| ISSUE | DATE | NEWSLETTER TOPICS |
| 146 | December 31, 2004 | FCC's recent order to promote migration to narrowband (12.5 kHz) technology in the private land mobile radio (PLMR) services (called Refarming). 2004 Newsletter topic index. Steve Jobs: Sunday Times Business Person of 2004. |
| 145 | December 25, 2004 | Christmas Card. |
| 144 | December 24, 2004 | RIM revenues rise. Space Data Applauds FCC Decision To Bring Competitive Wireless Services To Airline Passengers. Phones in flight: The story is data, not chatter. Rumor Mill: Will T-Mobile bid for Nextel? Survey from Boone Cellular Companions (BCC). TAPS—Texas Association of Paging Services looking for network partners. VoIP: A New Day Is Dawning. Too Soon For WiMAX, IDC Says. Support for WiMax spec heating up. |
| 143 | December 17, 2004 | More on Payment Guardian. USA Mobility Names Thomas L. Schilling Chief Financial Officer. Sprint to buy Nextel in $36 billion deal. Appeals court: RIM violated patents. FCC OK's wireless Net access on flights. Clarification/correction on pager intrinsically safe approvals. Semiconductor Breakthrough: Processor 24 times faster. Toshiba claims hard drive storage record. Wi-Fi network could become nation's largest. |
| 142 | December 10, 2004 | Introduction of Payment Guardian, a wireless starter-interrupt system for the "buy here, pay here" car/truck market. Mobile phone users double since 2000. Nokia: 2 billion cell phone users by 2006. New high-resolution camera. Congress passes E911 bill. Real Telecom hopes to thrive by renovating pager services, shifting focus. Nextel-Sprint would top business market in wireless. Wireless network (Siemens) smashes world speed record. Hackers target wireless systems. Wi-Fi for everyone? Not so fast. |
| 141 | December 3, 2004 | Special report on the use of pagers in hazardous atmospheres, and the meaning of "intrinsically safe." Singapore Airlines and Connexion by Boeing finalize plans for high-speed, in-flight connectivity. Cell phone towers in camouflage. Canadians are finally getting a taste of Apple's iTunes. Philly & Verizon strike agreement on city's wireless plans. |
| 140 | November 26, 2004 | Mobile e-mail still untapped, Yankee says. Motorola A630 on T-Mobile USA. After AT&T merger, Cingular Wireless expects to cut 6,800 jobs. Survey: Some iPod fans dump PCs for Macs. SBC puts wireless spots in Barnes & Noble. Broadcom chipsets expand Wi-Fi coverage areas. WiMax hype, 802.11 reality. |
| 139 | November 19, 2004 | Arch/Metrocall merger completed. New name: USA Mobility, Inc. New summary of their UIS (units in service) this year. BlackBerry® subscribers pass two million mark. Bluetooth to triple in speed by next year. Nextel eyes $1B network saving. |
| 138 | November 12, 2004 | Special reports on the AAPC conference and a visit to Space Data Corp in Phoenix, Arizona (with lots of photos). Unication acquired the rights to the PerComm e80 two-way pager and the OMNIDATA™ OEM ReFLEX telemetry module. More reports on the pending Arch/Metrocall merger. FCC VoIP Ruling Foreshadows Changes. Leap boosts content with IM, Spanish services. Novel approach to tracking shows its accuracy. Rogers Wireless details executive shuffle following Microcell buy. |
| 137 | November 1, 2004 | Several updates on pending Arch/Metrocall merger. A politically incorrect cartoon about paging network rationalization: "The Fable of the Farmer's Son with an MBA." Lots of reader comments on the pending merger. Space Data Corporation invites the AAPC to an open house and cocktail reception. Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless merge. Intel, Clearwire pair for WiMAX. |
| 136 | October 29, 2004 | FCC and the DOJ conditionally approve the Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless merger. Microsoft SPOT wristwatches finally hit the shelves. Motorola wins long-standing suit against the Uzan family of Turkey. SkyTel and Velocita (formerly Cingular Interactive) both announce encrypted text messaging devices. "Certified" Wi-Fi Capable PDA/Cell Phones (and other products) announced. Big Shake Up in Store for WiMax in 2005. San Francisco aims for free citywide Wi-Fi. Clearwire (Craig McCaw) partners with Intel on WiMAX networks. Background report on the Arch/Metrocall merger. Space Data launches data services across south-central U.S. MCI [SkyTel] messaging solution meets classified security requirements. |
