Dear Friends of Wireless Messaging,

Greetings from Fairfield, Illinois. It's a big deal around here when the little town of Fairfield gets mentioned in the Chicago Tribune. The following article came out recently:

Fracking in Fairfield: National trend in fossil fuel exploration may transform peaceful community to oil boom town

As energy companies snap up leasing rights in Wayne County, some residents are optimistic, but environmentalists are worried

April 15, 2012
By Erin Meyer, Chicago Tribune reporter

FAIRFIELD, Ill. — BMWs, Lincolns and other cars with Louisiana, Texas and Colorado license plates fill so many parking spaces around the Wayne County Courthouse that it's tough for residents to find spots for their pickups.

Two blocks west, lunchtime business at Jemini Coffee House nearly doubles on some days with new customers who are a little secretive.

And fresh phrases are creeping into the local vernacular — vocabulary such as "lease hound" and "modern-day Clampetts," a reference to the hit 1960s TV comedy "The Beverly Hillbillies," about a backwoods family that strikes oil.

Wayne County, a rural locale about 270 miles south of Chicago, is experiencing a land rush thanks to a controversial effort to tap into hard-to-reach oil and gas deposits.

A relatively new twist on a 65-year-old technology, horizontal hydraulic fracturing may enable energy companies to hit pay dirt in southern Illinois. And representatives of those companies — many from the big oil states — are descending on the region, digging through land records at courthouses, then offering leases to farmers and other owners of mineral rights.

As much as $100 million has been spent on leasing rights in the region, according to one industry representative. Wayne County, population 17,000, is the state's hot spot. At least six companies are there acquiring leases.

Amid the excitement and mystery, however, is a measure of anxiety. A regional group is scrambling to muster opposition as state lawmakers rush to stitch together regulations. Looming over Wayne and several other southern Illinois counties is a national debate that, at the extremes, pits the promise of energy independence and economic gain against the specter of environmental catastrophe.

"Nobody knows for sure what's going on with all this," said Jim McGill, owner of Jemini. "It's kind of hard to tell right now what it's going to look like."

Fracking, the common term for freeing oil and natural gas by pumping millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals into rock deep beneath the surface, has been around for decades. The high-pressure injections are administered more than 4,000 feet below ground, fracturing the rock cobweb-style and allowing fossil fuel to be channeled with the sand, water and chemical mix through the well and to the surface.

Crews then extract the oil and gas and dispose of leftover, toxic liquid.

The relatively new wrinkle that raises both hope and concern is horizontal drilling. In the last decade, companies have been drilling vertical wells, then turning that drilling horizontally through the shale layer, fracking for oil and gas along the way.

The technique has led to speculation that enough fossil fuel can be extracted below the surface of the United States to meet the nation's energy needs for decades. It also has frightened and angered environmentalists.

"Once you look at it, you're like, 'Oh my God, this is horrible,'" said Liz Petula, coordinator of Southern-Illinoisans Against Fracturing our Environment, or SAFE, a grass-roots group that has organized opposition in six counties and is working to gain a foothold in Wayne. She called the combination of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling "catastrophic."

[ source ]

People in Fairfield who own BMWs and Lincolns were a little offended at being compared to hillbillies and backwoods country hicks, but those of us who really do drive pickup trucks don't mind. Looks like things have gone full circle. When I was born, 70 years ago (during WWII), this area was experiencing a big oil boom. Maybe it will happen again.

Birthday of Samuel Morse

Samuel Morse, who introduced telegraph communications in the United States, was born 221 years ago today on April 27, 1791 in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

On 24th of May 1844, he famously sent the message "What hath God wrought" (quoting Numbers 23:23) by telegraph from Washington D.C to Baltimore.

The telegraph Morse code used in those days differed in a number of respects from the International Morse code used today and a description of the differences can be found at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Morse_code

Wiki - Samuel F. B. Morse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_F._B._Morse

Wiki - Morse Code
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_Code

[ source ]

Now on to more news and views.

Wireless Messaging News
Location-Based Services Emergency Radio Communications Wireless Messaging Critical Messaging Telemetry Paging WiMAX Wi-Fi VoIP	WIRELESS MESSAGING

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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.

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If you are reading this, your potential customers are probably reading it as well.

Advertiser Index

Please note, Leavitt Communications has reduced the price of up to 1,250 new Bravo 501 900 MHz FLEX numeric-display pagers to $8.00 each. Minimum order, 100 pieces.

Please contact Phil directly if you are interested.

