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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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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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Clinical texting is a 'double-edged sword,' Regenstrief study finds"Why should we have emojis?" one study participant said, reflecting frustration with the lack of shared understanding about texting systems.By Kat Jercich May 11, 2022 12:58 PM
A new study from the Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine and Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital found that although replacing pagers with clinical texting systems has benefits, some doctors are critical of the high volume of messaging. "Communication is essential to hospital workflow, yet we found that there is a lack of shared understanding among clinicians regarding how to use clinical texting," said study corresponding author Joy L. Lee, a Regenstrief Institute research scientist and IU School of Medicine assistant professor of medicine, in a statement. "Clinical texting is a double-edged sword — it’s easy to contact fellow clinicians, which can be viewed as good or bad," Lee said. WHY IT MATTERS As the researchers noted, pager use is dropping 11% every year in U.S. hospitals, with communications increasingly reliant on smartphone messages. "With this change comes shifting norms regarding communication about clinical care, because phones and pagers require different processes and considerations for sending and receiving messages," observed the team. "Many clinical texting platforms also include more functions than traditional pagers, such as the ability to include pictures. Despite the increased prevalence of these clinical texting systems, professional guidelines and etiquette for team communication by CTS are still evolving," they added. For the study, which was recently published in Applied Clinical Informatics , researchers conducted focus groups in the autumn of 2019 with 21 hospitalists and eight nurses about their impressions of using smartphones to send and receive secure messages concerning patient care. Overall, researchers observed that the clinicians were still adjusting to text communications. The study participants cited ease of access, the capacity to send photos — especially with regard to dermatology consults — and the ability to record a conversation as benefits of clinical texting systems. However, implementation challenges, high text volume and lack of shared understanding about texting emerged as drawbacks. For instance, emojis are "just so unnecessary," the researchers quoted one participant as saying. "Why should we have emojis?" "While hospitalists and nurses alike shared consensus on some aspects of texting: that it should be professional, focused on important issues, and replace traditional pagers, there were many interpretations of how that was to be operationalized," said the researchers. "Frustrations arose when senders and recipients disagreed," they added. The research team said their findings could have important implications for healthcare team members. "Team members may need periodic, brief trainings on how to establish a shared understanding in communication preferences," they said. THE LARGER TREND Although the study is among the first to investigate clinicians' experiences with texting, the research team observed that the dissatisfaction with volume echoes physician frustration with electronic health record systems. The problem of EHR " alert fatigue " has, by contrast, been well-documented, with hospitals and health systems tweaking their systems to try and adjust accordingly. The issue goes beyond burnout , too – ECRI listed alert fatigue as one of its top health hazards for 2020. ON THE RECORD "Each hospital or hospital system needs to figure out how to use clinical texting to optimize communication, workflow and patient care and then develop use guidelines," said the research team's Lee in a statement. |
| Source: | HealthcareITNews |
| Leavitt Communications |
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How to Preserve Your Digital Legacy (and Why You Should)You can’t take your Twitter account with you to that infinite scroll in the sky. By Jeff Somers, May 10, 2022 — 9:00 AM
Over the last few decades an increasing amount of our lives has been moved online. With the advent of social media and cloud storage, things that were once analog or physical have become digital. In most ways, this is terrific: we can share and communicate effortlessly, creation has become simpler and more powerful, and we can represent ourselves with a few mouse clicks or taps of our finger. The days of mailing out paper resumes on fancy paper are long gone, for example—nowadays we spend our time building awesome LinkedIn profiles and portfolio web sites. But as more and more of our lives winds up online, the question of what will happen to it all when we move on from the earthly realm begins to loom. This goes beyond asking your buddy to delete your porn stash when you die unexpectedly—your digital legacy includes just about every aspect of your life these days, from the photos you have on your phone that you never get around to naming and organizing to the social media followings you worked hard to build (and possibly monetize). Some of us put so much effort into our Facebook pages they remain powerful monuments to our lives, complete with photos, correspondence, and major events, and you might want your kids or grandkids to have access to the record of your life, the same way you have an ancestor’s photo albums or journals. There’s also the question of the stuff you paid for—from music files to digital movies to cryptocurrency. Who controls those when you’re gone? What’s truly disturbing about our digital legacies is how impermanent they might prove to be. Once you’re no longer here to maintain it, it could be edited or altered—or simply deleted. Twitter is currently littered with the official, verified accounts of celebrities who passed away but somehow keep on posting fresh content, but you don’t have to be a celebrity to want some say in how your online presence gets used after you’re gone. Here’s what you need to think about when it comes to preserving and controlling your digital legacy after you’ve passed on to the next level. Take an inventoryThe first step to dealing with your digital legacy is to understand the scope of it. It’s so easy to add devices, accounts, and services you may very well be unaware of just how much of a digital life you’ve amassed over the years. So, first things first: Make a list of all of your digital assets (and use a note-taking app for extra meta-ness). Things you probably want to think about include:
That’s not an exhaustive list, but you get the idea. Think of anything someone might need or want to access when you’re no longer around to provide passwords, biometrics, or other access. Grant accessThe key thing to think about is that there’s very little law or tradition surrounding your digital legacy because it’s such a new concept. Other aspects of our lives, like our finances or physical property, are governed by dense layers of law dictating what happens under a wide variety of scenarios. But your Facebook profile is a whole other matter. First, choose someone to be your “digital executor” and discuss what that means with them. This could be the same person you’ve named to handle your will and other matters, or it could be someone specifically chosen for the task. Once you have their agreement, putting their role and responsibilities in writing is a good idea—make sure they know how to trigger the process in the event of your death (maybe they just need to contact your lawyer, or maybe you have a document in a safe place listing all of your account information). Companies are slowly making this easier. Facebook now allows you to set up a Legacy Contact who can maintain your “memorialized account” after your passing, and both Google and Apple now allow you to set some parameters around who can take charge of your accounts after you’re gone (or incapacitated). More and more social media platforms and digital companies are going this route, but not all do, so you’ll need to do some investigating. And there are companies like Lastly that will help you secure your digital legacy for a fee. When you can designate a caretaker, great—but where you can’t you’ll need to ensure someone has the ability to get into your accounts and manage them, which means giving them access to passwords or other security. That could be as simple as keeping a spouse or trusted friend updated on your passwords, or it could involve adding provisions to a legal will. Your approach largely depends on whether you’re handing down 5,000 uncategorized photos of your cats or something more valuable. Some things to consider are these:
Don’t forget the financial aspectWhen it comes to digital finances, things get a little more complicated. If you own cryptocurrency, you have a private key that’s required to access it, and you’ve most likely stored that private key in a hot or cold wallet . To make sure your designated executor has access, you’ll need to ensure they have those keys. A cold wallet (which is a physical thing) stored someplace secure could be a solution, but be careful—anyone who gets their hands on your private key can pretty much do what they want with your crypto—while you’re alive or dead—and there isn’t much you can do about it. If you have an account with places like Starbucks that automatically “reload” when your balance gets low, there’s a good chance there will be money loaded on them. Your digital executor will need your passwords for those accounts as well. There’s typically no easy way to move that money—often you have to contact the company’s customer service to start the process, and supply any documentation they require. Whether this is worth it for $13 on a Subway card is up to you. Regular “gift cards” are considered more or less the same as cash, so there’s typically no need to transfer them over. For banking apps like Venmo, Paypal, or Chime, your executor can use your login to transfer remaining funds to your bank account, then close the account through their web site. Once the money’s back in a checking or savings account it will be handled through the usual legal processes. One thing is for sure: We’re all going to die someday, and that means we’re going to leave behind a mountain of digital files and online accounts. Spending a little bit of time planning what happens to all of that will spare your loved ones (and your lawyers) a lot of trouble. |
| Source: | Life Hacker |
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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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As fiber sees record-setting deployment levels, the demand for fiber optic technicians is stronger than ever. To meet this demand, we’re seeing a slew of training programs nationwide. We outline a few below. Community colleges will play an important role in training a new generation of fiber technicians. In one example, the State University of New York Westchester Community College (SUNYWCC) offers a three-day fiber technician training course that does not require participants to be enrolled in a degree program. The course is designed to prepare the students to take the Certified Fiber Optic Technician examination sanctioned by the Fiber Optics Association (FOA) and given at the end of the course. “If they get certified, they may have a job the same day,” said Jim Irvine, director of corporate and continuing professional education for SUNYWCC. “Employers want to camp out on our doorstep. As soon as technicians are certified, they’re ready to hire.” Irvine frequently gets calls from companies looking to hire fiber optic technicians, including broadband providers and their contractors. One company has a “tremendous backlog” and is “really urgently looking for people,” he said. In addition, SUNYWCC offers a placement program for students who obtain certification. The fiber technician training course at SUNYWCC, which has been offered for over 10 years, costs $925. A maximum class size of 25 helps ensure that students get personalized hands-on training on splicing, OTDR usage, etc. Courses are taught by people aligned with the FOA. SUNYWCC is offering the course three times in 2022. Some people taking the course are young and just beginning their careers while others are older and looking to change careers, Irvine noted. Others are already working with fiber optics and have decided to obtain certification. Among those not already working in the industry, the majority typically find work within 90 days, according to FOA. The association cited the example of a program recently offered in Michigan that had 23 participants, all of whom found work within 90 days. Fiber technician jobs pay in the range of $26 to $50 an hour, Irvine said.