| 135 | October 22, 2004 | Churches installing cell phone jammers. RIM intros souped-Up BlackBerry® for mobile enterprise. AFA [flight attendants] supports recommendations for portable electronic devices. US Public Subscriber Paging Market Report. When Wi-Fi Will Drive. NETGEAR, Flarion team on wireless data nets. |
| 134 | October 15, 2004 | Report: the historic "Carterfone decision" made many interconnect devices that we take for granted today possible. Broadband over power line approved despite interference concerns. Multitone announces launch of US reseller program. WiMAX will bridge digital divide: Intel. |
| 133 | October 8, 2004 | More on AT&T Wireless' "Ogo" two-way text messaging device. Google launches mobile messaging service. Metrocall & Arch schedule special meetings of stockholders to vote on proposed merger. Nighthawk Systems ships units to Alabama power supplier. Searching on the Run with wireless PDAs & Blackberry®. Patent landrush threatens Wi-Fi standards. |
| 132 | October 1, 2004 | "Fully Interoperable First Responder Alerting System Based on ReFLEX Two-Way Messaging Technology" by Barry Kanne Founder and President TGA Technologies. Ron Mercer responds to comments about his whitepaper. More lively discussion on the pros and cons of one-way pager encryption. Reprint of newspaper report on SkyTel Paging. AT&T releases the Ogo, a dedicated messaging device. America Online launches Mobile Developer program. Smart Dust: tiny sensors that can track anything. |
| 131 | September 24, 2004 | Whitepaper from Ron Mercer on encrypting one-way paging messages: "Caution Dangerous Curve Ahead!" Special report on Claude Shannon, Bell Labs scientist and pioneer of digital theory. Wherify Wireless closes $3 million round of series C funding. Trouble in the GSM network [coverage]. Wireless carriers leave many callers in dead zone. |
| 130 | September 17, 2004 | AT&T Wireless preps new IM device, service [looks like a 2-way pager]. Music Phones—Nokia & Motorola stake early lead in reach beyond imaging. FCC blasted for alleged secret Nextel negotiations. Certicom launches comprehensive security platform for mobile handset development. Report on the status of Paging in India. FCC Report to Congress on broadband deployment. Emerging Broadband Networks: The Case for WiMAX. UT Dallas' controversial move raises WiFi regulatory issues. |
| 129 | September 10, 2004 | ITU Report Foresees Wire-free Future. Powell: Congress should make 800 MHz plan law. For BlackBerry Users, a New Way to Write. PCIA's Kitchen Announces Retirement. Asia leading way in global telecom development. FCC reports to US Congress: "Sate of Competition in the Wireless Industry." Intel's Rosedale chip brings WiMax closer. Cellular-to-WLAN Roaming Specification Published. |
| 128 | September 3, 2004 | Nortel grants interop. approval to Glenayre’s messaging product. Mobile phone sales soar to record levels. Ericsson Pulls Bluetooth. New Optical Clock Promises More Accuracy than Cesium. Cingular Wireless is Prepared for Hurricane Frances. Apple unveils 'skinny' iMac G5. Philadelphia is at forefront of wireless for all. |
| 127 | August 27, 2004 | Joke: "Paging Lucille." News: Wherify A-GPS Locator Phone. FCC holds some satellite operators outage-accountable. AT&T, AT&T Wireless end dispute, change brand pact. Exclusive report from Vic Jackson: "Intercarrier Compensation Forum." FCC is auditing all paging licenses. Intel's Centrino connects with all Wi-Fi standards. |
| 126 | August 20, 2004 | AT&T Wireless gets into "Paging." Bill Clody passed away. Brian Gilmore comments on AT&T Wireless service offerings. John Muleta, Chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, has announced that Scott D. Delacourt will become a Deputy Bureau Chief. Intel group pitches broadband WLAN, opposes WWise. |
| 125 | August 13, 2004 | Doug Richardson, respected Canadian Paging pioneer passed away at age 83. More thoughts on the RIM/ReFLEX comparison. Valuable comments from Curtis Rock on the status of the Paging Industry. 128/256-bit AES encrypted pager described— may become available in the future. SBC Foundation gives $1 million grant to Amber Alert Network to improve technology to find missing children. |
