Welcome Back

Wishing a safe and happy weekend for all readers of The Wireless Messaging News.

Check out the great new advertisement from STI Engineering about their Paging Transmitters.

INVESTIGATION OF FRANK HACKETT

According to a person with knowledge of the investigation who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to comment, Frank Hackett is alive and well, and is just procrastinating in his response to sarcastic comments about him in previous issues of this newsletter. A message from him is expected — eventually.

People are talking about hackers 'ransoming' Apple — here's what's actually going on

By Kif Leswing
Mar. 23, 2017, 11:14 AM 17,641

If you don't want to be hacked, don't use the same password across different services.

And if you're an Apple user, it's a good idea to check your Apple ID and iCloud account today to make sure it's using a unique and long password.

On Wednesday, a hacking group calling itself the Turkish Crime Family told Business Insider that it had about 600 million iCloud passwords it would use to reset users' accounts on April 7.

Getty/Justin Sullivan

Apple told Business Insider in a statement that if the hackers had passwords, they did not come from a breach of Apple systems:

"There have not been any breaches in any of Apple's systems including iCloud and Apple ID. The alleged list of email addresses and passwords appears to have been obtained from previously compromised third-party services.

"We're actively monitoring to prevent unauthorized access to user accounts and are working with law enforcement to identify the criminals involved. To protect against these type of attacks, we always recommend that users always use strong passwords, not use those same passwords across sites and turn on two-factor authentication."

It is still possible that the group has some users' passwords. Information from several large breaches, including those of Yahoo and LinkedIn, have spread across the internet in recent years. If an Apple user has the same password and email for, say, LinkedIn and iCloud, there's a good chance that iCloud password is already publicly available.

Here's what you can do to protect yourself:

• Turn on two-factor authentication. That means when you log in to your iCloud account you'll be asked to send a six-digit code to your phone. It's annoying, but it's the best way to ensure that your account remains your own.
• Don't use the same password for multiple services. If one of your accounts is hacked or breached, hackers can essentially access all your accounts that used the same password. Make sure to use a different password for your Apple ID and your email account — here's how to change your Apple ID password and how to check if your password may already be public.
• Make sure your password is long, random, and unique. Don't use your name, birthday, or other common words.

Why this matters now

Over the past few days, the Turkish Crime Family has contacted media outlets saying it has 200 million, 250 million, 519 million, or as many as 750 million Apple ID account credentials culled from breaches of other services.

The hacking group also said it had been in contact with Apple and was demanding $75,000 in crypto-currency like bitcoin or $100,000 in Apple gift cards.

If Apple did nothing, it would "face really serious server issues and customer complaints" in an attack on April 7, a member of the hacking group told Business Insider in an email. They said they were carrying out the attack in support of the Yahoo hacking suspect.

A report from Motherboard said the group had shown the outlet an email from one of the hackers to an Apple product-security specialist that discussed the ransom demands. That email is fake, a person with knowledge of Apple's security operations told Business Insider.

Apple is in contact with law enforcement about the ransom demand, the person said. Apple is unsure if the group's claims are true, but people at the company say they doubt they are.

There are other reasons to doubt the hackers' claims, such as their thirst for publicity and their fluid story.

But even if the hackers are telling the truth, Apple users can protect themselves by making sure their Apple ID password is unique and hasn't been revealed in a previous breach.

"A breach means nothing in 2017 when you can just pull the exact same user information in smaller scales through companies that aren't as secure," the group purportedly said in a post on Pastebin in response to Apple's statement.

[source]

Wayne County, Illinois

Emergency Radio Communications Wireless Messaging Critical Messaging Two-way Radio Technology Telemetry Science Paging Wi-Fi

Wireless Messaging

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.

Subscribe

IT'S FREE

* required field

If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter just fill in the blanks in the form above, and then click on the “Subscribe” button.

There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. It’s all about staying up-to-date with business trends and technology.

The Wireless Messaging News
Board of Advisors

The Board of Advisor members are people with whom I have developed a special rapport, and have met personally. They are not obligated to support the newsletter in any way, except with advice, and maybe an occasional letter to the editor.

Back To Paging

Still The Most Reliable Protocol For Wireless Messaging!

Can You Help The Newsletter?

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

Newspapers generally cost 75¢ $1.50 a copy and they hardly ever mention paging or wireless messaging, unless in a negative way. If you receive some benefit from this publication maybe you would like to help support it financially?

A donation of $50.00 would certainly help cover a one-year period. If you are wiling and able, please click on the PayPal Donate button above.

If you are reading this, your potential customers are reading it as well. Please click here to find out about our advertising options.

Follow @BradDye1

Advertiser Index

Enhancing Mobile Alert Response

sales@wirelessmessaging.com
800-373-1466
2630 National Dr., Garland, TX 75041

New Products

OMNI Messaging Server

• Combines Nurse Call Monitoring and Browser Based Messaging
• Combines Radio Paging with Smartphone and E-mail Integration
• Embedded System with 2 RS-232 Ports and Ethernet
• Browser Based Messaging and Configuration
• Smartphone Alert Notification Using Low-Latency Communication Protocols
• TAP, COMP2, Scope, WaveWare, SNPP, PET and SIP Input Protocols
• PIN Based Routing to Multiple Remote Paging Systems
• 2W, 5W Radio Paging

MARS (Mobile Alert Response System)

• Combines Paging Protocol Monitoring and Wireless Sensor Monitoring (Inovonics and Bluetooth LE)
• Improves Mobile Response Team Productivity using Smartphone App
• Low-Latency Alerts using Pagers, Smartphones, Corridor Lights, Digital Displays and Annunciation Panels
• Automated E-mail Based Alert Response and System Status Reports
• Linux Based Embedded System with Ethernet and USB Ports
• Browser Based Configuration

STG (SIP to TAP Gateway)

• Monitors SIP protocol (engineered for Rauland Responder V nurse call)
• Outputs TAP protocol to Ethernet and Serial Port Paging Systems
• Linux Based Embedded System
• Browser Based Configuration

A Problem

The Motorola Nucleus II Paging Base Station is a great paging transmitter. The Nucleus I, however, had some problems.