Meanwhile in AlabamaAmong those companies looking to hire skilled technicians are electric cooperatives, many of which are undertaking fiber deployments to support broadband service and smart grid initiatives. In northern Alabama, Cullman Electric Cooperative partnered with Cullman Area Technology Academy (CATA) to develop a program designed to teach high school students to prepare them for jobs that could involve both fiber optics and electric lineman work. According to a post published by electric cooperative association NRECA, students who complete the one-semester program will obtain certification as fiber technicians from the National Center for Construction Education and Research, as well as CPR certification. Cullman Electric Cooperative donated $80,000 worth of equipment to CATA to enable students to get hands-on training, according to NRECA. Half the donation came from a matching grant by the Tennessee Valley Authority for COVID-19 response programs. The electric cooperative aims to hire some of the students who complete the program as fiber technicians. Fiber technicians in the area make an average of $45,000. Fiber Broadband AssociationAnother certification program for fiber optic technicians comes from the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA). The organization’s program , known as OpTICTM Technician (for Optical Telecom Installation Certification) will be offered at vocational schools and community colleges nationwide. Those obtaining certification will need to retest in three years to maintain their certification. AT&T and Corning are also getting involved in fiber technician training. The companies recently made an agreement to create a training program in North Carolina. |
| Source: | Telecompetitor |
| 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 |
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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 |
Get To 2022 Dayton Hamvention® — May 20-22The 2022 Dayton Hamvention®, among the world's largest annual amateur radio gatherings, is ready to celebrate its 70th Anniversary event, May 20 - 22, at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. Organizers report that brisk advance sales of tickets and reservations for inside exhibit booths and flea market spaces are an indication that Hamvention 2022 is headed for success.
At the final planning meeting held on May 10, committee members learned that 94 percent of the inside exhibits were already sold, and more than 450 vendors had already claimed over 85 percent of the flea market spots. Adding to the interest this year is the largest prize ever offered in the history of Hamvention, an amateur radio dream station package worth almost $20,000. General Chairman Rick Allnutt, WS8G, thanked DX Engineering and Icom America for the prize, which made them Platinum Prize Sponsors for Hamvention 2022. The prize package includes an Icom IC-7851 HF/50MHz Transceiver and an extensive list of station accessories. Allnutt also acknowledged all the other donors who contributed the many hourly prizes given out during Hamvention. Other points made during the planning meeting included urging the use of the free ARRL Events app for smartphones and tablets to help attendees navigate the large schedule of forums and meeting locations, the sprawling fairgrounds, multiple buildings that house hundreds of exhibits, and related activities. While a printed program will be available, the app provides an easier way to access information. Visit your app store to download the app (search "ARRL Events"), or via the following link: www.tripbuildermedia.com/apps/arrl. A web version is also available. The ARRL app is offered in partnership with Hamvention. The use of the Hamvention web pages was promoted to help locate parking areas, gates, and other relevant materials. It was also recommended that committee members and those attending also have an In Case of Emergency Card on their person, preferably on a lanyard around their neck. Hamvention will continue the policy of having free admission on Sunday. However, tickets are still required for entrance on Sunday, and can be obtained at no cost at the ticket booth. Those tickets are for admission only and do not include a prize drawing stub.