Philip C Leavitt, Manager
Leavitt Communications
7508 N. Red Ledge Drive
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
pcleavitt@leavittcom.com
www.leavittcom.com
Tel: 847-955-0511
Fax: 270-447-1909
Mobile: 847-494-0000
Skype ID: pcleavitt

Partnership Opportunity

Many municipalities provide vehicle parking facilities using “Multi-Space” Payment Kiosks installed a short distance from up to several dozen numerically identified parking spots. Most current Multi-Space Payment Kiosks accept payment via cash or credit card.

Call2Park is a coin-less payment system that can be added to Multi-Space Payment Stations to permit vehicle parking fees to be paid via a simple cell phone call as an alternative to the use of cash, credit cards or tokens. Tens of thousands of these Multi-Space Payment Kiosks are currently operational in major cities and this number is certain to grow exponentially over the next several years.

The designers of the Call2Park system are now seeking partners to share in the opportunity presented by this new application. For more details contact Ron Mercer at WirelessPlannerRon@gmail.com or by telephone at 631-266-2604.

If you are reading this, your potential customers are probably reading it as well.

Mobile phones: 'Still no evidence of harm to health'

26 April 2012 Last updated at 02:17 ET

There is still no evidence mobile phones harm human health, says a major safety review for the UK's Health Protection Agency (HPA).

Scientists looked at hundreds of studies of mobile exposure and found no conclusive links to cancer risk, brain function or infertility.

However, they said monitoring should continue because little was known about long-term effects.

The HPA said children should still avoid excessive use of mobiles.

It is the biggest ever review of the evidence surrounding the safety of mobile phones.

There are now an estimated 80 million mobiles in the UK, and because of TV and radio broadcasting, Wi-Fi, and other technological developments, the study said exposure to low-level radio frequency fields was almost universal and continuous.

A group of experts working for the HPA looked at all significant research into the effects of low-level radio frequency.

'Relatively reassuring'

They concluded that people who were not exposed above UK guideline levels did not experience any detectable symptoms.

That included people who reported being sensitive to radio frequency.

They also said there was no evidence that exposure caused brain tumours, other types of cancer, or harm to fertility or cardiovascular health.

But they said very little was known about risks beyond 15 years, because most people did not use mobile phones until the late 1990s.

Prof Anthony Swerdlow, who chaired the review group, said it was important to continue monitoring research.

"Even though it's relatively reassuring, I also think it's important that we keep an eye on the rates of brain tumours and other cancers," he said.

"One can't know what the long-term consequences are of something that has been around for only a short period."

There has been speculation about the health effects of using mobile phones for years.

The HPA conducted a previous review in 2003, which also concluded that there was no evidence of harm. But there is now far more research into the subject.

Advice on children

The experts said more work was needed on the effect of radio frequency fields on brain activity, and on the possible association with behavioural problems in children.

They also called for more investigation into the effects of new technology which emits radio frequency, such as smart meters in homes and airport security scanners.

The HPA said it was not changing its advice about mobile phone use by children.

"As this is a relatively new technology, the HPA will continue to advise a precautionary approach," said Dr John Cooper, director of the HPA's centre for radiation, chemical and environmental hazards.

"The HPA recommends that excessive use of mobile phones by children should be discouraged."

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• PSSI is ISO certified and has comprehensively integrated robust lean manufacturing processes and systems that enable us to deliver timely and benchmark quality results.
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• PSSI ’s state-of-the-art and proprietary Work-In-Process (WIP) systems, and its Material Planning and Warehouse Management systems, enable PSSI to track discrete units by employee, work center, lot, model, work order, location and process through the entire reverse logistics process. Access to this information can be provided to our customers so that they can track the real-time movement of their products.

Pager and Electronics Repair

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Product Support Services, Inc.
511 South Royal Lane
Coppell, Texas 75019
Phone:
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info@productsupportservices.com
www.productsupportservices.com

Text message prompts ‘improve medicines adherence’

Published on 26/04/12 at 08:00am

Patients with long-term diseases benefit from having text message reminders to take their medication.

This is according to a new review, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Information Association.

It said that electronic reminders such as text messages help patients with chronic conditions take their medication regularly — but warned it only had data for the short-term. Longer-term studies would need to be conducted to review its efficacy over greater periods of time, the authors said.

A key issue for people living with long-term conditions is their ability to stick to their drug schedule, and numerous attempts have been made to come up with an effective solution.

One of the most common reasons patients give for not taking their medicines is that they simply forgot, say the authors.

The review looked at 13 studies, involving patients with HIV infection, high blood pressure, asthma, glaucoma, and those taking the contraceptive pill.