One of the best features of this product was its modular construction. Most of the Nucleus' component parts were in plug-in modules that were field replaceable making maintenance much easier.

One issue was (and still is) that two of the modules had to always be kept together. They are called the “matched pair.”

Motorola used some tricks to keep people in the field from trying to match unmatched pairs, and force them to send SCM and Exciter modules back to the factory for calibrating them with precision laboratory equipment.

The serial numbers have to match in the Nucleus programing software or you can't transmit. Specifically the 4-level alignment ID parameter contained in the SCM has to match the Exciter ID parameter.

Even if someone could modify the programing software to “fudge” these parameters, that would not let them use unmatched modules effectively without recalibrating them to exact factory specifications.

So now that there is no longer a Motorola factory laboratory to send them to, what do we do?

I hope someone can help us resolve this serious problem for users of the Nucleus paging transmitter.

Please let me know if you can help. [ click here ]

Easy Solutions provides cost effective computer and wireless solutions at affordable prices. We can help in most any situation with your communications systems. We have many years of experience and a vast network of resources to support the industry, your system and an ever changing completive landscape.

• We treat our customers like family. We don’t just fix problems . . . We recommend and implement better cost-effective solutions.
• We are not just another vendor . . . We are a part of your team. All the advantages of high priced full time employment without the cost.
• We are not in the Technical Services business . . . We are in the Customer Satisfaction business.

Experts in Paging Infrastructure

• Glenayre, Motorola, Unipage, etc.
• Excellent Service Contracts
• Full Service—Beyond Factory Support
• Contracts for Glenayre and other Systems starting at $100
• Making systems More Reliable and MORE PROFITABLE for over 30 years.

Please see our web site for exciting solutions designed specifically for the Wireless Industry. We also maintain a diagnostic lab and provide important repair and replacement parts services for Motorola and Glenayre equipment. Call or e-mail us for more information.

Man sentenced to 28 years for slaying of beeper store owner

Dimeyon L. Cole (Cook County sheriff's office)

By Chicago Tribune staff
March 21, 2017, 8:10 PM

A 34-year-old man convicted of murdering a Broadview beeper store owner who was kidnapped and held for ransom in 1999 was sentenced to 28 years in prison, official said.

Dimeyon L. Cole was sentenced by Judge Lawrence Flood for the killing of Darryl Green in 1999, according to Cook County state’s attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton.

Green was kidnapped at gunpoint from a Broadview beeper store that he owned with his twin brother Darwin. He was bound and taken to a van on the West Side of Chicago. He was held for ransom and eventually fatally shot, authorities said.

Prosecutors said that on June 18, 1999, the four men abducted Green at gunpoint from the store. The kidnappers bound Green, who was 28, and took him by van to a home on the West Side. There they made several phone calls to Darwin Green, asking for a cash ransom to secure his brother's release.

"At first, I thought someone was playing a prank," Green said in an interview with the Tribune at his home after charges were filed. "Then I went to the shop and (Darryl) was gone."

Green recalled his last conversation with the kidnappers, in which he told them he was "trying to get some money together." Green remembers sensing that the kidnappers suspected him of alerting the police. In their final call, the kidnappers told Green to "make arrangements for your brother," according to a police recording of the call.

The kidnappers then put Green into the van and drove to a secluded area near 20th Avenue and Grant Street in Gary, Ind., prosecutors said. Witnesses saw four people exit the van and carry a person into the woods. Gunshots were heard shortly after, prosecutors said.

Darryl Green's body, with three gunshot wounds to the head, was later found by police.

In 2013, Cole was charged with murder with three other suspects — Kevin Mitchell, 49, Menard McAfee, 42, and Raymond Winters, 50.

Cole, who was sentenced to serve 28 years in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections, was convicted in July 2016 by Judge Flood following a bench trial, Simonton said.

Kansas City

Premium Newsletter Supporter

Premium Newsletter Supporter

Canyon Ridge Communications

Premium Newsletter Supporter

ProPage Inc.

Newsletter Supporter

Metropolitan Communications

Newsletter Supporter

e*Message Wireless Information Services Europe

Newsletter Supporter

Lekkerkerk, Netherlands

Newsletter Supporter

Incyte Capital Holdings LLC
Dallas, Texas

Premium Newsletter Supporter

Le Réseau Mobilité Plus
Montreal, Quebec

Newsletter Supporter

Communication Specialists

Newsletter Supporter

Cook Paging

Premium Newsletter Supporter

MethodLink

Premium Newsletter Supporter

Citipage Ltd.
Edmonton, Alberta

Newsletter Supporter

Repair and Refurbishment Services

Product Support Services, Inc.

511 South Royal Lane
Coppell, Texas 75019
(972) 462-3970 Ext. 261
sales@pssirl.com
www.pssirl.com

PSSI is the industry leader in reverse logistics, our services include depot repair, product returns management, RMA and RTV management, product audit, test, refurbishment, re-kitting and value recovery.

New WikiLeaks docs show how the CIA hacks iPhones and MacBooks

by Russell Brandom
Mar 23, 2017, 11:08am EDT

For years, the CIA has been developing tools for hacking into Apple products — and thanks to WikiLeaks, those tools are now public. Today, the group published a new set of documents dubbed “Dark Matter,” part of the ongoing Vault 7 publication on CIA hacking tools. Today’s documents focus specifically on Apple products, detailing the CIA’s methods for breaking into MacBooks and iPhones.

