| FRIDAY - APRIL 20, 2007 - ISSUE NO. 258 |
Dear Friends of Wireless Messaging, There is one news item this week that I really didn't want to publish. It is about the demise of paging in Japan—once the largest paging market in the world. I am compelled, however, to report all the news about paging and wireless messaging—good or bad. We must remain alert and continue to promote things like telemetry over paging so that we can maintain a solid core of dependable business subscribers. Once a person gets the concept of controlling things remotely—over a paging channel—the ideas for new applications really start to flow. I have long believed these telemetry applications to be the “KILLER APPLICATIONS” for our industry. The key to moving telemetry products is live demonstrations from knowledgeable sales people. You have got to show your potential customers how it works—right in their offices! There has been some positive response to my plea for more advertisers in the newsletter. Some former advertisers are going to return and some new ones are planning to start. If you want to get your message out, this is the place to do it. I have a page set up that explains the various advertising packages that are available. CLICK HERE I am still looking for comments on how to improve the newsletter—format and content. Now on to the news. . . |
A new issue of The Wireless Messaging Newsletter gets 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 Internet. 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 Data 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 reader's comments, so this newsletter has become a community forum for the Paging, and Wireless Data 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. NOTE: This newsletter is best viewed at screen resolutions of 800x600 (good) or 1024x768 (better). Any current revision of web browser should work fine. Please notify me of any problems with viewing. This site is compliant with XHTML 1.0 transitional coding for easy access from wireless devices. (XML 1.0/ISO 8859-1.) | |||||||||||
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PAGING CARRIERS |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| AAPC BULLETIN |
| FEATURED ADVERTISERS SUPPORTING THE NEWSLETTER |
| ||||||
Cover Story: End of an era 04/17/2007 BY YUSUKE KANNO, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN The end was somewhat inevitable. Modern technology for mobile phones has made the pager obsolete. As the new fiscal year started on April 1, pager services made a quiet exit from almost all regions in Japan after years of adding a bit of romantic spice into the lives of thousands of young people. Pagers are electronic devices used to contact people. Early devices simply beeped and provided the phone number of the caller. Later versions offered messages, first with numbers and later with katakana and kanji characters. But unlike mobile phones that connect users anytime and anywhere, users of pagers had to wait for a reply. Some sentimentalists say anticipation of receiving a response from a loved one was what made the pager so special. Actress Ryoko Hirosue, 26, personifies the rise and fall of the pager. In 1996, Hirosue, then a leggy 16-year-old, became the poster girl for a pager advertisement put out by NTT DoCoMo Inc. The ad stated, "Ryoko Hirosue begins using Pokeberu (pager service)." In 1996, the number of NTT DoCoMo pager service subscribers totaled 6.49 million, making up the bulk of the more than 10 million pager subscribers nationwide. Hirosue was a first-grade student at high school at the time. She recalls that about 90 percent of her classmates had pocket pagers, and she started using one herself. "During recess, we would make long queues in front of the public pay phones at school. Everyone was pushing those phone buttons at lightning speed. It was amazing," Hirosue says. But also in 1996, the number of subscribers for mobile phone services exceeded the number of pager subscribers for the first time. Still, pagers were evolving. They first had to rely on a smart play of words to send messages. For example, the numerals "14106" could be pronounced (with a stretch of the imagination) as "aishiteru" in Japanese. Thus, a user could send an "I love you" message. They later became capable of receiving kanji and katakana messages. Still, the clumsy pager was no match for the versatile text messages of mobile phones. Lyricist and producer Yasushi Akimoto, 50, came up with a drama series "Pokeberu ga Naranakute" (Waiting for my pager to ring) for Nippon Television Network Corp. (NTV) in 1993. He also wrote the lyrics for the theme song released under the same title. Akimoto pictured a heroine longing for her lover to buzz her when he was writing the song. "The 'waiting' factor plays a big role in staging a love song," Akimoto said. "Now that we are in the age of the mobile phone, we get to enjoy considerable perks and conveniences--and the time spent on waiting has become an indulgence. The modes of love and romance are definitely changing." However, when Akimoto talks to young "idols" in the entertainment business, he often feels that as far as feelings of love go, there hasn't been that big of a change since the time he was in high school. "The tools of the trade might have shifted from letters to land lines, pagers and now mobile phones. But the tender hearts people carry around basically remain the same," said Akimoto, who still churns out love songs based on that conviction. Kenichi Fujimoto, associate professor of informatics at Mukogawa Women's University, published a book titled "Pokeberu Shojo Kakumei" (Revolution of the pager girls) 10 years ago. Fujimoto said one advantage of the pager was that it gave power to the youths who had to rely on phones at their homes or their schools to freely exchange information or messages. "(The pager) freed the youths and women who had been shackled under the modern family system," he said. "The technology also revived the amusing word play that is reminiscent of the old Japanese tradition of coming up with poems while taking leisurely walks." And the dark side? The pager eased the way for girls to take part in enjokosai-style prostitution. Even Fujimoto, well-versed in the information culture, was surprised at how quickly the pager petered out. NTT DoCoMo terminated its Quickcast pager service on March 31 to raise operational efficiency. The number of subscribers had dropped to about 2 percent of the peak. Modern pagers have been appreciated by hospitals, emergency workers and others in specialized fields because the devices do not cause electromagnetic interference with the workers' equipment. But PHS phones that cause minimum interference have started to take over those roles as well. YOZAN Inc. in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Okinawa TeleMessage in Okinawa Prefecture will continue to offer their pager services. (IHT/Asahi: April 17, 2007) |
Source: The Asahí Shímbun (The English Edition of a Japanese Newspaper)
Wireless Messaging Software
| Newsletter repair prices—starting at:
**Special pricing on cellular and pager refurbishment**
Ask for Special Newsletter Pricing. Please call: (800) 222-6075 ext. 306 for pricing.