Four studies reported on text messages (SMS); seven on audiovisual reminders provided by hand held devices; and two on pager services.

In all, nine of the studies showed that electronic reminders boosted patients’ ability to stick to their drug dosing schedules. Text messages in particular, but also audiovisual prompts, seemed to get the best results.

Ten of the studies monitored the impact of these reminders on patients for less than six months, and only one of the three studies monitoring patients for longer than this reported a significant impact on adherence rates.

The review’s authors said: “Patients who are adherent at first can become non-adherent over time,” adding that: “automated reminders can become a routine, resulting in habituation.”

Nevertheless, they conclude their findings indicate that electronic reminders do seem to be helpful for patients with long-term conditions in the short-term, and that this approach is both easy for healthcare professionals and patients to adopt.

“Reminders can be used especially to modify the behaviour of [...] patients who are willing to take their medication but who forget it or are inaccurate,” they write.

And they may also provide a solution for those who deliberately don’t take their prescribed medication, “by stressing the importance of the intake in the message,” they suggest.

They also say that advances in technology may offer the possibility of longer-term benefits too.

“The increasing opportunities of new technologies make it possible to tailor reminding both in timing (only when needed) and in content (tailored messages). In this way, long-term improvements in medication adherence may be achieved,” they conclude.

Citizens To Receive Automatic Emergency Cell Phone Messages

Leonardtown, MD - 4/25/2012
By Dick Myers
The Bay Net

St. Mary’s County citizens with cellphones of the three major carriers will now be getting text messages of emergency situations. The St. Mary’s County Commissioners on Tuesday agreed to sign an agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to participate in the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).

With the agreement, citizens with cell phone service from Verizon, AT&T and Sprint Nextel will automatically receive text messages with warning notifications. There will be no need to sign up for the service; everyone will automatically receive the messages. The nationwide service was activated on April 7.

Messages from the St. Mary’s County Department of Public Safety will be received on local emergencies, from Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) for state emergencies and from FEMA for national emergencies.

IPAWS was created by Executive Order 13407 that states: “It is the policy of the United States to have an effective, reliable, integrated flexible and comprehensive system to alert the American people….and to ensure under all conditions the President can communicate with the American people.” IPAWS is designed to complement the Emergency Alert System (EAS) which includes broadcast emergency announcements.

The decision to sign on to IPAWS was delayed several weeks after Commissioner Cynthia Jones (R: 1st) questioned the agreement and said she needed more time to review it. She was concerned that perhaps the local public safety agency was turning over control to the federal government, although Director Bob Kelly assured her that was not the case. But, in the end she voted to sign the agreement along with the other four commissioners.

Last year’s hurricane is an example of the type of emergency for which citizens would receive text messages. The system employed by the carriers is called the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS). The messages are called Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) by FEMA.

Here is some information about them from the FEMA website:

What does a WEA look like on a mobile phone?

WEAs use a unique ring tone and vibration to signal that an alert has arrived. The unique vibration, which distinguishes the alert from a regular text message, is particularly helpful to people with hearing or vision-related disabilities. Alerts will automatically “pop up” on the mobile device screen and will be limited to 90 characters.

WEAs will not preempt calls in progress. In addition, individuals will be able to opt-out of Imminent Threat or AMBER alerts. Individuals will not be able to opt-out of Presidential alerts.

What should I do if I get a WEA?

Due to the 90 character limit, alerts will contain only basic information. In most cases the alert will only indicate the type of event (e.g. tornado), the time until the alert expires, and recommended action. To get more specific information, the best response is to check other sources of information, including radio or television, to see if there is a corresponding Emergency Alert System (EAS) message with additional details and/or local news coverage of the event.

How does a CMAS/WEA alert reach a mobile device?

CMAS/WEA alerts are activated by authorized alerting authorities (generally, a local or State agency or the National Weather Service). The alerts are targeted to specific geographic areas, generally a county. If a CMAS/WEA-capable mobile device is physically located in that area, it will automatically receive and display the message. Every WEA has an expiration date/time and will be resent within the affected area until it expires; however, each individual wireless device will display the alert only once. If a wireless customer travels into the affected area after the WEA was originally sent, and the alert has not expired, they will still receive the alert.

Will wireless customers be charged for CMAS/WEA alerts?

Wireless customers will not be charged for the receipt of WEA messages. In addition, alerting authorities will not be charged by wireless carriers for distributing CMAS/WEA alerts.

Are WEAs the same as text messages?