Most of the documents are more than seven years old, putting them significantly out of sync with the company’s current products, but they show a persistent effort to find and exploit weaknesses in Apple products. One tool, called “Sonic Screwdriver,” was used to infect MacBooks through a USB or Thunderbolt port, presumably deployed when the CIA has physical access to a device. Other implants install themselves in the computer’s firmware interface, making them undetectable through conventional forensic techniques.

The agency seems to have had a harder time with the early versions of the iPhone. Only one of the tools targets the phone, a so-called “beacon” tool designed to be installed on an intercepted phone before purchase.

Given how old the bugs are, it’s unlikely any of them would be effective against contemporary Apple products, although it’s likely the CIA has developed similar capabilities to target today’s MacBooks. WikiLeaks has pledged to disclose all the Vault 7 vulnerabilities to the relevant companies for patching, but the group has been slow to fulfill that promise, reportedly requiring a series of conditions before the bugs can be disclosed.

Reached by The Verge, Apple denied any negotiations with Wikileaks, and emphasized that contemporary products are not vulnerable to the attacks. The company’s statement is reproduced in full below:

We have preliminarily assessed the Wikileaks disclosures from this morning. Based on our initial analysis, the alleged iPhone vulnerability affected iPhone 3G only and was fixed in 2009 when iPhone 3GS was released. Additionally, our preliminary assessment shows the alleged Mac vulnerabilities were previously fixed in all Macs launched after 2013.

We have not negotiated with Wikileaks for any information. We have given them instructions to submit any information they wish through our normal process under our standard terms. Thus far, we have not received any information from them that isn’t in the public domain. We are tireless defenders of our users' security and privacy, but we do not condone theft or coordinate with those that threaten to harm our users.

Update 9:13PM ET: Updated with statement from Apple.

Specialists in sales and service of equipment from these leading manufacturers, as well as other two-way radio and paging products:

	Motorola SOLUTIONS
	Motorola MOBILITY

Disaster-Proven Paging for Public Safety

Paging system designs in the United States typically use a voice radio-style infrastructure. These systems are primarily designed for outdoor mobile coverage with modest indoor coverage. Before Narrowbanding, coverage wasn’t good, but what they have now is not acceptable! The high power, high tower approach also makes the system vulnerable. If one base station fails, a large area loses their paging service immediately!

Almost every technology went from analog to digital except fire paging. So it’s time to think about digital paging! The Disaster-Proven Paging Solution (DiCal) from Swissphone offers improved coverage, higher reliability and flexibility beyond anything that traditional analog or digital paging systems can provide. 

Swissphone is the No. 1 supplier for digital paging solutions worldwide. The Swiss company has built paging networks for public safety organizations all over the world. Swissphone has more than 1 million pagers in the field running for years and years due to their renowned high quality.

DiCal is the digital paging system developed and manufactured by Swissphone. It is designed to meet the specific needs of public safety organizations. Fire and EMS rely on these types of networks to improve incident response time. DiCal systems are designed and engineered to provide maximum indoor paging coverage across an entire county. In a disaster situation, when one or several connections in a simulcast solution are disrupted or interrupted, the radio network automatically switches to fall back operating mode. Full functionality is preserved at all times. This new system is the next level of what we know as “Simulcast Paging” here in the U.S.

Swissphone offers high-quality pagers, very robust and waterproof. Swissphone offers the best sensitivity in the industry, and battery autonomy of up to three months. First responder may choose between a smart s.QUAD pager, which is able to connect with a smartphone and the Hurricane DUO pager, the only digital pager who offers text-to-voice functionality.

Bluetooth technology makes it possible to connect the s.QUAD with a compatible smartphone, and ultimately with various s.ONE software solutions from Swissphone. Thanks to Bluetooth pairing, the s.QUAD combines the reliability of an independent paging system with the benefits of commercial cellular network. Dispatched team members can respond back to the call, directly from the pager. The alert message is sent to the pager via paging and cellular at the same time. This hybrid solution makes the alert faster and more secure. Paging ensures alerting even if the commercial network fails or is overloaded.

Swissphone sets new standards in paging:

Paging Network

• It’s much faster to send individual and stacked pages digitally than with analog voice.
• If you want better indoor coverage, you put sites closer together at lower heights.
• A self-healing system that also remains reliable in various disaster situations.
• Place base station where you need them, without the usage of an expensive backhaul network.
• Protect victim confidentiality and prevent unauthorized use of public safety communications, with integrated encryption service.

Pager

• Reliable message reception, thanks to the best sensitivity in the industry.
• Ruggedized and waterproof, IP67 and 6 1/2-feet drop test-certified products.
• Battery autonomy of up to three months, with a standard AA battery.
• Bluetooth enables the new s.QUAD pager to respond back to the dispatch center or fire chief.

Dispatching:

• Two-way CAD interfaces will make dispatching much easier.
• The new s.ONE solution enables the dispatcher or fire chiefs to view the availability of relief forces.
• A graphical screen shows how many of the dispatched team members have responded to the call.

Swissphone provides a proven solution at an affordable cost. Do you want to learn more?
Visit: www.swissphone.com or call 800-596-1914.

To All Leavitt Customers for Motorola Items:

I want to let you know about a pending supply disruption at Motorola. Motorola historically has 7 different operating systems across the globe. They have been working for over 2 years to retire these diverse and incompatible systems. The plan is to shut down all of these systems and bring all businesses back up under one new consistent system to serve their entire worldwide enterprise. Due to the software transition I have been informed that Motorola WILL NOT ship ANY product during the actual transition period. As of today, the planned last day to ship will be April 7, 2017 and shipments will slowly start to ramp up beginning on Tuesday afternoon April 18^th. This will affect ALL Motorola customers and items — radios and parts. It is likely that once shipments resume, Motorola will prioritize strategic and contract customers. Therefore, the stop or delay in shipping for us could last even longer. Lastly, if you have ever been involved with a total operating software swap out you know that there are likely to be issues that extend the delay beyond that predicted.