|
For information about these products, Contract Manufacturing services or our Pager or Telemetry line, please call Bob Popow at 480-515-2344, or Susan Lunday at 870-424-0872 or visit our website www.daviscommsusa.com. E-mail addresses are posted there! |
| NRG™ batteries by Motorola* |
| ||||||||||||||
| NEWS FLASH — SATELLITE FAILURES
DON’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT SATELLITE OUTAGE Allow us to uplink your paging data to two separate satellites for complete redundancy! CVC owns and operates two separate earth stations and specializes in uplink services for paging carriers. Join our list of satisfied uplink customers.
For inquires please call or e-mail Stephan Suker at 800-696-6474 or steves@cvcpaging.com | New ReFLEX Telemetry Module
Download the complete specification here. CONTACT: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Across the Low Country, Schools Plan For Worst Wednesday, April 18, 2007 A gunman opens fire on a college campus the size of a small city. Law enforcement must find a way to stop the gunman, rescue the wounded and protect the lives of thousands of students, faculty members and visitors. But how? Officials at colleges in the greater Charleston area say plans are in place to deal with violent incidents such as the mass shooting Monday at Virginia Tech. State colleges such as the College of Charleston, the Medical University of South Carolina and The Citadel have their own public safety departments with armed law enforcement officers. At Charleston Southern University, a private school, unarmed security guards maintain order. All work closely with their local municipal police agencies, which can send in additional officers to help secure campuses in an emergency. Colleges also have plans in place to alert students to dangers through e-mails, phone calls, paging systems and other means. The Citadel, home to 2,000 cadets, recently updated its campus-wide crisis plan and appointed a team that would go into action if a shooting rampage or similar emergency occurred, spokeswoman Patricia McArver said. The school's 13-member public safety department is staffed 24 hours a day, and cadets guard entrances to living quarters, she said. The College of Charleston and MUSC campuses are more open, with less-defined boundaries and buildings spread through several city blocks. MUSC has 2,429 students, nearly 10,000 employees and 89 buildings, including a 600-bed hospital. The College of Charleston has more than 12,000 students, faculty and staff spread among 113 buildings. Securing these urban campuses likely would present challenges. But their locations also present rapid access to police backup and trauma care. The College of Charleston has a Critical Incident Response Team available to respond to emergencies around the clock. MUSC also trains its officers to handle crisis situations. In an emergency, Charleston Southern University's unarmed guards work to secure the campus and protect the school's 3,100 students until North Charleston police can arrive, said Don Little, director of campus security. |
Source: The Post and Courier Charleston.net
 Intelligent Solutions for Paging & Wireless Data Wipath develops and manufactures a wide range if highly unique and innovative hardware and software solutions in paging and mobile data. Talk to us about your special project. If we haven’t already done it we probably can.