No, WEA are not the same as text messages. WEA will not have to be opened like SMS text messages, but will “pop up” on the device’s screen. A key differentiator between the CMAS/WEA capability and the existing Short Message Service Point-to-Point (SMS-PP)—a one-to-one or one-to-few alerting service—is that WEA uses SMS-Cell Broadcast (SMS-CB), a one-to-many service, which simultaneously delivers messages to multiple recipients in a specified area. By using SMS-CB as the delivery technology service, WEAs avoid the congestion issues currently experienced by traditional SMS-PP alerting services, which translates into faster and more comprehensive delivery of messages during times of emergency

Will CMAS/WEA track a person’s location?

No, CMAS/WEA will not track an individual’s locations or personal data, as it uses SMS-CB, a broadcast (one-way) technology. This assures that authorities cannot collect any subscriber-related data, including details on who is in the targeted area, who has successfully received the emergency alert, or who may have opted out.

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R.H. (Ron) Mercer Consultant 217 First Street South East Northport, NY 11731
Cellphone: 631-786-9359

PageOne to give sneak preview into new paging developments at British APCO 2012

Published: 12 April, 2012

PageOne will be offering a preview into an exciting new development taking place — the news that dual frequency scanning will be available in the UK for the first time from PageOne.

Once launched, this unique solution will provide a cost-effective option for organisations looking to improve the robustness of their operational and incident management processes. By simultaneously monitoring for critical messages over two channels (both on-site and wide-area), dual frequency paging can ensure widespread reach and resilience without the need to maintain extensive on-site paging systems where wide area paging coverage is already available.

For example, many organisations currently operate an on-site local transmitter network in addition to using the PageOne wide area network. A dual frequency pager will continually monitor both channels, decoding the message from whichever is currently displaying the strongest signal.

“Dual frequency deployment allows the coverage to be combined between the two paging networks and leverages the synergies of commercial wide area paging,” said Chris Jones, CEO of PageOne. “With the pressure on for organisations to do more with less, considerable savings can be made while at the same time delivering increased resilience.”

Apple blowing Android away in enterprise adoption

iOS activations bested Android by four-to-one, says Good Technology

By Brad Reed, Network World
April 26, 2012 03:55 PM ET

With BlackBerry on the decline, there's a battle heating up for enterprise smartphone users and so far Apple is winning in a big way.

According to the latest numbers released by mobile enterprise tech firm Good Technology, iOS devices accounted for around 80% of new activations on corporate networks in the first quarter of 2012, while Android-based devices accounted for just 20%. No other mobile platform, such as Windows Mobile, registered enough activations on the quarter to crack Good's study, which tracked mobile device activations across thousands of companies that registered at least five activated mobile devices. Good also says that BlackBerry devices were not on the study since the company does not support the platform and thus "does not have insight" into BlackBerry activations.

The numbers in Apple's favor only grow starker when Good broke down activations for tablets in the enterprise, as iPads accounted for a whopping 97.3% of enterprise tablet activations, while Android tablets accounted for just 2.7%. The financial services industry was by far the biggest consumer in the enterprise tablet market as it accounted for 40.8% of all iPad activations in the first quarter of 2012, followed by the business and professional services industry and the life sciences industry, which each accounted for just under 9.5% of iPad activations.

In terms of individual devices, the iPhone 4S was the most popular enterprise device on the quarter, accounting for 37% of all mobile device activations. The latest version of the iPhone was followed by the iPad 2 (17.7% of activations), the iPhone 4 (15.2% of activations) and the newest iPad (4.3% of activations). Good noted that the new iPad would likely have had a bigger impact on the enterprise market for the quarter if it had been released earlier than March, where it accounted for more than 12% of all device activations on the month.

The Motorola Droid, the Samsung Galaxy S II, the Google Nexus and the Sprint Evo 4G were the only Android devices to make the top 10 list of most-activated enterprise devices on the quarter and each of those devices accounted for less than 2% of all activations.

Apple has long been seen as the heir to BlackBerry's claim as the top device for enterprise users. A report released late last year by iPass found that iPhones accounted for 45% of all mobile devices in the enterprise while BlackBerry devices accounted for 32.2%. That survey found that Android-based devices accounted for 21% of all devices used in the enterprise.