I will be stocking extra material to cover our normal item shipments. Large orders or items that are not typically ordered may not be deliverable until shipments resume. I will also continue to offer QUALITY aftermarket products like batteries, chargers, mikes and headsets should you need them.

Motorola is suggesting that any orders that absolutely need to be shipped prior to the shutdown be placed prior to March 16^th. That date may be a bit aggressive, but it does serve as a warning that late placed orders may not be filled.

Please help me by doing your best to anticipate your needs.

I am sure they have tested this program many times but I do think there is big risk that the shutdown may last longer than anticipated and the startup may be slower than we would like.

Feel free to call to discuss any questions you might have regarding the situation.

Again, we hope to be able to serve your Motorola Solution’s accessory, battery and parts needs if your normal supplier cannot.

Sincerely,

Phil Leavitt

Specialists in ICOM, Motorola, Bendix-King, Zetron, Unication   & other two way & paging products   Philip C. Leavitt Manager Leavitt Communications   7508 N. Red Ledge Drive   Paradise Valley, AZ 85253   pcleavitt@leavittcom.com www.leavittcom.com tel:  fax:  mobile:  Skype ID:  847-955-0511   270-447-1909   847-494-0000   pcleavitt

Friday, March 24, 2017	Volume 5 | Issue 59

FCC Says It Appears Network Reconfiguration Caused 911 Outages

Ever since the AT&T-Mobility 911 outage that affected customers in several states the night of March 8, the FCC has been trying to figure out what happened. Preliminary information indicates the outage lasted five hours in the primary affected areas (the southeast, central, and parts of the northeast) but its effects spread throughout the regions, according to Public Safety & Homeland Security Acting Bureau Chief Lisa Fowlkes.

“It appears AT&T re-configured its network,” and then the routing for 911 calls failed, said Fowlkes, as she updated commissioners during Thursday’s FCC meeting. “They went to a backup call center for manual processing.” The volume was too much which meant calls were blocked. Affected customers heard fast ringing or nothing, public safety officials told the FCC in the affected areas. On an average day, the provider carries some 44,000 VoLTE calls nationwide. During the outage some 12,000 of those calls couldn’t get through to 911, according to the FCC.

State 911 entities notified customers of back-up emergency numbers on social media, television via screen crawls and radio. Fowlkes said there was another, smaller outage on March 11, that AT&T attributed to a hardware failure. Only a small number of calls were affected because they went to the carrier’s 3G network. The carrier says the two outages were not related, according to Fowlkes, who stressed the results for both outages are preliminary and the information could change. She said AT&T is cooperating fully with the investigation.

Wanting more information on these incidents and to learn how to prevent future outages, the FCC announced a Notice of Inquiry. The agency also did this after the Derecho affected the Washington, D.C. area in 2012, and two years ago during an investigation of 911 outages in six states.

Wireless Communication Solutions

USB Paging Encoder

• Single channel up to eight zones
• Connects to Linux computer via USB
• Programmable timeouts and batch sizes
• Supports 2-tone, 5/6-tone, POCSAG 512/1200/2400, GOLAY
• Supports Tone Only, Voice, Numeric, and Alphanumeric
• PURC or direct connect
• Pictured version mounts in 5.25" drive bay
• Other mounting options available
• Available as a daughter board for our embedded Internet Paging Terminal (IPT)

Paging Data Receiver (PDR)

• Frequency agile—only one receiver to stock
• USB or RS-232 interface
• Two contact closures
• End-user programmable w/o requiring special hardware
• 16 capcodes
• POCSAG
• Eight contact closure version also available
• Product customization available

Other products

Please see our web site for other products including Internet Messaging Gateways, Unified Messaging Servers, test equipment, and Paging Terminals.

Contact

Hark Technologies 717 Old Trolley Rd Ste 6 #163 Summerville, SC 29485

Tel: 843-821-6888

Fax: 843-821-6894

E-mail: sales@harktech.com CLICK

Web: http://www.harktech.com CLICK

SEE WEB FOR COMPLETE LIST:

www.preferredwireless.com/equipment

Rick McMichael
Preferred Wireless, Inc.
Telephone: 888-429-4171
(If you are calling from outside of the USA, please use: 314-575-8425)
rickm@preferredwireless.com

Selected portions [sometimes more—sometimes less] of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update and/or the BloostonLaw Private Users Update — newsletters from the Law Offices of Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & Prendergast, LLP — are reproduced in this section of The Wireless Messaging News with the firm’s permission. Contact information is included at the end of the newsletter.

REMINDER: Form 499-A Due April 1

Form 499-A must be filed each year by all contributors to the Universal Service Fund (USF) support mechanisms, the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund, the cost recovery mechanism for the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA), and the shared costs of local number portability (LNP). Contributors include every telecommunications carrier that provides interstate, intrastate, and international telecommunications, and certain other entities that provide interstate telecommunications for a fee. This includes wireline and wireless services. See details under “Deadlines”. Even common carriers that qualify for the de minimis ex-emption must file Form 499-A. Entities whose universal service contributions will be less than $10,000 qualify for the de minimis exemption.

Each carrier also must designate an agent in the District of Columbia upon whom all notices, process, orders, and decisions by the FCC may be served on behalf of that carrier in proceedings before the FCC. Carriers receiving this newsletter may specify our law firm as their D.C. agent for service of process using the information in our masthead. There is no charge for this service.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer.

Headlines

FCC Waives Cost Surrogate Requirements Again

On March 20, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau issued a Second Cost Surrogate Waiver Order, in which the Bureau, on its own motion, temporarily waived (for the second time) the requirements to use the cost surrogate method contained in sections 69.311 and 69.416 of the FCC’s rules. This limited waiver will apply in circumstances in which subtraction of surrogate Consumer Broadband-Only Loop (CBOL) costs from a carrier’s Special Access category would result in the need to reduce special access rates other than broadband transmission rates associated with provision of retail broadband Internet access service. In such cases, the carrier instead may limit the costs subtracted from the Special Access category to the amount only affecting those broadband transmission rates, pending further consideration of the surrogate cost rules. As a condition of this waiver, however, carriers selecting this option must limit their CBOL revenue requirement reported to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) for CAF BLS purposes to this amount.