Allnutt thanked all committee members and asked them to pass on his thanks to all their volunteers. Dayton Hamvention includes hundreds of volunteers and is sponsored by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association. ARRL will distribute a free commemorative 2022 button to Hamvention goers. For its part, ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® will host over a dozen booths in its large exhibit area, located in building 2 (see PDF-format map). The booths will be supported by an 80-person team comprised of ARRL Board members, Section Managers, Field Organization volunteers, program representatives, and ARRL Headquarters staff. Included are exhibits supporting radio clubs, the ARRL Great Lakes Division (including the ARRL Sections of Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio), the Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®), ARRL Development and ARRL Foundation, ARRL Learning Center, ARRL Teachers Institute, ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Program, ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator, ARRL Volunteer Monitor Program, ARRL Radiosport and DXCC, and the ARRL Laboratory. The ARRL exhibit area is also host to a booth for the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). Visit www.arrl.org/expo for a complete summary of ARRL's participation at 2022 Hamvention. |
| Source: | The ARRL Letter for May 12, 2022 |
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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White House agreement sees ISPs cap broadband prices for low-income households
Steve Dent — Contributing Reporter A key component of the Biden Administration's $1 trillion US Infrastructure Bill was ensuring that people of all means had access to reliable high-speed Internet. Now, twenty Internet providers including AT&T, Comcast and Verizon have agreed to offer high-speed broadband Internet plans for no more than $30 per month via a subsidy, the White House announced . The ISP's, which cover 80 percent of the US population, agreed to "either increase speeds or cut prices, making sure they all offer ACP-eligible households high-speed, high-quality Internet plans for no more than $30/month," The White House wrote. Biden has previously highlighted the challenges not having broadband poses to some families. "Never again should a parent have to sit in their car in a McDonald’s parking lot... so that their child can get access to high-speed Internet to do their homework," he said in a speech last month . The subsidy is part of a $65 billion program for expanding broadband primarily through fiber-optic cable installations. $14 billion of that is earmarked for subsidies in the Affordable Connectivity Program aimed at lowering Internet costs. It's available to any families with income 200 percent or less than federal poverty guidelines, or for those who qualify for certain assistance programs. Some 11.5 million households have signed up for the subsidy, but there are as many as 48 million eligible households. To that end, the administration is launching a site called GetInternet.gov that will provide details on how to sign up. It's also reaching out to people through federal agencies, partnering with states and cities and collaborating with public interest organizations like the United Way and Goodwill. |
| Source: | yahoo!news |
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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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wirelessplannerron@gmail.com 
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www.wirelessplanners.com
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What is a DIMM? A DIMM (/dɪm/), commonly called a memory stick or RAM stick, comprises a series of dynamic random-access memory integrated circuits. These modules are mounted on a printed circuit board and designed for use in personal computers, workstations, printers, and servers. They are the predominant method for adding memory into a computer system.
Source: Wikipedia contributors. (2022, May 10). DIMM. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:46, May 10, 2022, from STORAGE Cisco warns of premature DIMM failuresCheck 16, 32, and 64GB DIMMs made in the middle to end of 2020, blames manufacturing errorsLaura Dobberstein Mon 9 May 2022 // 11:30 UTC Cisco says some of its DIMMs are failing prematurely due to a manufacturing error, and has advised users to replace the memory to avoid server failures. The affected components are a limited number of 16, 32, and 64GB DIMMS manufactured in the middle to end of 2020. The company provided a Serial Number Validation Tool (requires login) for users to check if their DIMMs are from the faulty batch. The flawed DIMMs exhibit persistent correctable memory errors that if left untreated could cause an unexpected server reset. "If encountered during Power-On Self-Test (POST), the DIMM will be mapped out and the total available memory reduced. In some cases, a boot error might be seen," cautioned Cisco in the notice on Friday. The company also warns that the extent of the correctable errors can be masked by various operating system or DIMM Reliability, Availability and Serviceability (RAS) features, so it's best not to judge the component reliability on its error count. As for the replacement parts, they can be ordered through Cisco. "A replacement DIMM placed in the same slot as a previously failed DIMM might not immediately show as healthy. If a DIMM does not come up healthy on the first boot after the replacement, verify the physical DIMM seating," warned the manufacturer in its workaround directions. Cisco also recommends running memory diagnostics before placing servers into production to mitigate early runtime errors. The company said it has taken action to fix the manufacturing process to ensure new DIMMs work correctly. Last week, Cisco said after two years of work it had an analytics engine that could predict network issues before they happen, and potentially in the future even fix them. Cisco told The Register this predictive analytics engine "will power a broad range of products and services over the next few years." Unfortunately, these faulty DIMMs are not yet among those that can appear in the company's AI crystal ball. ® Research: Key Criteria for Evaluating Kubernetes Data Protection |
| Source: | The Register |
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.