I am an authorized Manufacturer Representative for WiPath Communications. Please contact me directly for any additional information. |
SEE WEB FOR COMPLETE LIST:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operations Director Appointed to CommtechWireless Board April 20, 2007 For Immediate Release The Board of Directors for CommtechWireless, global leader in the supply of automated service messaging and mobility workflow systems, recently announced the appointment of Mr. John Cozart to Director of Operations. Mr. Cozart joined the CommtechWireless office in Jacksonville, Florida in 2003 and, as Vice President of Operations, was quickly made responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day operations of CommtechWireless not covered by Sales & Marketing. His wide-ranging responsibilities include overseeing stock control, human resource management, project management and quality control of Commtech products. Commtech USA has benefited immensely from the leadership and experience of Mr. Cozart and his outstanding efficiency has been emulated by the Australian office to great success. Mr. Cozart recently outlined his expectations for both his new role and the company in general and spoke of the importance of quality support throughout the group. “I expect to leverage our global presence to provided seamless support and quality delivery of our solutions to our growing customer base anywhere in the world. We will harness the global synergies within Operations to gain efficiencies, productivity and raise the bar with technical advantages through our development within the Healthcare, Hospitality and Gaming industries. We will set an unsurpassed global standard of excellence.” Of the newest appointment to the board, Commtech USA President Mr. Zane Lewis says,
Mr. Cozart’s new position begins immediately. In other appointments, Mr. Chris McLoughlin was promoted to Director of Global Sales and will oversee sales and marketing for Commtech on a global scale. About CommtechWireless |
Source: CommtechWireless
 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Messaging & Cellular
www.ProductSupportServices.com Call Or E-mail For More Information |
BlackBerry suffers widespread outage By John Blau, IDG News Service The BlackBerry wireless e-mail service from Research In Motion appears to have suffered a widespread outage starting Tuesday evening in the U.S. Customers on the BlackBerry Forums discussion board complained of having no service starting at about 5:15 p.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday. Callers to the BlackBerry U.S. technical support line were still greeted with the following message early Wednesday morning: “We are currently experiencing a service interruption that is causing delays in sending or receiving messages. We apologize for the inconvenience and will provide updates as soon as they become available.” New York television news channel NewsChannel4 reported Tuesday night that the problem affected “all users in the Western hemisphere.” However, comments from operators in Asia and Europe, as well as postings to the BlackBerry Forums, suggested that the problem may be limited to North America. “Officials with RIM said they are trying to reset the system and told NewsChannel4 that they are concerned that the backlog of data, which will rush through when it comes back on line, could cause a bigger problem,” the news channel reported on its Web site. RIM officials advised people who use Blackberry as a major way of communications to make back-up plans, the channel reported. A RIM official contacted in France was unaware of the problems, and said she had received messages sent to her BlackBerry as normal. Other RIM officials did not return calls seeking comment. The outage may have been cause by one of RIM’s Network Operating Centers (NOC) going down, according to Emma Mohr-McClune, principal analyst with Current Analysis “This has happened before,” she said. RIM operates two NOCs, both located in Canada, according to Mohr-McClune. The company has considered locating additional NOCs outside of Canada, she said. Companies that provide BlackBerry service connect their mail servers to a BlackBerry Enterprise Solution (BES) server located on their premises, which in turn is linked to one of RIM’s NOCs, according to Mohr-McClune. “All data slides to Canada and back,” she said. RIM may have been fortunate that the outage began at about 5 p.m. Pacific Time, because it would have been after the busiest part of the U.S. work day. Engineers were likely scrambling through the night to bring the service back online before the start of the U.S. workday on Wednesday. Other parts of the world appeared to have been unaffected. A representative for Taiwan Mobile, RIM’s BlackBerry partner for the island, said the problem is limited to North America, and that users would not be affected unless they are sending or receiving e-mail through a BlackBerry server there. “RIM has not communicated with Taiwan Mobile about when this problem might be fixed,” said the representative, April Hong. NTT DoCoMo in Tokyo said its BlackBerry users in Japan were also unaffected. And In Europe, a spokesman for T-Mobile Deutschland GmbH was unaware of any problems, and Blackberry users in Germany and France reported no interruption of service. The problems come at a time of continued rapid growth for the company, based in Waterloo, Ontario. It added 1.02 million subscribers in the quarter ended March 3, for a total of approximately 8 million BlackBerry subscribers worldwide. Revenue for the quarter was $930.4 million, up 66 percent from a year earlier. Net income for the quarter before adjustments was $187,928, the company said. (Peter Sayer, James Niccolai, Dan Nystedt and Martyn Williams contributed to this report.) |