The FCC’s rationale for waiving the cost surrogate requirements for the second time is the same as for the first such waiver. Specifically, the FCC recognized that, in some cases, the surrogate cost method results in an unreasonable allocation of costs from the Special Access category to the new CBOL category. Application of the method in these circumstances would have reduced special access rates more than intended and would have increased the CBOL revenue requirement. In the worst case scenario, the costs being shifted would have reduced the special access revenue requirement to zero.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Mary Sisak.

FCC Proposes to Extend Jurisdictional Freeze

On March 20, the FCC released a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in which it proposed a further eighteen month extension of the freeze of jurisdictional separations category relationships and cost allocation factors for rate-of-return incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) while the FCC continues to work with the Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations (Joint Board) to overhaul the separations rules. The FCC proposes to direct rate-of-return ILECs to continue to use the same frozen jurisdictional allocation factors, and the same frozen category relationships if they had opted previously to freeze those relationships.

According to the FCC, the policy changes adopted in recent years, particularly those arising from the USF/ICC Transformation Order and from recent changes to the Part 32 accounting rules, will significantly affect the FCC’s and the Joint Board’s analysis of interim and comprehensive separations reform. Extending the freeze for eighteen months will allow the Joint Board sufficient time to consider the impact of those recent reforms on the separations rules and will allow the FCC the opportunity to fashion a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that “benefits from the Joint Board’s consideration of how best to approach separations reform.”

In 2001, the FCC froze, on an interim basis, the Part 36 jurisdictional separation rules for a five-year period beginning July 1, 2001. Over time, the FCC has repeatedly extended the freeze, which is currently set to expire on June 30, 2017.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Mary Sisak.

2017 Access Charge Tariff and Tariff Review Plan Filing Procedures Established

On March 16, the FCC issued an Order establishing procedures for the 2017 filing of annual access charge tariffs and Tariff Review Plans (TRPs) for incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) subject to price cap regulation, as well as rate-of-return incumbent LECs subject to sections 61.38 and 61.39 of the FCC’s rules.

The Order (1) sets an effective date of July 1, 2017, for the July 2017 annual access charge tariff filings made on 15 days’ notice; (2) sets a modified effective date of July 3, 2017, for the July 2017 annual access charge tariff filings made on 7 days’ notice; (3) establishes the dates for filing petitions to suspend or reject an incumbent LEC tariff filing and replies to such petitions; and (4) addresses service of the petitions and replies. This Order also establishes May 17, 2017 as the date that price cap incumbent LECs must file short form TRPs.

The deadlines for this year’s filings are as follows:

Carriers with questions about the tariff filing requirements should contact the firm for more information.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy and Mary Sisak.

Version 3.0 of Network Outage Reporting System Released

On March 22, the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau announced the rollout of Version 3.0 of the Network Outage Reporting System (NORS). According to the Public Notice, NORS Version 3.0 improvements “will enhance the overall security and reliability of NORS and allow future evolutions to better support new analytic methods.” The new version of NORS has four interfaces:

1. a web-based interface,
2. a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Application Programming Interface (API),
3. a Representational State Transfer (REST) API and
4. an Extensible Markup Language (XML) interface. The SOAP API, REST API and the XML interfaces are intended for use by companies that want to automatically file outage reports.

The production rollout of NORS 3.0 occurred on March 6, 2017. User IDs were created on NORS 3.0 for all current users of NORS. An e-mail was sent to each user on March 6, 2017, informing them of how to get a new password and log on to NORS 3.0. Please make sure you received this email and established a new password.

At 1:00 pm on March 6, 2017, NORS 3.0 opened to receive official NORS filings. At that time, NORS 2.0 was closed down so that all official filings going forward will be filed using NORS 3.0. For users without existing NORS accounts, there is a webpage that describes the process for getting a user account and instructions for filing a NORS report: https://www.fcc.gov/network-outage-reporting-system-nors.

Carriers with questions about NORS 3.0 should contact the firm for more information.

BloostonLaw Contact: Cary Mitchell.

Law & Regulation

FCC To Hold Open Meeting on March 23

On March 16, the FCC announced the official agenda for tomorrow’s Open Commission Meeting. Items for consideration will include:

• Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls — a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry that would enable voice service providers to better protect subscribers from illegal and fraudulent robocalls. (CG Docket No. 17-59)
• Promoting Technological Solutions to Combat Contraband Wireless Device Use in Correctional Facilities — a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would adopt rules to facilitate the deployment of technologies used to combat contraband wireless devices in correctional facilities, while seeking comment on additional proposals and solutions. (GN Docket No. 13-111)
• Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Video Relay Service — a Report and Order, Notice of Inquiry, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Order that would enhance service quality and propose a new provider compensation plan for video relay services. (CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123)
• Cellular Service Reform — a Second Report and Order, Report and Order, and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would facilitate mobile broadband deployment, including LTE, promote greater spectrum efficiency, and reduce regulatory burdens and costs. (WT Docket Nos. 12-40, 10-112, 16-138)
• Part 43 Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International Services — a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to (1) eliminate the Traffic and Revenue Reports and (2) streamline the Circuit Capacity Reports. (IB Docket Nos. 17-55 and 16-131)
• Channel Sharing by Stations Outside the Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction Context — a Report and Order that would authorize channel sharing outside the context of the incentive auction and thus permit stations with auction-related channel sharing agreements to continue to operate if their auction-related agreements expire or otherwise terminate. (GN Docket No. 12-268; MB Docket No. 03-185; MB Docket No. 15-137).