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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
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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 |
NapBot for Apple Watch now provides Sleep Apnea analysis in new updateJosé Adorno - May. 10th 2022 6:01 am PT
The powerful third-party sleep tracking app for Apple Watch, NapBot, is releasing a major update today. It now supports Sleep Apnea analysis, which is a sleep disorder in which pauses in breathing or period of shallow breathing during sleep occur more often than usual. According to the developer of NapBot, it picks Apple Watch respiratory rate measurement when Sleep Focus is enabled and uses this data to understand and analyze users’ Sleep Apnea. By calculating users’ breaths per minute as they slumber — also known as the sleeping respiratory rate — Apple Watch gives a greater insight into their overall wellness. Identifying sleep apnea is important because the disorder disrupts normal sleep. In addition, those affected may experience sleepiness or feel tired during the day. NapBot is already one of the most complete sleep tracking apps for the Apple Watch and the iPhone. In addition to this new Sleep Apnea analysis, it also offers:
For Pro users, NapBot also offers sleep history and sleep trends. NapBot is available on the App Store as a free download. A NapBot Pro subscription is available with a 7-day free trial and is $1 per month or $10 per year afterward.
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| Source: | 9to5Mac |
| Leavitt Communications |
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IN Chiefs Look to Update Paging SystemFire Chiefs in Allen County are sounding the alarm over the outdated paging equipment currently in use that needs replacement.
Firehouse.com News
The Allen County Fire Chiefs Association is looking to update critical communications infrastructure including the outdated paging system with American Rescue Plan Act funds. The chief’s association has asked county commissioners for $1.68 million of the $74 million in funds the county has access to in hopes of replacing their dated VHF paging system, WANE.com reported. The upgrade from VHF to the 800-megahertz paging and alerting system also requires laptops and mobile data terminals in the departments vehicles. A representative for the chief’s association said the current Motorola paging system is over 20 years old, adding parts and technical support for the VHF system are no longer available. Currently, outside of the city of Fort Wayne, there are eleven departments with 23 fire stations and close to 550 fire and medical personnel in Allen County. “Currently we have pagers, but unfortunately, we are going to get to a point where it will be harder to rely on our system. One lightning strike would take out a tower and we would not be able to run that system anymore and we would be in a world of hurt,” Robert Boren, president of the Allen County Fire Chiefs Association told WANE.com. |
| Source: | Firehouse.com |
| Inside Towers Newsletter |
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Revolutionary Technology Catapults Satellites into SpaceBy J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
Just when you thought the delivery of satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) had been forever revolutionized by Elon Musk, a Long Beach, CA-based spaceflight tech development company comes up with the idea to use a centrifuge to literally fling satellites into space. The company, SpinLaunch, promises to be an alternative method for launching 440-pound LEO satellites into space using one quarter of the fuel, at one tenth of the cost, multiple times per day. Traditional fuel-based rockets use boosters that expend millions of cubic feet of methane or thousands of pounds of hydrogen. SpinLaunch, however, uses a ground-based, electric powered kinetic launch system, which relies on high-speed centrifugal forces — G forces — to propel the satellite into orbit, like a track and field athlete spinning and throwing the discus. Advances in carbon fiber and miniature electronics are the most relevant reasons why SpinLaunch was not possible until recently, the company said. It has developed and tested structures, mechanical assemblies, batteries, propulsion systems, and solar arrays with little increase in mass or cost. “It can be hard to imagine a delicate satellite surviving a kinetic launch,” SpinLaunch said. “Through testing, we have been able to demonstrate the impressive ability of satellite systems to readily handle the centripetal environment [of 10,000 to 20,000 G’s].” On October 22, 2021, SpinLaunch’s Suborbital Accelerator, designed to operate from 800 to 5,000 mph, began propelling a variety of vehicles at various supersonic launch velocities from the test bed for the Orbital Launch System. Now in development, the Orbital Launch System is a 300-foot diameter vacuum cylinder built on a hill at a 45-degree angle. It uses a carbon fiber tether, which spins the satellite at speeds of nearly 5,000 mph with minimal aerodynamic drag. Once launch speed is reached, the rocket-shaped capsule containing the satellite is released. With the aid of centrifugal force, it flies through the atmosphere into orbit. With the communications industry planning to launch thousands of satellites, SpinLaunch feels it is urgent to develop environmentally sustainable launching technology. “Because kinetically launched satellites exit the stratosphere without a rocket, SpinLaunch enables a future in which constellations of satellites and space payloads can be launched with zero emissions in the most critical layers of the atmosphere,” the company said. SpinLaunch was founded by Jonathan Yaney in 2014, to enable the rapid and cost-effective deployment of small LEO satellite constellations. The company is backed by partners including Airbus Ventures, Google Ventures, McKinley Capital Management, Lauder Partners, Kleiner Perkins, and interestingly enough, an IoT investment firm called Catapult. The company has said it is on schedule to place satellites in orbit and deliver payloads by 2025. To see a video of the SpinLaunch concept, click here. |
| Source: | Inside Towers newsletter |
Courtesy of the editor of
Inside Towers,
Jim Fryer.