Source: Macworld
GTES has recently made the strategic decision to expanding its development activities to include wireless location technologies; a market that researchers forecast could reach $3.6 billion by 2010. In support of this new strategic direction, GTES has developed SHERLOC™ a complete one-stop wireless location service, providing the flexibility of being protocol neutral and network agnostic. Targeted at business customers who need to track their high-value shipments or better manage their service or delivery fleets, SHERLOC™ is a hosted application that combines configuration flexibility with ease of use. GTES is offering SHERLOC™ services both directly and through authorized resellers. If your company has an interest in finding out how location services can enhance your revenue stream, and has the contacts and expertise to make you successful in the location marketplace, please contact us for further information at www.sherlocgps.com and select “Reseller Opportunities,” or call us at 770-754-1666 for more information. www.gtesinc.com GTES is the only Glenayre authorized software support provider in the Paging industry. With over 200 years of combined experience in Glenayre hardware and software support, GTES offers the industry the most professional support and engineering development staff available. Continued Support Programs CALL US TODAY FOR YOUR SUPPORT NEEDS
|
 Prism Message Gateway Systems Your Choice of Options
Popular Choice for Domestic and International
Logical Choice
Go ahead . . . be choosy . . . choose Prism Systems International
Streaming Video from the |
Tower Space for Rent in North Central Texas
| Registration Number | Status | File Number | Owner Name | Latitude Longitude | Structure City/State | Overall Height Above Ground (AGL) | |
| 1 | 1050903 | Constructed | A0382848 | CSSI* | 32-16-09.0N 098-18-52.0W | Lingleville, TX map | 93.0 |
| 2 | 1050905 | Constructed | A0446642 | CSSI* | 32-49-04.8N 098-06-13.3W | Mineral Wells, TX map | 24.8 |
| 3 | 1056264 | Constructed | A0446643 | CSSI* | 32-58-33.0N 097-56-33.0W | Whitt, TX map | 92.4 |
| 4 | 1057649 | Constructed | A0382852 | CSSI* | 32-20-33.0N 097-44-57.0W | Glen Rose, TX map | 60.9 |
| 5 | 1057656 | Constructed | A0446641 | CSSI* | 32-18-08.0N 098-29-36.0W | Desmona, TX map | 83.2 |
| 6 | 1057659 | Constructed | A0382844 | CSSI* | 32-21-23.0N 099-26-01.0W | Baird, TX map | 89.3 |
| 7 | 1232880 | Constructed | A0317614 | CSSI* | 32-51-05.0N 098-06-31.8W | Mineral Wells, TX map | 134.0 |
| 8 | 1042515 | Constructed | A0050114 | CSSI* | 32-44-21.0N 097-48-00.0W | Weatherford, TX map map—close up | 112.8 |
* Communications Sales & Service Inc. d/b/a CSSI
 | For more information, please contact: Charles H. Beard |
|
| |||||||||||
InfoRad is happy to announce the release of version 10.2 of our wireless messaging software line. We've made a few tweaks under the hood, to keep it current with the ever-changing world of computers and wireless, and we've added several exciting new enhancements: Secure Messaging to your Blackberry or PCS phone is here! InfoRad is heavily used in the Law Enforcement, Public Safety, and HealthCare industries because our software sends the message reliably and fast. As security is a concern we've added SSL (encryption) support for dispatching via email. Those of you who need to send messages via SMTP to your PCS phones or Blackberries can now encrypt them before they leave your workstation/network. Refined User Interface! Our customer base is always telling us our suite of software messaging products are the easiest to use on the market. Well they've just gotten easier. Version 10.2 adds a new search box to the interface to assist those who have larger databases. Simply start typing a receiver or group name into the search box and the list will automatically move to that name, or the nearest match. Once you select a name, or names, the search box will display the number of devices you've selected.
We're offering a limited time1 special purchase offer from our web-store. Simply click on the product you wish to buy and use coupon code XV102 at checkout to receive a 20% discount off the regular download price. This discount applies to all software products purchased as a download with a major credit card. If you're still using a version 9.xx or older product you're missing out on some industrial strength features like "Route-on-Failure" and "User Defined Message Templates." Visit our website to catch up on all the latest changes or download a FREE 30 day demo to test drive the software on your personal computer. Note - Members of our AlphaCare support/maintenance plan will receive the latest release free of charge. While you're visiting our website be sure to have a look at our line of hardware products too. We're got wireless remote control devices, 5 watt paging transmitters and 4 ft wireless "paging activated" LED signs available to assist you with your wireless needs. Call us at 800-228-8998 with any questions, we look forward to working with you.
[1] - Offer valid though May 15th, 2007. |
Source: InfoRad
We at Unication have listened and delivered.
About Unication Co., Ltd.