The FCC will also receive an update from the Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau on the status of its continuing inquiry into the AT&T Mobility 911 outage that occurred on March 8, 2017.

As always, the FCC’s Open Meeting will be webcast live at www.fcc.gov/live at the time noted above.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Gerry Duffy.

Senate On The Verge of Broadband Privacy Repeal Vote

Multiple news sources are reporting that the Senate may vote as early as today, March 22, on Sen. Jeff Flake’s (R-AZ) resolution to rescind the FCC’s Broadband Privacy Order. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the simply-worded resolution operates under the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to eliminate agency rules with a simple majority vote.

“That’s being whipped as we speak, and we’ll see,” Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said when asked if proponents have enough votes to pass the resolution. “I would expect in the end that it will, but at the moment right now, I think we’re doing that assessment.” Flake's resolution has 21 Republican co-sponsors, including Sens. John Barrasso (Wyo.), Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Shelly Moore Capito (W.Va.).

The FCC also temporarily blocked the rules adopted in the Broadband Privacy Order from going into effect on March 2 until the FCC is able to act on Petitions for Reconsideration thereof.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Sal Taillefer.

Senators Introduce Broadband Measurement Legislation

On March 15, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), co-chairs of the Senate Broadband Caucus, introduced bipartisan legislation designed to measure the economic impact of broadband on the U.S. economy. Other original cosponsors of the bill include Senators Angus King (I-ME), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and John Boozman (R-AR), who are the other co-chairs of the Senate Broadband Caucus, and Senators Al Franken (D-MN) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK), both members of the Senate Broadband Caucus.

Specifically, the Measuring the Economic Impact of Broadband Act would require the Bureau of Economic Analysis to conduct a study of the effects of broadband deployment and adoption on the U.S. economy. In conducting this analysis, the Secretary will consider job creation, business headcount, online commerce, income, education and distance learning, telehealth, telework, agriculture, population growth, population density, broadband speed, and geography. The Secretary may consult representatives of business, including rural and urban internet service providers and telecommunications infrastructure providers; state, local, and Tribal government agencies; and consumer and community organizations.

“Broadband is a great equalizing force for creating jobs, leveling the playing field, and increasing opportunity,” Klobuchar said. “This legislation will provide the data needed to measure the benefits of broadband accessibility and the importance of investing in critical broadband infrastructure,” Capito said.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens and Sal Taillefer.

AM Rebroadcasting Rule Changes Effective April 10

On March 16, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued a Public Notice announcing that the effective date for the AM Revitalization Second R&O is April 10, 2017. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the FCC amended the rule governing site locations where FM translators can rebroadcast AM stations.

Specifically, under the old rule, an AM station could place a rebroadcasting FM translator either within its daytime service contour or within a 25-mile radius of its transmitter, whichever distance was less. The new rule allows the rebroadcasting FM translator to be located anywhere within the AM station’s daytime service contour or anywhere within a 25-mile radius of the transmitter, even if the contour extends farther than 25 miles from the transmitter.

BloostonLaw Contacts: John Prendergast.

Industry

Court Rules in Favor of First Net in Rivada Mercury Suit; Deployment Could Begin in June

On March 17, U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Elaine Kaplan, on March 17, denied Rivada Network's protest motion to compete with AT&T for the 25-year, $6.5 billion nationwide public safety broadband network contract. That contract will most likely go to AT&T, as it is the sole remaining bidder.

On October 17, 2016, two of the RFP bidders — Rivada Mercury and pdvWireless — were informed by the U.S. government that their proposals had been eliminated from consideration. On November 21, 2016, Rivada Mercury filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals of Federal Claims over what Rivada said is the illegal and wrongful exclusion of the consortium from the FirstNet procurement process.

“We are pleased with the Court's decision. This is a positive development for FirstNet and the public safety community," said FirstNet CEO Mike Poth in a statement on the decision late on March 17. "FirstNet intends to move expeditiously to finalize the contract for the nationwide public safety broadband network."

According to a report from IWCE’s Urgent Communications, the division charged with leading the bidding efforts, Rivada Networks plans on pursuing state radio access network (RAN) contracts moving forward.
“We regret the decision, but it won't stop us from offering our superior solution to the states,” Rivada Networks co-CEO Declan Ganley said in a statement provided to the publication.

“Based on our discussions with the carrier, we think an April award of the contract could enable AT&T to start its deployment process as early as June,” Amir Rozwadowski of Barclays wrote in a research note. “A clear path towards the FirstNet award should unlock new spectrum deployment plans at AT&T. While the operator has been vocal on its opposition to current tower escalator structures for some time, we expect the deployment of close to 65 MHz of spectrum to support a constructive near to mid-term spending backdrop for the towers and CommScope’s domestic wireless business.”

Deadlines

MARCH 24: FCC FORM 477, LOCAL COMPETITION & BROADBAND REPORTING FORM. This annual form is due March 1 and September 1 annually. The FCC requires facilities-based wired, terrestrial fixed wireless, and satellite broadband service providers to report on FCC Form 477 the number of broadband subscribers they have in each census tract they serve. The Census Bureau changed the boundaries of some census tracts as part of the 2010 Census.