Intelligent Solutions for Paging & Wireless Data

WiPath manufactures a wide range of highly unique and innovative hardware and software solutions in paging and mobile data for:

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PDT3000 Paging Data Terminal

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PDR3000/PSR3000 Paging Data Receivers

• Highly programmable, off-air decoders Message Logging & remote control Multiple I/O combinations and capabilities
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Specialized Paging Solutions

• Emergency Mass Alerting Remote telemetry switching & control Fire station automation PC interfacing and message management Paging software and customized solutions Message interception, filtering, redirection, printing & logging Cross band repeating, paging coverage infill, store and forward
• Alarm interfaces, satellite linking, IP transmitters, on-site systems

Mobile Data Terminals & Two Way Wireless  Solutions

Contact
Postal Address:	WiPath Communications LLC 4845 Dumbbarton Court Cumming, GA 30040
Street Address:	4845 Dumbbarton Court Cumming, GA 30040
Web site:	www.wipath.com CLICK
E-mail:	info@wipath.com CLICK
Phone:	770-844-6218
Fax:	770-844-6574
WiPath Communications

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
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• 16 capcodes
• POCSAG
• Eight contact closure version also available
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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

HARK—EXHIBITS AT THE
NASHVILLE CONFERENCE

David George and Bill Noyes
of Hark Technologies.

Selected portions of the BloostonLaw Private User Update, a newsletter from the Law Offices of Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & Prendergast, LLP are reproduced in this section with the firm's permission.

Admiral Jamie Barnett To Step Down As PSHSB Chief

Jamie Barnett, Rear Admiral USNR (Retired), Chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB), will leave his position at the end of the month to return to the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, a science and technology policy think tank, where he will be Senior Vice President. David Furth, currently a Deputy Chief in PSHSB, will serve as Acting Bureau Chief.

Rear Admiral Barnett has been the Chief of PSHSB since he came to the Commission in July 2009. Under his leadership, the bureau played a leading role in the establishment of the public safety broadband network. He created the Cybersecurity and Communications Reliability Division within PSHSB, which supported major cybersecurity work by a federal advisory committee known as the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC). In March 2012, CSRIC delivered a voluntary Code of Conduct for Internet service providers (ISPs) to remediate botnets as well as recommendations to secure the Domain Name System and prevent Internet route hijacking.

Barnett also proposed the first ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which was conducted on November 9, 2011, to identify and correct problems in the nation’s ability to notify Americans of a major disaster or crisis.

David Furth is a veteran FCC staffer that has spent much of his time addressing private radio and public safety issues.

Dollar Rent-A-Car Fined $12,000 For Unauthorized Operations

The FCC has fined DTG Operations Inc., d/b/a Dollar Rent-A-Car (Dollar) in San Diego, California, $12,000 for operating an unlicensed transmitter and violating Section 1.903(a) of the Commission’s rules. The violations involved Dollar’s operation on frequency 452.250 MHz without a license. This action serves as a warning to our clients that (1) if you cause interference by not operating in accordance with your license, the FCC will track you down with monitoring equipment, and (2) if you contractor installs your equipment incorrectly, the FCC will hold you responsible for the error.

After receiving complaints from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of intermittent interference to three ground control frequencies used by air traffic controllers at the San Diego International Airport, agents from the Enforcement Bureau used mobile direction finding equipment on December 11 and 14, 2009, to locate the source of the interference to spurious signals emitted from a transmitter on a Dollar airport shuttle bus. The transmitter on the shuttle bus was operating on frequency 452.250 MHz, and emitting spurious signals as well, which were causing interference to the ground control frequencies. On December 14, 2009, during an inspection by the San Diego agents at Dollar’s facility located near the San Diego International Airport, the manager of the facility took the transmitter that was the source of the spurious signals out of service and acknowledged that Dollar had no authorization to operate on frequency 452.250 MHz at the San Diego location.

Dollar acknowledged that it did not have authorization to operate on 452.250 MHz in San Diego, but instead was authorized for operation on 463.450 MHz and 463.7375 MHz. Dollar stated that its radios were installed by a local radio company in 1998, and had been in use on 452.250 MHz since that time.

On December 10, 2010, the San Diego Office issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) in the amount of $12,000 to Dollar for operating a land mobile station in San Diego, California, without the requisite Commission authorization. In its Response, Dollar requested that the FCC reduce the proposed forfeiture because the violation was “an unintentional mistake,” which Dollar readily admitted, and because Dollar cooperated fully in the investigation.

The FCC said the fact that Dollar’s unauthorized operation may have resulted from an unintentional mistake does not excuse the particular violations found in this case. Under the applicable statute, the Commission need not demonstrate an intent to violate a rule to make a finding that a licensee engaged in willful misconduct.

The FCC said that while it appreciated Dollar’s cooperation, the overall facts in this case do not justify a reduction in the proposed forfeiture amount, especially when the record evidence shows that Dollar had been in violation of the Act and FCC Rules for a significant amount of time, and because the unauthorized operations caused interference with FAA operations, a serious public safety concern.