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FCC Releases Tariff Review Plans for 2022 Annual Access Charge Tariff FilingOn May 9, the FCC issued an Order setting the Tariff Review Plans (TRPs) to be used by incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) to substantiate their interstate access service tariff revisions filed in 2022. The 2022 TRPs implement the transitional rate changes and recovery rules adopted in the USF/ICC Transformation Order and the 8YY Access Charge Reform Order. The 2022 TRPs for rate-of-return incumbent LECs also implement the universal service reforms and related tariffing requirements adopted in the Rate-of-Return Reform Order and the Rate-of-Return BDS Order. The 2022 TRPs can be accessed here: https://www.fcc.gov/2022-tariff-review-plans . BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Sal Taillefer. HeadlinesFCC Waives Budget Control Mechanism for ’22-’23 Tariff YearOn May 9, the adopted an Order temporarily waiving the application of the budget control mechanism (BCM) for rate-of-return carriers that receive high-cost universal service support from legacy mechanisms. Instead, the FCC adopted a budget constraint of 0% (i.e. a full waiver of the budget constraint) for the July 2022 to June 2023 tariff year. Additionally, to simplify the budget control mechanism this funding year, the FCC also waived the requirement that the budget control mechanism be adjusted effective January 1, 2023 to take into account the rural growth factor for the HCLS cap. According to the Order, absent a waiver, the projected budget control reduction factor would exceed 14%, resulting in a “substantial reduction in support for most legacy rate-of-return carriers, at a time when they are facing cash flow issues and increased expenses arising out of the pandemic.” The FCC indicated that in part, the growth in projected support is due to an increased conversion of voice lines to broadband-only lines and an increase in the number of new customers subscribing to broadband-only lines. Moreover, the FCC reasoned, “while the budget control mechanism annually provides an upwards adjustment to account for inflation, it does not fully account for increased costs in this instance because the inflation factor is backward looking.” In other words, the inflation adjustment for the budget control mechanism for the relevant time period was 1.3%, but projected costs account for the current inflation rate of 8.1%. Carriers with questions about the BCM may contact the firm for more information. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Gerry Duffy. FCC Declines Revision of Auction 108 Inventory; Reminds Participants of Due Diligence RequirementsOn May 6, the FCC issued a Public Notice declining a recent ex parte request to make additional adjustments to the revised license inventory for Auction 108, filed by T-Mobile. The FCC took the opportunity to remind interested parties that they must conduct their own due diligence regarding Auction 108 licenses when determining the suitability of any particular license for any particular use. Auction 108 will offer approximately 8,000 new flexible-use geographic overlay licenses for unassigned spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band. Specifically, T-Mobile’s ex parte stated the company “continues to believe there are discrepancies between the information about the products that the Commission has made available through its website and T-Mobile’s analysis of available products based on the Commission’s licensing and other records.” T-Mobile also provided information on what it believes to be the “amount of MHz-pops associated with each auction product.” The FCC responded:
In the Auction 108 Auction Procedures Public Notice, the FCC said, “[t]he extent to which the available white space in the overlay licenses is considered useful or available by any particular bidder may vary greatly, depending upon the specific business plans of the bidder, the likelihood of existing encumbrances being removed, and whether the bidder is the licensee or lessee of the encumbering spectrum.” As such, it appears that the FCC’s position appears to be that it is up to the individual auction bidders to make their own assessments from here. Carriers with questions about Auction 108 may contact the firm for more information. However, please note that the FCC’s prohibition against certain communications not to disclose an applicant’s interest in specific licenses in the auction inventory went into effect yesterday (May 10, 2022). BloostonLaw Contact: Sal Taillefer. White House Announces Commitments from Internet Providers to Cut Prices, Increase SpeedsOn May 9, the White House issued a “Fact Sheet” outlining its recent actions regarding broadband deployment including the commitment made by 20 Internet service providers to either reduce prices or increase speeds to offer Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)-eligible households 100 Mbps plans for no more than $30 per month. The full release is available here . Specifically, the Fact Sheet outlines the following actions the current administration is taking to ensure enrollment in the ACP:
In addition, the Fact Sheet named 20 companies that have committed to offer all ACP-eligible families at least one high-speed plan for $30/month or less, with no additional fees and no data caps. The list includes Allo Communications, Altice USA (Optimum and Suddenlink), AT&T, Comcast, Comporium, Frontier. Cox Communications, Mediacom, MLGC, Spectrum (Charter Communications), Verizon (Fios only), and Vermont Telephone Company. The Fact Sheet indicates that for these purposes, the administration “views a sufficiently high-speed plan as one that offers download speeds of at least 100 Megabits per second everywhere that the provider’s infrastructure is capable of it.” BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Sal Taillefer. Law and RegulationParties Agree to Dismiss California Net Neutrality ChallengeOn May 4, the ACA, CTIA, NCTA and USTelecom entered into a joint stipulation with the attorney general of California dismissing the case challenging California’s 2018 net neutrality law in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The dismissal comes shortly after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied a petition for rehearing of its decision to uphold the District Court’s decision to deny a preliminary injunction against the law in January of 2022. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, in the petition for preliminary injunction the associations primarily argued that SB-822 was preempted because it conflicted with the FCC’s policy in repealing Net Neutrality and reclassifying broadband as an unregulated Title I service. The court held that, by classifying broadband Internet services as information services, the FCC no longer had the authority to regulate in the same manner that it did when these services were classified as telecommunications services. The FCC, therefore, could not preempt state action, like SB-822, that protects net neutrality. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Sal Taillefer. FCC Reminds ILECs of New Tariff Filing Fees and Payment SystemOn May 9, the FCC issued a Public Notice reminding incumbent local exchange carriers that are required to file July 1, 2022 annual access charge tariff filings to pay the recently revised complex tariff filing fees through the new payment system contained in the Commission’s Registration System (CORES). The FCC also reminded these carriers that it increased the tariff filing fee associated with the July 1 annual access charge tariff filings, from $960 per tariff filing to the new cost-based fee structure contained in the table below:
According to the FCC, price cap incumbent LECs and other large entities, such as the National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc. (NECA) or a consultant that files an annual access charge tariff on behalf of more than 100 incumbent LECs, should pay the $6,540 fee for the Complex Tariff Filing (Large). All other incumbent LECs, including rate-of-return incumbent LECs, submitting a July 1, 2022 annual access charge tariff filing should pay the $3,270 fee for the Complex Tariff Filing (Small). Finally, the FCC also reminds carriers that they must submit the Complex Tariff Filing fee through the Commission’s new payment system contained in CORES. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the Commission decommissioned and permanently discontinued its old online electronic payment system for regulatory and other fees, Fee Filer, and replaced it with the new payment system contained in CORES. BloostonLaw Contacts: Sal Taillefer. IndustryAT&T Announces Location-Based 911 RoutingOn May 10, AT&T announced that it has launched location-based routing to automatically transmit wireless 9-1-1 calls to the appropriate 9-1-1 call centers on a nationwide basis. According to AT&T’s press release, a new feature from Intrado called “Locate Before Route” allows AT&T to accurately identify where a wireless 9-1-1 call is coming from using device GPS and hybrid information to route the call to the correct 9-1-1 call center or PSAP. Specifically, AT&T indicates that “a device can be located and routed within 50 meters of the device location. Prior to this launch, wireless 9-1-1 calls were routed based on the location of cell towers, which can cover up to a 10-mile radius. This can cause delays in emergency response, especially when a call is made within PSAP border areas where state, county or city boundaries overlap.” AT&T stated that the nationwide rollout has started and is available in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Guam. Additional regions will be rolled out over the next several weeks, and the nationwide rollout is scheduled to be completed by the end of June. FCC Commits $38 Million in Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund SupportOn May 4, the FCC issued a Press Release announced that it is committing nearly $39 million in the 14th wave of Emergency Connectivity Fund program support, helping to close the Homework Gap. This latest round of funding is supporting 140 schools, 14 libraries, and 1 consortium across the country, including for students in California, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Puerto Rico, and Virginia. The funding can be used to purchase laptops and tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connections to serve unmet needs for off-premises use by students, school staff, and library patrons. As we reported in last week’s edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, May 