Specifically, three types of entities must file this form:

1. Facilities-based Providers of Broadband Connections to End User Locations: Entities that are facilities-based providers of broadband connections — which are wired “lines” or wireless “channels” that enable the end user to receive information from and/or send information to the Internet at information transfer rates exceeding 200 kbps in at least one direction — must complete and file the applicable portions of this form for each state in which the entity provides one or more such connections to end user locations. For the purposes of Form 477, an entity is a “facilities-based” provider of broadband connections to end user locations if it owns the portion of the physical facility that terminates at the end user location, if it obtains unbundled network elements (UNEs), special access lines, or other leased facilities that terminate at the end user location and provisions/equips them as broadband, or if it provisions/equips a broadband wireless channel to the end user location over licensed or unlicensed spectrum. Such entities include incumbent and competitive local exchange carriers (LECs), cable system operators, fixed wireless service providers (including “wireless ISPs”), terrestrial and satellite mobile wireless service providers, BRS providers, electric utilities, municipalities, and other entities. (Such entities do not include equipment suppliers unless the equipment supplier uses the equipment to provision a broadband connection that it offers to the public for sale. Such entities also do not include providers of fixed wireless services (e.g., “Wi-Fi” and other wireless ethernet, or wireless local area network, applications) that only enable local distribution and sharing of a premises broadband facility.)
2. Providers of Wired or Fixed Wireless Local Telephone Services: Incumbent and competitive LECs must complete and file the applicable portions of the form for each state in which they provide local exchange service to one or more end user customers (which may include “dial-up” ISPs).
3. Providers of Mobile Telephony Services: Facilities-based providers of mobile telephony services must complete and file the applicable portions of this form for each state in which they serve one or more mobile telephony subscribers. A mobile telephony service is a real-time, two-way switched voice service that is interconnected with the public switched network using an in-network switching facility that enables the provider to reuse frequencies and accomplish seamless handoff of subscriber calls. A mobile telephony service provider is considered “facilities-based” if it serves a subscriber using spectrum for which the entity holds a license that it manages, or for which it has obtained the right to use via lease or other arrangement with a Band Manager.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Mary Sisak.

MARCH 31: INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT CAPACITY REPORT. No later than March 31, all U.S. international carriers that owned or leased bare capacity on a submarine cable between the United States and any foreign point on December 31, 2016 and any person or entity that held a submarine cable landing license on December 31, 2016 must file a Circuit Capacity Report to provide information about the submarine cable capacity it holds. Additionally, cable landing licensees must file information on the Circuit Capacity Report about the amount of available and planned capacity on the submarine cable for which they have a license. Any U.S. International Carrier that owned or leased bare capacity on a terrestrial or satellite facility as of December 31, 2016 must file a Circuit Capacity Report showing its active common carrier circuits for the provision of service to an end-user or resale carrier, including active circuits used by itself or its affiliates. Any satellite licensee that is not a U.S. International Carrier and that owns circuits between the United States and any foreign point as of December 31, 2016 of the reporting period must file a Circuit Capacity Report showing its active circuits sold or leased to any customer, including itself or its affiliates, other than a carrier authorized by the FCC to provide U.S. international common carrier services.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy.

APRIL 1: FCC FORM 499-A, TELECOMMUNICATIONS REPORTING WORKSHEET. This form must be filed by all contributors to the Universal Service Fund (USF) sup-port mechanisms, the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund, the cost recovery mechanism for the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA), and the shared costs of local number portability (LNP). Contributors include every telecommunications carrier that provides interstate, intrastate, and international telecommunications, and certain other entities that provide interstate telecommunications for a fee. Even common carriers that qualify for the de minimis ex-emption must file Form 499-A. Entities whose universal service contributions will be less than $10,000 qualify for the de minimis exemption. De minimis entities do not have to file the quarterly report (FCC Form 499-Q), which was due February 1, and will again be due May 1. Form 499-Q relates to universal and LNP mechanisms. Form 499-A relates to all of these mechanisms and, hence, applies to all providers of interstate, intrastate, and international telecommunications services.

Form 499-A contains revenue information for January 1 through December 31 of the prior calendar year. And Form 499-Q contains revenue information from the prior quarter plus projections for the next quarter. (Note: the revised 499-A and 499-Q forms are now available.) Block 2-B of the Form 499-A requires each carrier to designate an agent in the District of Columbia upon whom all notices, process, orders, and decisions by the FCC may be served on behalf of that carrier in proceedings before the FCC. Carriers receiving this newsletter may specify our law firm as their D.C. agent for service of process using the information in our masthead. There is no charge for this service.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Hal Mordkofsky, Ben Dickens, and Gerry Duffy.

APRIL 1: ANNUAL ACCESS TO ADVANCED SERVICES CERTIFICATION. All providers of telecommunications services and telecommunications carriers subject to Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act are required to file with the FCC an annual certification that

1. states the company has procedures in place to meet the recordkeeping requirements of Part 14 of the Rules;
2. states that the company has in fact kept records for the previous calendar year;
3. contains contact information for the individual or individuals handling customer complaints under Part 14;
4. contains contact information for the company’s designated agent; and
5. is supported by an affidavit or declaration under penalty of perjury signed by an officer of the company.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy, Mary Sisak, Sal Taillefer.

MAY 31: FCC FORM 395, EMPLOYMENT REPORT. Common carriers, including wireless carriers, with 16 or more full-time employees must file their annual Common Carrier Employment Reports (FCC Form 395) by May 31. This report tracks carrier compliance with rules requiring recruitment of minority employees. Further, the FCC requires all common carriers to report any employment discrimination complaints they received during the past year. That information is also due on May 31.

The FCC encourages carriers to complete the discrimination report requirement by filling out Section V of Form 395, rather than submitting a separate report. Clients who would like assistance in filing Form 395 should contact Richard Rubino.

BloostonLaw Contacts: Gerry Duffy and Sal Taillefer.

Calendar At-A-Glance

March
Mar. 24 – FCC Form 477 (Local Competition & Broadband Reporting) is due.
Mar. 27 – Reply comments are due on TCPA “Prior Express Consent” Declaratory Ruling.
Mar. 28 – Reply comments are due on TCPA Revocation of Consent Petition.
Mar. 31 – FCC Form 525 (Delayed Phasedown CETC Line Counts) is due.
Mar. 31 – FCC Form 508 (ICLS Projected Annual Common Line Requirement) is due.
Mar. 31 – International Circuit Capacity Report is due.