FCC Launches New “Bill Shock” Website

The Federal Communications Commission has launched a new ‘bill shock’ website ( http://fcc.us/billshocks ), an online tool to help consumers track implementation of recent commitments by wireless carriers to provide usage alerts before and after consumers exceed their plan limits. Bill shock is a sudden and unexpected increase in monthly wireless bills that happens when consumers’ unknowingly exceeding plan limits for voice, data and text. Bill shock can also happen when consumers travel abroad and get hit with unexpected international roaming charges. A recent FCC survey found that 30 million Americans — or one in six wireless users — have experienced bill shock.

This newsletter is not intended to provide legal advice. Those interested in more information should contact the firm. For additional information, contact Hal Mordkofsky at 202-828-5520 or halmor@bloostonlaw.com

Selected portions of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, a newsletter from the Law Offices of Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & Prendergast, LLP are reproduced in this section with the firm's permission.

FCC RECONSIDERS ONE ASPECT OF EAS RULES: The FCC has reconsidered one aspect of its Fifth Report and Order specifying the manner in which Emergency Alert System (EAS) Participants must be able to receive alert messages formatted in the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), and streamlined the Part 11 rules to enhance their effectiveness and clarity. Specifically, the FCC reconsidered the applicability of text-to-speech (TTS) specifications set forth in the EAS-CAP Industry Group (ECIG) Implementation Guide recommendations. The Commission deferred action on, rather than prohibiting, the use of the ECIG Implementation Guide’s TTS specifications. Accordingly, it amended its EAS rules so that EAS Participants may, but are not required to, employ the text-to-speech functions described in the ECIG Implementation Guide.

COMMENT DATES SET FOR FNPRM ON FOREIGN OWNERSHIP RULES: The FCC has established a comment cycle for its Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) regarding foreign ownership of common carrier radio station licenses (BloostonLaw Telecom Update, April 18). The FCC seeks comment on whether it should find that all “indirect” foreign interests in a common carrier licensee should be governed under Section 310(b)(4) of the Communications, rather than Section 310(b)(3). Section 310(b)(3) establishes a bright-line restriction that no broadcast, aeronautical or common carrier licensee can have a foreign officer or director or more than 20% direct foreign ownership. Section 310(b)(4) gives the FCC leeway to allow more than 25% “indirect” foreign ownership if it finds that the public interest would be served. Comments in this IB Docket No. 11-133 proceeding are due May 15, and replies are due May 25.

MAY 1: FCC FORM 499-Q, TELECOMMUNICATIONS REPORTING WORKSHEET. All telecommunications common carriers that expect to contribute more than $10,000 to federal Universal Service Fund (USF) support mechanisms must file this quarterly form. This filing requirement also applies to certain Private Mobile Radio Service (PMRS) licensees, such as for-profit paging and messaging, dispatch and two-way mobile radio services. The FCC has modified this form in light of its recent decision to establish interim measures for USF contribution assessments. The form contains revenue information from the prior quarter plus projections for the next quarter. Form 499-Q relates only to USF contributions. It does not relate to the cost recovery mechanisms for the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund, the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA), and the shared costs of local number portability (LNP), which are covered in the annual form (Form 499-A) that was due April 1. For-profit private radio service providers that are “de minimis” (those that contribute less than $10,000 per year to the USF) do not have to file the 499-A or 499-Q. However, they must fill out the form and retain the relevant calculations as well as documentation of their contribution base revenues for three years. De minimis telecom carriers must actually file the Form 499A, but not the 499Q.

VITAL MEETINGS & DEADLINES

Apr. 27 – FCC open meeting.

Apr. 30 – Deadline for comments on wireless service interruptions (GN Docket No. 12-52).

Apr. 30 – Deadline for comments on SoundBite Communications’ request for declaratory ruling regarding one-time text message confirmation requests (CG Docket No. 02-278).

Apr. 30 – Deadline for data submissions on call completion issues to ATIS.

May 1 – FCC Form 499-Q, Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet, is due.

May 1 – Deadline for reply comments on Lifeline Reform FNPRM (WC Docket Nos. 11-42, 03-109, 12-23, and CC Docket No. 96-45).

May 2 – Deadline for comments on FairPoint’s request for limited waiver of call signaling rules (WC Docket No. 12-71).

May 3 – Deadline for reply comments on funding for Rural Health Care Pilot Program transition (WC Docket No. 02-60).