| 124 | August 6, 2004 | Bob Spargo passed away. Mobile phone restrictions in hospitals were outdated and unnecessary, new research claims. Mobile Phone Use In Hospitals: Balance, Not Bans. Kim Spitznagel comments on Jim Page's letter. Jay Moskowitz adds some valuable insight on wireless messaging. FCC takes action to protect wireless subscribers from spam. Cellphone antennas now on light poles and signs. |
| 123 | July 30, 2004 | Brooks Marsden joined GTES. Satellite Security Systems (S3) technology protects thousands of school children. Verizon Communications reports: "Wireless data is now a billion-dollar industry." Several reader comments on Jim Page's letter. Vaughan Bowden explains his company: "Easy Solutions." Aether sells transportation division. New Wi-Fi cell phone unveiled by Motorola. |
| 122 | July 23, 2004 | Jim Page takes up the recurring thread of discussion about why RIM has been successful in certain market areas where ReFLEX has not. A tribute to R. Buckminster Fuller. A GPS tracking device for dogs. Amber Alerts branch out to e-mail, cellphones in Texas. SBC expands Wi-Fi access with Sprint, Telmex. |
| 121 | July 16, 2004 | Multitone/Zetron press release. MCI awarded $125 million contract with HP. New Love for an Old Gadget (pagers). More about PerComm's demise. Attorney comments about FCC's new interconnect ruling. CoolSentry™ is Comverge's brand for its residential and small commercial load control [electrical load shedding] programs [using Paging technology]. |
| 120 | July 9, 2004 | PerComm Technologies (ReFLEX device manufacturer) disappears. US Congress runs into VoIP divide. 800 MHz decision goes Nextel's way. Vic Jackson comments on the new "all or nothing" rule: the wireless/CLEC carrier can only choose to adopt a whole agreement (all of the provisions as a package) that the LEC made with another carrier. |
| 119 | July 2, 2004 | Brian Gilmore receives ATSI President's award. RIM shares gain 14%. Motorola premieres camera phone at New York event. Physician/reader comments on poor Paging-customer service. AAPC membership list. |
| 118 | June 25, 2004 | Comdex trade show gets cancelled for 2004. New objections to F.C.C. deal with Nextel over spectrum. Cell phone text message could be anti-crime tool. State of Arizona expands Amber Alert distribution to public. Guest editorial from Ron Mercer on inevitable change. Nextel extends international walkie-talkie service into Mexico. |
| 117 | June 18, 2004 | Brian Gilmore receives president’s award. Exclusive article: "Wireless Directory Assistance" by Vic Jackson. Feature article by David Balsick, Mountain Communications: "The Quest To Tame Quest." Intel, Proxim Team For WiMAX. |
| 116 | June 11 , 2004 | Bruce Deer promoted to be President of SkyTel Paging. Report on SCA Paging Conference held in Myrtle Beach, SC. Contest Over BlackBerry® patent. Hyatt Hotels to offer T-Mobile Wi-Fi access. |
| 115 | May 28, 2004 | Introducing SkyTel FleetHawksm fleet location, tracking, and management system from SkyTel. AT&T Wireless, Fox's 'American Idol’ set world records in text messaging. Monroe County [Ohio] board OKs new paging system. U.K. group buys Ericsson's Mobitex division. |
| 114 | May 21, 2004 | Correction to First quarter 2004 loss in US public paging subscribers Arch and Metrocall. Some numbers were transposed. |
| 113 | May 21, 2004 | First quarter 2004 loss in US public paging subscribers Arch and Metrocall. Doug Ayerst leaves Paging at Motorola. More on the Paging Family Tree. Deep Six for Six Sigma? Wi-Fi' access provider Cometa shutting down. Cautions on possible interference in hospital Wi-Fi, cell phone, and telemetry systems. |
| 112 | May 14, 2004 | Metrocall Q1 financial report. Arch Q1 operating results. More on the Paging Family Tree. ITA, AMTA to coordinate paging, special-emergency frequencies. |
| 111 | May 7, 2004 | More on the Paging Family Tree. Minilec signs expanded North American service agreement with Motorola. Reader comment and editorial on business ethics and executive compensation. Report: Expect 50 Million Dual-Mode Wi-Fi Handsets by 2009. |
| 110 | April 30, 2004 | Nortel board fired their CEO, CFO, and Controller. Editorial comments on business ethics. Special report from Vic Jackson: "Paging: Not Dead Yet!" More on Paging Family Tree. Aerial photo of the site of the former Motorola pager factory. |