13, 2022 is the last day for schools and libraries to apply for support to purchase eligible equipment and services for the 2022-2023 school year through a third application window the FCC opened last week. In this window, the FCC anticipates awarding at least $1 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund program support. This window likely will be the last opportunity for schools and libraries to request funding before available funds in the $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund program are exhausted. DeadlinesMAY 31: FCC FORM 395, EMPLOYMENT REPORT. Common carriers, including wireless carriers, with 16 or more full-time employees must file their annual Common Carrier Employment Reports (FCC Form 395) by May 31. This report tracks carrier compliance with rules requiring recruitment of minority employees. Further, the FCC requires all common carriers to report any employment discrimination complaints they received during the past year. That information is also due on May 31. The FCC encourages carriers to complete the discrimination report requirement by filling out Section V of Form 395, rather than submitting a separate report. BloostonLaw Contact: Richard Rubino. [WAIVED; NEW DEADLINE NOT YET ESTABLISHED] JULY 1: FCC FORM 481 (CARRIER ANNUAL REPORTING DATA COLLECTION FORM). All eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) must report the information required by Section 54.313, which includes information on the ETC’s holding company, operating companies, ETC affiliates and any branding in response to section 54.313(a)(8); its CAF-ICC certification, if applicable; its financial information, if a privately held rate-of-return carrier; and its satellite backhaul certification, if applicable. BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Sal Taillefer. JULY 1: MOBILITY FUND PHASE I ANNUAL REPORT. Winning bidders in Auction 901 that are authorized to receive Mobility Fund Phase I support are required to submit to the FCC an annual report each year on July 1 for the five years following authorization. Each annual report must be submitted to the Office of the Secretary of the FCC, clearly referencing WT Docket No. 10-208; the Universal Service Administrator; and the relevant state commissions, relevant authority in a U.S. Territory, or Tribal governments, as appropriate. The information and certifications required to be included in the annual report are described in Section 54.1009 of the FCC’s rules. BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast and Sal Taillefer. JULY 31: FCC FORM 507, LINE COUNT DATA (A-CAM AND ALASKA PLAN RECPIENTS). Sections 54.313(f)(5) and 54.903(a)(1) of the FCC’s rules requires all rate-of-return telecommunications carriers to provide line count information on FCC Form 507 to USAC, the universal service Administrator. Carriers receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF BLS) must submit this information annually on March 31st of each year, and may update the data on a quarterly basis. Carriers that receive Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) I, A-CAM II, or Alaska Plan support are required to file by July 1st of each year. For 2020, the FCC has extended the A-CAM filing deadline until July 31. BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer. JULY 31: CARRIER IDENTIFICATION CODE (CIC) REPORTS. Carrier Identification Code (CIC) Reports must be filed by the last business day of July (this year, July 31). These reports are required of all carriers who have been assigned a CIC code by NANPA. Failure to file could result in an effort by NANPA to reclaim it, although according to the Guidelines this process is initiated with a letter from NANPA regarding the apparent non-use of the CIC code. The assignee can then respond with an explanation. (Guidelines Section 6.2). The CIC Reporting Requirement is included in the CIC Assignment Guidelines, produced by ATIS. According to section 1.4 of that document: At the direction of the NANPA, the access providers and the entities who are assigned CICs will be requested to provide access and usage information to the NANPA, on a semi-annual basis to ensure effective management of the CIC resource. (Holders of codes may respond to the request at their own election). Access provider and entity reports shall be submitted to NANPA no later than January 31 for the period ending December 31, and no later than July 31 for the period ending June 30. It is also referenced in the NANPA Technical Requirements Document, which states at 7.18.6: CIC holders shall provide a usage report to the NANPA per the industry CIC guidelines … The NAS shall be capable of accepting CIC usage reports per guideline requirements on January 31 for the period ending December 31 and no later than July 31 for the period ending June 30. These reports may also be mailed and accepted by the NANPA in paper form. Finally, according to the NANPA website, if no local exchange carrier reports access or usage for a given CIC, NANPA is obliged to reclaim it. The semi-annual utilization and access reporting mechanism is described at length in the guidelines. BloostonLaw contact: Sal Taillefer.
Calendar At-a-Glance
May
June
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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