May 4 – Deadline for comments on Alaska Rural Coalition, FairPoint petitions for limited waivers of call signaling rules (CC Docket Nos. 01-92, 96-45; GN Docket No. 09-51; WC Docket Nos. 03-109, 05-337, 07-135, 10-90; and WT Docket No. 10-208).

May 7 – Deadline for comments on FNPRM proposing amendments to Local Community Radio Act (MM Docket No. 99-25).

May 7 – Deadline for comments on recon petitions of Lifeline Reform Order (WC Docket Nos. 11-42, 03-109, 12-23, and CC Docket No. 96-45).

May 8 – Deadline for reply comments on ACS request for limited waiver of call signaling rules (CC Docket Nos. 01-92, 96-45; GN Docket No. 09-51; WC Docket Nos. 03-109, 05-337, 07-135, 10-90; and WT Docket No. 10-208).

May 14 – Deadline for comments on Level 3 request for limited waiver of call signaling rules (CC Docket Nos. 01-92, 96-45; GN Docket No. 09-51; WC Docket Nos. 03-109, 05-337, 07-135, 10-90; and WT Docket No. 10-208).

May 14 – Deadline for reply comments on NextG Networks’ request for interpreting “CMRS” regarding distributed antenna systems and other “small cell” solutions (WT Docket No. 12-37). Extended from May 2.

May 14 – Deadline for comments on definition of “MVPD” per Sky Angel complaint against Discovery Communications (MB Docket No. 12-83). Extended from April 30.

May 15 – Deadline for comments on NPRM to streamline cellular service (WT Docket No. 12-40).

May 15 – Deadline for CMS carriers not participating in Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS) to comply with customer notification requirements (PS Docket No. 07-287).

May 15 – Deadline for reply comments on SoundBite Communications’ request for declaratory ruling regarding one-time text message confirmation requests (CG Docket No. 02-278).

May 15 – Deadline for reply comments on recon petitions of Lifeline Reform Order (WC Docket Nos. 11-42, 03-109, 12-23, and CC Docket No. 96-45).

May 15 – Deadline for comments on FNPRM regarding foreign ownership of common carrier radio station licenses (IB Docket No. 11-133).

This newsletter is not intended to provide legal advice. Those interested in more information should contact the firm. For additional information, contact Hal Mordkofsky at 202-828-5520 or halmor@bloostonlaw.com

This Month—55 Years in Radio Communications

My first communications receiver that I bought used in about 1955.

• Model: Howard 438
• Frequency Range: 550 kHz to 43 MHz
• Number of Tubes: 8
• Year Built: 1939
• Original Price (new): $49.95
• Howard Radio Company — Chicago, Illinois

My first radio transmitter that I bought used at the same time as the receiver above.

• Model: Heath AT-1
• Manufacturer: Heathkit, Heath Company; Benton Harbor, Michigan
• Year: 1953–1956
• Type: Amateur Transmitter
• Tubes 3: 6AG7 6L6 5U4G
• Alternating Current supply (AC) / 110-125 Volt
• Dimensions (WHD) 13 x 8.5 x 7 inch / 330 x 216 x 178 mm
• Xtal-controlled CW TX for the 80-, 40-, 20- and 10-meter HAM bands.
• Net weight (2.2 lb = 1 kg) 6.6 kg / 14 lb 8.6 oz (14.537 lb)
• Price (new) in first year of sale: $30 USD

Brad Dye, KN9IQY Novice Station, 1957

By the time this photo was taken, I had upgraded my transmitter to a Heathkit DX-20.

Specifications:

• Model: Heath DX-20
• RF Power Input 50 watts CW.
• Output Impedance 50-1000 ohms.
• Output Coupling Pi network (coaxial).
• Operation Crystal—external VFO.
• Band Coverage 80-40-20-15-11-10.
• Tube Complement 5U4GB rectifier, 6CL6 oscillator, 6DQ6A final amplifier.
• Power Requirements 115 volts AC, 60 cycles, 150 watts.
• Cabinet Size 13" wide x 8½" high x 7" deep.
• Net Weight 16 lbs.
• Shipping Weight 18 lbs.

The little white radio to my right was required to monitor a commercial broadcast station for a possible CONELRAD alert.

CONELRAD ( Con trol of El ectromagnetic Rad iation) was a method of emergency broadcasting to the public of the United States in the event of enemy attack during the Cold War. It was intended to serve two purposes; to prevent Soviet bombers from homing in on American cities by using radio or TV stations as beacons, and to provide essential civil defense information. U.S. President Harry S. Truman established CONELRAD in 1951. After the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles reduced the likelihood of a bomber attack, CONELRAD was replaced by the Emergency Broadcast System on August 5, 1963, which was later replaced with the Emergency Alert System in 1997; all were administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Unlike its successors, the EBS and EAS, CONELRAD was never intended to be used for severe weather warnings or local civil emergencies.