April
Apr. 1 – FCC Form 499-A (Annual Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet) is due.
Apr. 1 – Annual Accessibility Certification is due.
Apr. 12 – Comments are due on Mobility Fund Phase II FNPRM.
Apr. 27 – Reply comments are due on Mobility Fund Phase II FNPRM.

May
May 1 – FCC Form 499-Q (Quarterly Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet) is due.
May 4 – Comments on Regulatory Flexibility Act Rule Review and Elimination Proceeding are due.
May 17 – Short Form Tariff Review Plans are due.
May 31 – FCC Form 395 (Annual Employment Report) is due.
May 31 – Comments on Short Form Tariff Review Plans are due.

June
Jun. 7 – Reply comments on Short Form Tariff Review Plans are due.
Jun. 16 – 15-Day Tariff Filings are due.
Jun. 23 – Petitions regarding 15-Day Tariff Filings are due.
Jun. 26 – 7-Day Tariff Filings are due.
Jun. 27 – Replies to Petitions regarding 15-Day Tariff Filings are due.
Jun. 29 – Petitions regarding 7-Day Tariff Filings are due (NOON EST).
Jun. 30 – Replies to Petitions regarding 7-Day Tariff Filings are due (NOON EST)

This newsletter is not intended to provide legal advice. Those interested in more information should contact the firm.

— CONTACTS —

Harold Mordkofsky, 202-828-5520, hma@bloostonlaw.com
Benjamin H. Dickens, Jr., 202-828-5510, bhd@bloostonlaw.com
Gerard J. Duffy, 202-828-5528, gjd@bloostonlaw.com
John A. Prendergast, 202-828-5540, jap@bloostonlaw.com
Richard D. Rubino, 202-828-5519, rdr@bloostonlaw.com
Mary J. Sisak, 202-828-5554, mjs@bloostonlaw.com
D. Cary Mitchell, 202-828-5538, cary@bloostonlaw.com
Salvatore Taillefer, Jr., 202-828-5562, sta@bloostonlaw.com

Amateur Radio Gains a Champion in FAA Tower Safety Rules Controversy

The owners of certain Amateur Radio towers have a friend in FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly, who feels that tower-marking provisions required under the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016, now Public Law 114-190, "could use tweaks." In a March 10 blog post, O'Rielly expressed his belief that thousands of tower owners in the US could face expensive, unnecessary retrofits resulting from the law's unintended consequences. The new FAA law would impose additional marking requirements for a small number of Amateur Radio towers, however. O'Rielly said §2110 — the section of the new law that requires improved physical markings and/or lighting on towers of between 50 and 200 feet — is too broad.

FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly.

O'Rielly said that §2110 appears intended to address dangers to small, low-flying aircraft, such as crop dusters, from temporary meteorological testing towers (METs), among others, but that if implemented literally, "the provision will force expensive retrofits to potentially 50,000 existing towers," including cell and broadcast station towers and all new towers meeting the law's broad definition, "all with little gain to air safety," he said.

The law instructs the FAA to enact rules similar to state-level statutes now in place that are aimed at improving aircraft safety in the vicinity of METs set up in rural areas. In the wake of fatal crop dusting aircraft collisions with METs, often erected on short notice, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended in 2013 that states enact laws — sometimes called "crop duster" statutes — requiring marking and registration of METs.

"Mandating new marking and/or lighting burdens for certain temporary aerial towers to aid agricultural pilots is a laudable goal," O'Rielly commented. "However, the new statutory provision may have been drafted broader than intended and, as a result, it unnecessarily captures permanent communications towers that have little overall impact on agricultural air safety."

A marked meteorological testing tower (MET).

While some state crop duster laws have exempted Amateur Radio towers, the federal legislation does not. ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, has said, however, that the list of exemptions in the federal legislation restricts the application of the new rules to a very small subset of Amateur Radio towers. ARRL hopes to meet with FAA officials to discuss the issue.

Although O'Rielly did not mention Amateur Radio towers as a concern, he did allow that a small legislative fix to exempt certain towers or to require the FAA administrator to do so "would be appropriate."

Brad Dye, Ron Mercer, Allan Angus, Vic Jackson, and Ira Wiesenfeld are friends and colleagues who work both together and independently, on wireline and wireless communications projects.

Click here for a summary of their qualifications and experience. Each one has unique abilities. We would be happy to help you with a project, and maybe save you some time and money.

Note: We do not like Patent Trolls, i.e. “a person or company who enforces patent rights against accused infringers in an attempt to collect licensing fees, but does not manufacture products or supply services based upon the patents in question.” We have helped some prominent law firms defend their clients against this annoyance, and would be happy to do some more of this same kind of work.

Some people use the title “consultant” when they don't have a real job. We actually do consulting work, and help others based on our many years of experience.

---

“If you would know the road ahead, ask someone who has traveled it.”
— Chinese Proverb

Wireless Network Planners
Wireless Specialists

R.H. (Ron) Mercer Consultant 217 First Street East Northport, NY 11731
Telephone: 631-786-9359
www.wirelessplanners.com
wirelessplannerron@gmail.com

Almost
“Is Paging Going Away?” by Jim Nelson Click here for English. Click here for German. (Berlin Revision: November 8, 2016) Click here for French. Volunteers needed for translations into other languages.

Procrastination

“Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.”

— Napoleon Hill

• Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay • Playing For Change^© •
• With lyrics • Legendado HD •

Today our heroes and soul brothers, Roger Ridley and Grandpa Elliott, return for a new song around the world, “Sitting on the dock of the bay,” featured on our new PFC 2 album. I once asked Roger why with such a powerful voice like his he was singing on the streets, he replied, “I am in the joy business, I come out here to be with the people.” Roger and Grandpa have brought so much joy to the life of millions and today we are blessed to see them reunited again. We all shine on and Roger's light is as bright as the sun!!