|
|
| BLOOSTON, MORDKOFSKY, DICKENS, DUFFY & PRENDERGAST, LLP |
BloostonLaw Telecom Update Vonage Reveals It Has No “Workaround” Solution For Verizon’s Patents In what appears to be more bad news for Vonage Holdings Corp., the troubled voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) company revealed in a federal court filing last Friday that it does not have a “workaround” technology to bypass Verizon’s patented Internet phone technology (BloostonLaw Telecom Update, April 11). Vonage, which currently is on the losing end of a patent infringement suit against Verizon, has been claiming that it has an alternative technology. Now it admits that it does not, and that given the “expansiveness” of Verizon’s patents, such a plan for a workaround solution would not even be feasible, according to various press reports. Thus, it appears that Vonage is putting all of its chips on appealing the patent infringement verdict. A hearing before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is scheduled for April 24. Vonage has told the Securities and Exchange Commission that prolonged litigation may result in bankruptcy or liquidation. Also last week, Vonage CEO Michael Snyder resigned and was replaced by company founder Jeffrey Citron on an interim basis. During an April 12 conference call with investors, Citron said that Vonage plans to cut its annual marketing budget by $110 million, or more than 25%. The company will also consolidate its operations in the United States and Canada, and combine its global operations into one team, resulting in a savings of about $30 million through the end of the year and a 10% reduction in the 1,800-employee workforce, Citron said. FCC Proceedings Opened On Broadband Deployment, Data, Marketing Practices The FCC has launched three proceedings regarding broadband data, deployment, and marketing processes. The first is a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) under Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 into whether broadband services are being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion. The second is a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) exploring ways to collect information the Commission needs to set broadband policy in the future. The third is an NOI that seeks to enhance the Commission’s understanding of the nature of the market for broadband and related services, whether network platform providers and others favor or disfavor particular content, how consumers are affected by these policies, and whether consumer choice of broadband providers is sufficient to ensure that all such policies ultimately benefit consumers. In this NOI, the FCC asks for specific examples of beneficial or harmful behavior, and asks whether any regulatory intervention is necessary. Section 706 Broadband Deployment NOI: This NOI is the fifth such inquiry conducted by the FCC under Section 706 of the Telecom Act, which requires the Commission to determine whether broadband services are being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion. Among the questions the Commission asks in the NOI is how to define broadband in light of the rapid technological changes occurring in the marketplace, including the development of higher speed services and new broadband platforms. The Commission will also focus on the availability of broadband, including in rural and other hard-to-serve areas; on whether consumers are adopting new services; and on the level of competition in the marketplace. The Commission asks what can be done to accelerate the rollout of broadband services, and seeks comment on current investment trends in the industry. The Commission also seeks comment on external data sources that shed light on broadband prices and the extent to which consumers have a choice of competing providers of broadband service in the United States, ideally on a house-by-house and business-by business basis, as well as comparable data on speed, price, availability, and adoption in other countries. Comments in this GN Docket No. 07-45 proceeding are due May 16, and replies are due May 31. Broadband Data NPRM: The NPRM seeks comment on whether to modify collection of speed tier information and how to improve the data collected about wireless broadband Internet access service. The NPRM also asks how the Commission can best collect information about subscribership to interconnected voice over Internet Protocol service, or VoIP. Finally, the NPRM also seeks comment on how the Commission can develop a more accurate picture of current broadband deployment (including by extrapolating from more accurate estimates of representative urban, metropolitan, ex-urban, low-income, tribal, and rural areas), as well as gather information on price, other factors that affect consumer uptake of broadband services, and international comparisons. Comments in this WC Docket No. 07-38 proceeding will be due 30 days after publication of the item in the Federal Register, and replies will be due 30 days thereafter. Commissioner Michael Copps said in a separate statement: “For too long, we have defined broadband as 200 kbps in one direction—a measure that was outdated even when it was introduced years ago and that has become increasingly untenable today, especially when one considers what consumers in other countries routinely expect and receive. I look forward to receiving comments on how we can develop more useful measures of speed and also how we can ensure that broadband providers are using comparable methodologies for calculating speed. “Second, today’s item states that competitive choice should, ideally, be calculated on a house-by-house and business-by-business basis. It also forthrightly acknowledges the limitations of the Commission’s existing methodology, which assumes if one home or business in a ZIP code has broadband, then every home or business in that ZIP code has broadband. No business in its right mind would base decisions on such misleading data—surely the American government should not do so either. I am especially pleased that we seek comment on the feasibility of developing a sampling methodology to develop estimates of competition and broadband deployment in representative urban, suburban, rural, and tribal areas and on using statistical extrapolation to develop a national picture. The groundbreaking mapping and analysis conducted by private-public partnerships like Connect Kentucky—not to mention the example of countries like Japan, which gathers detailed data at the prefecture level—certainly demonstrate that it is possible, with a little elbow grease, to gather far more granular broadband data than we presently do at the FCC. A pretty good idea of what’s going on in representative parts of the country strikes me as a far better basis for policy than a largely