Prior to 1951, there was no method that the U.S. government could use to broadcast warnings to citizens in the event of an emergency. However, radio stations and networks could interrupt normal programming and issue a bulletin in the event of an emergency, as happened during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, as well as the first successful tornado warning near Tinker Air Force Base in 1948. This type of broadcasting was the forerunner to CONELRAD.

The CONELRAD concept was originally known as the Key Station System. According to an FCC document created during the "Informal Government - Industry Technical Conference" on March 26, 1951:

"CD Mark" symbols like this (though generally shown as simple white triangles) were on most radios sold in the U.S., at the 640 kHz and 1240 kHz frequency points, to help listeners find the CONELRAD stations.

"The primary plan for alerting broadcast stations that is currently being considered by the FCC Study Group is known as the Key Station System. The arrangement requires certain telephone circuits (private wire or direct line to Toll Board) between the Air Defense Control Centers (A.D.C.C.) and specified radio stations to be known as "Basic Key Stations".

Additional telephone circuits (direct line to Toll Board) will be required in certain cases, between "Basic Key Stations" and other stations to be known as "Relay Key Stations". Each "Basic Key Station" receiving an alert or warning signal from the A.D.C.C. shall, if so directed, proceed to broadcast a predetermined message and also relay the message by telephone to all "Relay Key Stations" under his control as specified." CONELRAD was officially introduced on December 10, 1951.

CONELRAD had a simple system for alerting the public and other "downstream" stations, consisting of a sequence of shutting the station off for five seconds, returning to the air for five seconds, again shutting down for five seconds, and then transmitting a tone for 15 seconds. Key stations would be alerted directly. All other broadcast stations would monitor a designated station in their area.

In the event of an emergency, all United States television and FM radio stations were required to stop broadcasting. Upon alert, most AM medium wave stations shut down. The stations that stayed on the air would transmit on either 640 or 1240 kHz. They would transmit for several minutes, and then go off the air and another station would take over on the same frequency in a "round robin" chain. This was to confuse enemy aircraft who might be navigating using Radio Direction Finding. By law, radio sets manufactured between 1953 and 1963 had these frequencies marked by the triangle-in-circle ("CD Mark") symbol of Civil Defense.

Although the system by which the CONELRAD process was initiated (switching the transmitter on and off) was simple, it was prone to numerous false alarms, especially during lightning storms. Transmitters could also be damaged by the quick cycling. The switching later became known informally as the "EBS Stress Test" (due to many transmitters failing during tests) and was eventually discontinued when broadcast technology advanced enough to make it unnecessary.

Beginning January 2, 1957, U.S. amateur radio came under CONELRAD rules and all stations, while operating, were required to verify at least once every 10 minutes that a normal broadcast station was on the air. If not, the amateur operators were required to stop transmitting. Several companies marketed special receivers that would sound an alarm and automatically deactivate the amateur's transmitter when the monitored broadcast station went off the air.

Sources:

Howard Radios
and
Heathkit Museum
and
Wikipedia

Ron Mercer reported, via a telephone call, that he received several responses from the notice in last week's newsletter seeking partners for his new invention. No selection has been made yet, so if you are interested, please call him.

“When you take a risk, you may lose. . .
When you don't take a risk, you always lose.”

Joueuse – Queen to Play

Sandrine Bonnaire is Hélène, a middle-aged housekeeper in a luxurious Corsican hotel, who one day sees a couple on a balcony exchanging erotic glances and seductive gestures over a chessboard. She is sexually aroused and tries to lure her husband into a similar situation by giving him a chess computer — but the attempt fails when he does not understand the connection between chess and erotic intimacy (really).

Hélène then teaches herself to play and turns to a reclusive American expat (Kevin Kline in his first French-speaking role), whose house she cleans. He willingly helps her with the game, but her playing skills soon overtake his and she begins to live and breathe chess. Meanwhile her new passion threatens her family life — chess is regarded as a form of marital infidelity.

Director: Caroline Bottaro; Writer: Caroline Bottaro; Cast: Jennifer Beals, Sandrine Bonnaire, Laurence Colussi, Maxime Delauney, Didier Ferrari, Alexandra Gentil, Dominic Gould, Kevin Kline, Valérie Lagrange, Daniel Martin; Running Time: 100 min. [In French with English subtitles.]

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