizon violated section 255 of the Act and part 7 of the Rules because the Premium Visual Voicemail — which he requires due to a hearing disability — did not work. Verizon responded that the service worked on millions of other customers’ devices, that Mr. De Anda’s problem was a discrete issue with his Samsung device, and that the problem was not attributable to Verizon’s networks and services. The FCC found that Verizon provided no evidence to substantiate its conclusory statements that its service was accessible, despite bearing the burden of proof. Further, the FCC found that the Rules do not require a complainant to assert or demonstrate that the service is inaccessible to anyone other than the complainant, and even if it were true that the issue was not attributable to Verizon’s networks and services, that does not demonstrate that Verizon met its obligation to make the Premium Visual Voicemail service accessible. The FCC’s finding here is noteworthy, as it shows how seriously carriers must take accessibility complaints, even if the complaint applies to a single device. The FCC deferred issuing a proposed remedy to a subsequent order. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Sal Taillefer. IndustryFCC Announces Support Authorization for 513 RDOF Bids; Latest Default BidsOn June 14, the FCC announced the authorization of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (Auction 904) support for 513 winning bids, identified here. Upon issuance of this Public Notice, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will take the steps necessary to disburse from the Universal Service Fund the amounts identified to the long-form applicant associated with each study area specified. Payments will be to the account on file for the 498 ID associated with the study area code (SAC). The support will be disbursed in 120 monthly payments, which will begin at the end of this month. The FCC also identified certain winning bids associated with winning bidders or their assignees that have notified the FCC that they do not intend to pursue all or some of their winning bids in a state. A list of the eligible census blocks covered by these winning bids will be made available on the Auction 904 website under the “Results” tab, https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904/round-results. Auction 904 support will not be authorized for these winning bids, listed here. These winning bidders and assignees are considered to be in default for these bids and subject to forfeiture, and will be referred to the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau for further consideration. Deadlines[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: Sal Taillefer.
Calendar At-a-GlanceJune July TBD Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & Prendergast, LLP is a telecommunications law firm representing rural telecommunications companies, wireless carriers, private radio licensees, cable TV companies, equipment manufacturers and industry associations before the FCC and the courts, as well as state and local government agencies. Our clients range from Fortune 500 companies to small and medium-sized enterprises whose vitality and efficiency depend on the effective deployment of communications. |
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| LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |
On June 28th at 1pm CET our next #CMASummit22 “Safety by 2nd Infrastructure” will take place as an online meeting. We kindly like to invite you to join us at another exiting event. We have gathered experts from different countries and perspectives providing experience and innovation to discuss and analyse the topics mentioned. Registration is now open via https://critmsg.org/events/cmasummit22-2nd-infrastructure/. There you will also find the agenda. Please feel free to share this invitation with your community. We hope for a large number of participants and interesting and mindful discussions. Kind regards and see you soon. Dietmar Gollnick Sent by: Gabriele Deska |
Hi All: I thought you might find the press release (below) from Clayton State University announcing the Judith L. Kanne RN BSN Endowed Scholarship of interest. Looks like we are up and running for the fall 2022 semester. Many thanks to all of you who generously donated to this scholarship fund. Your gift will help extend the life of the scholarship program for new nurses at Clayton State. Stay well, Barry Kanne and family |
Nursing Alumna’s Family Gifts Community Caregivers(June 14, 2022) — Judith L. Kanne was inspired to make a difference in the lives of others through her commitment to healthcare. She married at 19 and began her healthcare career upon receiving a two-year nursing degree in 1975, once her children grew older. The family moved to Georgia in 1981, and she continued her dream career, ultimately serving as a public health nurse.
Her nursing role revealed many disparities in public health, resulting in her feeling the need to explore these through her writing. Informing and educating others about their health became her personal goal. This prompted Judi, while in her 40s, to begin and complete her journalism degree from Georgia State University. Her healthcare stories were published by local and national media outlets, including John Hopkins University and Reuters, to name a few. She contracted for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for over a decade, which resulted in multiple writing projects stateside and abroad, collaborating with health experts from all over the globe. Upon completion from her CDC contract, she continued her writing activities and now in her 60s, she began another academic path, this time by enrolling in Clayton State University’s School of Nursing to earn a BSN. There were several new classes to complete with new technology to learn, but she was able to adapt and finish just as successfully as her younger classmates. She said that one of the highlights of her life was being pinned with her best nursing friends when she completed her studies. In 2012, Judi received her nursing pin from Clayton State, placing her as our oldest nursing graduate at the age of 69. She continued her two passions of writing and nursing throughout her life, by penning a monthly column for Atlanta Senior Life and was a regular contributor to Georgia Health News.
With her passing last year in July 2021, her family is honoring her life’s work posthumously with the creation of the Judith L. Kanne RN, BSN Nursing Endowed Scholarship. The gift will begin awarding to Clayton State nursing students in time for the Fall 2022 semester. She left a memorable legacy for students to continue their healthcare education in addition to educating readers about healthcare issues. Peers who interacted with her daily remember her enduring contributions to health awareness and experienced the light she brought to every space. "At Atlanta Senior Life, we loved working with Judi. She was always bright and fun and brimming with ideas,” said Joe Earle, editor at large, Atlanta Senior Life, Springs Publishing. “She knew her stuff and, as a trained nurse with an extensive background in writing on medical topics, she brought expertise to her columns that few 'health columnists' offer. She and her contributions are missed."
“Judi was pure joy and a force of nature. She was full of life and so excited to be back in school, finishing her BSN. She adored Dr. Karen Weaver, the professor who headed up our RN-BSN completion program at the time Judi was studying with us, who unfortunately has also passed away. But everybody in the School of Nursing loved Judi,” said Dr. Lisa Wright Eichelberger, dean emerita, College of Health. “After she graduated, she worked as a fierce advocate for health care and nursing as an excellent writer. I saw her frequently at conferences around the state as she covered health-related stories. She was always her happy, bubbly, enthusiastic, lovely self, and so proud to be a Clayton State grad!” Her husband, Barry, said his wife would have wanted to support the next generation of professional caregivers with this gift. “I said, wouldn't it be wonderful if we were able to provide some economic support to deserving students,” asked Barry. “Nursing students who were trying to get into the nursing field had everything but the money to do it.” Recently, members of the Kanne family visited the nursing department to sign a scholarship endowment agreement and view a special sitting area outside of the nursing suite, which soon will be known as Kanne’s Korner. With this scholarship, Judi’s mission to make a difference in the lives of others will continue for years to come.
This summer, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will unveil a distinctive Kanne’s Korner plaque, memorable photos of Judi, and a poignant written piece from colleagues telling her unique story. Guests will have an opportunity to read many of her writings from over the years and connect with her love of journalism and health awareness, word-for-word. |
| Source: | Press Release |
| TECHNICIAN'S CORNER |
Inspired by a friend's question from the book "The Art of Electronics", here is a back-to-basics video on the BJT (bipolar junction transistor) Emitter-Follower, or Common-Collector amplifier. |
| Source: | YouTube | W2AEW |
| THIS WEEK'S MUSIC VIDEO |
“In My Life”Allie Sherlock — Lennon-McCartneyAllie Sherlock and the Elmore String Quartet at the The National Lottery's Big Jubilee Street Party with Jason Manford and Fleur East from the AO Arena in Manchester. Broadcast on Saturday 4th June 2022 |
| Source: | YouTube |
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