| 109 | April 23, 2004 | WorldCom emerged from bankruptcy as MCI. Chronology—MCI events from 1983 to present. More on the Paging Family Tree. Special report from Ron Mercer with suggestions for a simplified pager encryption technique. More photos of the demolition of the former Motorola pager factory. |
| 108 | April 16, 2004 | Discussion started on "Why is RIM succeeding in markets where the ReFLEX devices are not?" Report: "Homeland Security—Practical Suggestions." First in a series on the: "Paging Family Tree." Photos of the demolition of the former Motorola pager factory and Paging headquarters in Boynton Beach, Florida. |
| 107 | April 9, 2004 | Spotlight on Hark Systems ISI-LX device that can connect two serial ports together over the Internet. Arch Wireless honored with Best Performance in Public Markets Award. RIM Q4 report. "NOSTALGIA" section about the "good old days" of radio. |
| 106 | April 2, 2004 | Special report on Homeland Security by Dr. Peter Kapsales (this is a "must read" article). SBC Communications to offer Wi-Fi service in thousands of the UPS store locations nationwide. |
| 105 | March 29, 2004 | Special report on the Arch/Metrocall merger. |
| 104 | March 26, 2004 | Special report on the IWCE trade show and conference in Las Vegas (with lots of photos). RXP 2.0 is released (a non-proprietary, inter-system linking protocol for ReFLEX messaging systems). RIM announced a color Blackberry®. |
| 103 | March 19, 2004 | European Professional Alerting of Population (PAP) Launched by Mobile Messaging Operators. More On Metrocall's 4Q Financial Report. A report on the Vocera "Trekkie" Communicator using Wi-Fi. |
| 102 | March 12, 2004 | Down south of the border, Telefónica—Spain's telephone company—bought BellSouth's assets, making them the largest wireless carrier in Latin America. News about Microsoft's attempt to reinvent paging with their SPOT (Smart Personal Object Technology) project. News about Wi-Fi "hot spots." |
| 101 | March 5, 2004 | How to build a New ReFLEX system today with equipment from TGA Technologies, Arch 03Q4 Operating Results, Metrocall Declares Dividend on Preferred Stock, AMD promoted Iain Morris. |
| 100 | February 27, 2004 | A new company, GTES (Global Technical Engineering Solutions) led by Russ Allen with other former Glenayre paging experts will support GL products. More Wireless IM reader comments. New Motorola CEO apparently shocked at their lack of Wireless E-mail. |
| 99 | February 20, 2004 | Follow-up editorial on "Wireless Instant Messaging." Lots of reader responses, pro and con. Cingular signed an agreement to acquire AT&T Wireless. Multitone article: "Private Paging Lives on." |
| 98 | February 13, 2004 | The wireless industry "discovers" push-to-talk and text messaging. Editorial on "Wireless Instant Messaging" that ruffled a few feathers and provoked considerable reader response. Another diatribe on the Harvard-MBA weenies managing who manage some paging companies. |
| 97 | February 6, 2004 | Space Data Corporation received patent for Airborne Constellation, ReFLEX 2.7.3 was released, C-Net controller problem solved, POCSAG implementation problem solved, and BlackBerry® surpassed one-millionth-subscriber milestone. |
| 96 | January 30, 2004 | Motorola announced plans to close the Boynton Beach pager plant by the end of the year. Samsung and RIM announced plans to offer Blackberry®. FCC forces telemarketers to transmit caller ID. |
| 95 | January 23, 2004 | Important report, Big Win for wireless at the DC Court of Appeals, ASAP Paging fights the local Telco. A very interesting article: Remote Monitoring & Control Service Bureau; An End-To-End Solution by Marvin T. Serhan. |
| 94 | January 16, 2004 | TCS completes acquisition of Aether, rumors of a merger or acquisition involving AT&T Wireless and several different suitors, and Wherify unveils new GPS location devices. |
| 93 | January 9, 2004 | Microsoft SPOT wristwatches (FM sub-carrier) announced, Prism Systems International, run by Jim Nelson, announced it acquisition of Prism one-way paging terminal products from TGA Technologies. |
| 92 | January 2, 2004 | Setting goals for the new year, New Year's eve in NYC, WorldCom applies to FCC for permission to transfer licenses to MCI. Steve Jobs—CEO of the year. |