misleading idea of what’s happening everywhere. “Third, today’s item seeks information on broadband price—a crucially important piece of information in understanding broadband deployment and in assessing whether consumers are being well served by our current broadband market. After all, it is surely value—meaning the relationship between price and measures of quality such as speed and ease of use—that matters most to consumers and ought to matter most to the Commission. I am especially interested in learning how price and value are affected by the degree of competition in an area. We should be able to report the price per bit in representative parts of the country, and to compare these statistics to what consumers receive in other nations. The Commission has for many years considered such factors in its annual analyses of, for instance, video and wireless services— it is well past time that we do so for broadband as well. “Fourth, building upon the point just made, today’s item distinguishes between two distinct concepts—whether broadband is available and whether consumers have chosen to adopt broadband—that the Commission has conflated for far too long. Gathering statistics on both concepts—as well as how the two are correlated with price, speed, value and demographic factors such as age, gender, education, race, income, rural and tribal residence, disability status, and so forth—will allow the Commission, other policymakers, academics, and industry to understand why certain populations have benefited far less than others from the digital revolution. Only when we understand the many factors driving broadband adoption can we ensure that the benefits of this exciting technology become a part of every American’s life—as they surely should be. “Finally, today’s item seeks comment on how we can use international statistics on broadband deployment to better understand and assess our own country’s broadband marketplace. Even though our country is undeniably unique in many ways, lessons from abroad may well be relevant to our own situation and we should always have the humility to learn from others.” Broadband Marketing Practices NOI: This NOI focuses on how to promote the FCC’s 2005 Policy Statement on encouraging broadband deployment. First, the FCC asks commenters to describe today’s packet management practices. That is, do providers treat different packets in different ways? How and why? Are these providers operating consistent with the Policy Statement? Are there specific examples of packet management practices that commenters consider reasonable or unreasonable? More specifically, are providers engaging in packet management that is helpful or harmful to consumers? For example, during times of congestion, do providers prioritize packets for latency-sensitive applications such as voice calls, video conferencing, live video, or gaming? Do providers prioritize packets for safety- and security-related applications such as health monitoring, home monitoring, and emergency calls? Do providers block packets containing child pornography, spyware, viruses, or spam? Do providers offer parental controls that block packets containing sexually explicit material? Do providers manage packets to improve their network performance, engineering, or security? Do providers de-prioritize or block packets for certain content when the providers or their affiliates offer similar content, or do providers prioritize packets containing their own content over packets containing similar content from unaffiliated providers? Do providers de-prioritize or block packets containing material that is harmful to their commercial interests, or prioritize packets relating to applications or services in which they have a commercial interest? Are any of these packet management practices in place to implement other legal requirements? Are there other packet management practices of which the Commission should be aware? Commenters should provide specific, verifiable examples with supporting documentation, and should limit their comments to those practices that are technically feasible today. Next, the FCC asks commenters to describe today’s pricing practices for broadband and related services. Do providers charge different prices for different speeds or capacities? Given the greater availability of bandwidth-intensive applications, do providers charge a premium to download a particular amount of content? Do broadband providers charge upstream providers for priority access to end users? Should FCC policies distinguish between content providers that charge end users for access to content and those that do not? Do providers currently discriminate in the prices they charge to end users and/or upstream providers? Does behavior vary depending on the number of broadband Internet access service providers offering service in a geographic area? Finally, does the Commission have the legal authority to enforce the Policy Statement in the face of particular market failures or other specific problems? What specific conduct or other factors give rise to any such problems? Does the ever increasing intermodal competition among broadband providers prevent such problems from developing in the first place? If the Commission were to promulgate rules in this area, what would be the challenges in tailoring the rules only to reach any identified market failures or other specific problems, and not to prevent policies that benefit consumers? Would regulations further the FCC’s mandate to “encourage the deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans”? Assuming it is not necessary to adopt rules at this time, what market characteristics would justify the adoption of rules? Comments in this WC Docket No. 07-52 proceeding are due June 15, and replies are due July 16. Private Users Update 4,000-Plus Individuals Back Skype On Opening Wireless Industry via “Carterfone” As we noted in last month’s newsletter, Skype has asked the FCC to subject the wireless industry to the Carterfone rules, which would allow consumers to use devices and software of their choice on mobile phone networks. We also noted that the Skype proposal could result in greater choices for our private user clients using commercial wireless services to stay in touch with their personnel. The RM-11361 proposal, so far, has resulted in more than 4,000 brief one-page comments from individual citizens in support of the Skype petition. The FCC, however, has granted an extension of the comment cycle based on a request by Skype and CTIA The Wireless Association, which was supported by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). As a result, comments are now due April 30, and replies are due May 15. We also note that during last month’s FCC open meeting, the agency declared that wireless broadband Internet access service is an “information service” under the Communications Act. In his concurring statement, however, Commissioner Michael Copps noted that in 2005, the FCC issued a policy statement adopting four principles applicable to Internet access services, including that “consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network.” “Now that IP-based wireless services are classified as Title I information services,” Copps said, “the inescapable logical implication of our 2005 decision is that the right to attach network devices—as well as the three other principles of our policy statement—now applies to wireless broadband services.” Copps said he believes the FCC has a responsibility to open a rulemaking that will clarify how these Title I principles should be applied in the wireless context. “I also believe we should include questions about how and whether the classification of CMRS services as Title II services incorporates the principle of the seminal 1968 Carterfone decision. I believe that our answers to these questions—or our failure to answer them—will have a direct impact on the pace of technological innovation in the years ahead and on the extent to which consumers can take full advantage of that innovation,” Copps said. “Indeed, as the Commission has already recognized in a host of areas—such as Carterfone’s discussion of the PSTN [public switched telephone network],” the Commissioner continued, “our 2005 Policy Statement’s discussion of the Internet, and our rules on cable set-top boxes—consumers generally benefit when they can select from among a range of network attachments, including devices not chosen for them by their service provider.” Copps said he would have preferred that the declaratory ruling on wireless broadband Internet access would have included an Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on the “wireless Carterfone” issues. Interestingly, Copps did not mention the Skype petition to open the wireless industry via the Carterfone rules. The Carterfone rules, which were enacted in 1968 during the old Bell System monopoly era, allow consumers to hook any device up to the landline phone network, so long as it does not harm the network. The Carterfone Decision: The FCC’s Carterfone Order was adopted on June 26, 1968. Essentially, the case involved the referral of an antitrust suit from a federal district court (affirmed by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans) to the Commission in which Carter Electronics Corp. alleged that AT&T was illegally preventing the interconnection of the Carterfone product to the PSTN. The Carterfone itself was an acoustic coupler for land mobile radios. Invented by Tom Carter, it was used to allow radio-equipped oil field drill rigs to patch calls into the telephone network. In its 1968 Order, the FCC defined the Carterfone device as follows:
AT&T, acting in accordance with its interpretation of tariff FCC No. 132, filed April 16, 1957, advised its subscribers that the Carterfone, when used in conjunction with the subscriber's telephone, is a prohibited interconnecting device, the use of which would subject the user to the penalties provided in the tariff. But the Commission decided that the “Carterfone fills a need, and that it does not adversely affect the telephone system.” As a result, the FCC held that AT&T’s tariff was “unreasonable” in that it prohibited “the use of interconnecting devices which do not adversely affect the telephone system.” |
Source: Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy and Prendergast, LLP
For additional information, contact Hal Mordkofsky at 202-828-5520 or halmor@bloostonlaw.com
| EUROPEAN MOBILE MESSAGING ASSOCIATION |
|
| EUROPEAN MOBILE MESSAGING ASSOCIATION |
| FEATURED ADVERTISERS SUPPORTING THE NEWSLETTER |
CUSTOM APPLICATIONS
Please call me so we can discuss your need or your idea. Or contact me by e-mail for more information | Zetron Simulcast System High-speed simulcast Paging with protocols such as POCSAG and FLEX™ requires microsecond accuracy to synchronize the transmission of digital Paging signals.  Zetron's Simulcast System uses GPS timing information to ensure that the broadcasted transmissions between the nodes of the Simulcast System and associated transmitters are synchronized to very tight tolerances. This system is ideal for public or private Paging system operators that use multiple transmitters and wish to create new Paging systems or to build out existing systems into new regions. For more information about Zetron's High Speed Simulcast Paging System, the Model 600 and Model 620, go to: www.zetron.com/paging.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Want to help the newsletter? Become a SPONSOR
|
 Advertise Here
|
| ||||||||||||||||
|
• FIREHOUSES • SCHOOLS • PUBLIC FACILITIES • GOVERNMENT FACILITIES • EMERGENCY ROOMS • WHAT DO FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES, WISPS, HAVE IN COMMON? THEY ALL USE NIGHTHAWK. Nighthawk Systems Inc. manufactures low cost and reliable remote control products for fire house alerting, volunteer alerting, activation of warning signs and sirens, and a number of applications for public safety. The Company manufactures the EA1 and the FAS-8 which have been designed specifically for these applications. Both products are paging based and will work with any public or private paging network. They are available in all VHF, UHF, and 900 MHz paging frequencies. The products can serve as the primary notification system or an excellent, low-cost backup to existing systems.
The EA1 is the solution for remotely activating public warning signage. Examples include tornado sirens, flash flood warnings, fire danger, Amber Alert, icy roads, etc. The EA1 can also send text messages to scrolling signs. This can occur in conjunction with the activation of audible alarms and visual strobes. This is ideal for public notification in buildings, schools, hotels, factories, etc. The group call feature allows for any number of signs or flashing lights to be activated at the same time over a wide geographic area. In addition, the EA1 Emergency Alert is the perfect solution for low cost yet highly effective alerting of volunteer fire fighters in their home. When activated the EA1 will emit an audible alarm and activate the power outlet on the units faceplate. A common setup is to simply place the EA1 on a table and plug a lamp into the faceplate. When paged from dispatch or any touch tone phone the EA1 will awaken the fire fighter to a lit room. As an option the EA1 can be ordered with a serial cable, allowing for attachment of a serial printer. When paged the alphanumeric message will be printed out at the same time the alarm sounds and the outlet is activated. The EA1 is an ideal complement to alphanumeric belt pagers common to volunteers.
The FAS-8 is designed for activating one or more relays in a firehouse and if desired, printing the alphanumeric message to a serial printer. For this application the FAS-8 is set to activate upon receiving the proper paging cap code sent from 911 dispatch. Up to eight different devices can be activated all with individual time functions. The most common devices to turn on include the PA amplifier, audible wake up alarm, and house lights. The most common device turned off is the stove. The FAS-8 can accept up to 8 different cap codes and have separate relay and time functions per cap code. This allows for different alerting to be accomplished at the same physical location depending upon which cap code is sent. This can be very helpful when fire crews and medical crews are housed in the same building.
Put the innovative technology of Nighthawk to work for you. For more information on any of our products or services, please contact us. Nighthawk Systems, Inc. Phone: 877-764-4484 |
| |||||||||
Download Mr. Mercer's resumé. | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Complete Technical Services For The Ira Wiesenfeld, P.E.
| ||||||||||
 |
Dopes dial police looking for pot Posted : Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:14:01GMT POMONA, Calif., April 19 The practice of using "911" to indicate urgency in a pager message has sent two men seeking marijuana in Pomona, Calif., to jail on drug charges. Pomona Police Sgt. Michael Olivieri said the men admitted to trying to page their drug dealer for an urgent delivery of pot at 3 a.m. Tuesday from a pay phone. They neglected to dial a pager number first, and instead just dialed 911. Emergency operators traced the call, and police were sent to the phone. They found the suspects standing beside a car which turned out to be stolen, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday. Inside the car officers found drug paraphernalia, a set of burglary tools and a shaved ignition key, Olivieri said. Paul White, 38, and Ryan Ogle, 25, were charged with possessing drug paraphernalia, possessing burglary tools and auto theft. "No one said criminals are smart," Olivieri said |
Source: EARTHtimes.org
| LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |
From: Stephen Oshinsky 
Subject: Wireless Forum Confirmation
Date: April 20, 2007 11:32:09 AM CDT
To: Paging Technical Committee
Everyone,
Please make plans to attend our PTC meeting on Wednesday May 30th starting at 8:30 AM in the Atlantic 3 Ballroom of the Marriott. I also heartily recommend that you attend the AAPC Wireless Forum Thursday and Friday. There will be several keynote speakers and a great place to network.
If you have not done so, please let me know your attendance plans so I can make sure our logistics are taken care of. We will be having a lunch served for attending PTC members. Our meeting is being sponsored by SunTelecom this year so also help me extend a big thank you to them for making our meeting successful!!
Thanks
Stephen M. Oshinsky
Director, Systems Architecture
601-460-3449
| UNTIL NEXT WEEK |
That's all for this week.
With best regards, | Brad Dye P.O. Box 13283 |  |  | |
| Skype: | braddye | WIRELESS  MESSAGING | ||
| Telephone: | +1-217-787-2346 | |||
| E–mail: | brad@braddye.com | |||
| Web: | Consulting page  MAY I HELP YOU? | |||
| Anyone wanting to help support The Wireless Messaging Newsletter can do so by clicking on the PayPal DONATE button to the left. |
 | This newsletter is brought to you by the generous support of our advertisers and the courtesy of iland Internet Solutions Corporation. For more information about the web-hosting services available from iland Internet Solutions Corporation, please click on their logo to the left. |
FLEX, ReFLEX, and FLEXsuite, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola, Inc.
Si desea escribirme en español, puede hacerlo con toda confianza. ¡Me encanta hablar en castellano!
| THE WIRELESS MESSAGING NEWSLETTER AND THE PAGING INFORMATION RESOURCE |
Stopwatch 
The poster not only promoted the Pokeberu, it also launched the young actress's career. Fans couldn't keep their hands off the Hirosue poster. At one railway station in Nagoya, more than 100 of the DoCoMo posters were stolen within a week.
Three years later, in 1999, Hirosue was chosen to spearhead NTT DoCoMo's campaign for the company's i-mode mobile data service. Hirosue also became a mobile phone user.
"Mobile phones were once considered tools used by stuffy middle-aged corporate types. Yet once mobile phones adopted the text function from the pagers, they became accepted as tools for the younger set," Fujimoto said. "It was the pager that first opened the doors to a new style of communicating by text. And that was readily inherited by the mobile phones."
CLICK HERE 
ICOM 
ATM300 
Reliable Real-Time Messaging Software 
CLICK HERE 
If you see someone in the field (like salespeople, technicians, and delivery people) using paper forms, their company could probably save a pile of money, and get much better timeliness, accuracy and efficiency, by using converting to Outr.Net's Wireless Forms. Custom applications for as little as $995, delivered in just a few days.Outr.Net has a web page on Wireless Forms for Timeports at: 
Glenayre Paging System For Sale 
