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independent news

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WIRELESS NEWS AGGREGATION
(With other items of interest relating to technology.)

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FRIDAY — NOVEMBER 22, 2013 — ISSUE NO. 582

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Paging and Wireless Messaging Home Page image Newsletter Archive image Carrier Directory image Recommended Products and Services
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Reference Papers Consulting Glossary of Terms Send an e-mail to Brad Dye

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Dear Friends of Wireless Messaging,

Remember when television sets were connected to antennas, and telephones were connected to a wire line? Seems strange, now that most telephones are wireless, and most TVs are connected to a wire line. But then TVs stay put, and now the telephone can go with us as we move around.

When the Internet started to get popular, we had dial-up connections to the Internet over the telephone network.

The trend now is to run telephone service over the Internet. Please read an interesting article in the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, about how the telephone networks are transitioning to IP. “Wheeler Embraces the "IP Transition.”

Is this "the tail waging the dog"?

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Many thanks to all the readers who inquired about my well being after the terrible tornadoes that ripped through Illinois on last Sunday. I have enclosed a couple of photos that I found — of one of the worst-hit areas — in Washington, Illinois. Also, one that I took as the storm was passing over my house, and as I was taking shelter in an out building. No damage here, but still a little scary.

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Sorry about my sarcastic quotation from Mark Twain about Thanksgiving, in the THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK section. I have caught a cold and am in a grouchy mood so it seemed appropriate. Maybe I'll feel better next week.

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This would be a good time to use up the rest of your advertising budget before the end of the year.

Details on advertising and donations are in the column to your right.

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Science

New Optical Atomic Clock Poised to Redefine Timekeeping

New process measures time with light.

By Matt Peckham
Time

How do you lose a second? Let's count the ways: mind-wandering, lecture-dozing, discovering new cat videos on YouTube — and, apparently, cesium fountains.

Sees-ee-what? Cesium microwave fountains, a term scientists use to describe the fountain-like motion of cesium atoms (a chemical element) when you perturb them with a special type of oscillator. Never mind the technical particulars, which involve microwave radiation and vacuum chambers and cooling things to a few millionths of a degree above absolute zero, the behavior of atoms in these cesium fountains — specifically how they vibrate — is how we currently measure the SI second, a standard that's been in place since 1967 when it was defined by the International Committee for Weights and Measures. Cesium fountains are accurate to one second every 100 million years, which, needless to say, is more accurate than your garden variety Casio.

How do you top losing a mere second at a rate roughly 500 times the entire (relatively brief) span anatomically modern humans have walked the planet? With something called an optical lattice clock, reports BBC News: still an atomic clock, but one that subjects strontium atoms (another chemical element, lower on the periodic table) to laser beams to make them vibrate. The result: accuracy to one second every 300 million years, or three times cesium's precision.

"Laser beams oscillate much faster than microwave radiation, and in a sense we divide time in much shorter intervals so we can measure time more precisely," said Dr. Jerome Lodewyck, who works at the Paris Observatory in France and is one of the authors of a paper on the process published in Nature. The other important upside of the optical lattice clock, says Lodewyck, is that it's apparently more stable.

While this all may sound academic, if you could radically shrink an atomic clock (and don't think we haven't been trying), you could bring about all kinds of improvements to existing technology, say mobile phones that picked up signals faster or faster GPS signal acquisition, and — since those two improvements would amount to less time cycling — more efficient energy use, ergo longer battery life.

Matt Peckham is TIME's video games, science tech and music tech correspondent based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His work has appeared in Variety , The Washington Post, The New York Times and others.

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Another report — from the IEEE — on this new atomic clock, follows below.

Wayne County, Illinois Weather

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Wireless Messaging News
  • Emergency Radio Communications
  • Wireless Messaging
  • Critical Messaging
  • Telemetry
  • Paging
  • WiMAX
  • Wi-Fi
WIRELESS
wireless logo medium
MESSAGING

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About Us

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.

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Editorial Policy

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.

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Back To Paging

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Still The Most Reliable Wireless Protocol For Emergencies!

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Subscriptions

* required field.

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

free 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.

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If you are reading this, your potential customers are probably reading it as well. Please click here to find out how.

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CAN YOU HELP THE NEWSLETTER?

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You can help support the Wireless Messaging News by clicking on the PayPal Donate button above.

Voluntary Reader Support

Newspapers generally cost 75¢ $1.50 a copy and they hardly ever mention paging or wireless messaging. 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 paid subscription. If you are wiling and able, please click on the PayPal Donate button above. Any amount will be sincerely appreciated.

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Illinois Tornados

Sunday, November 17, 2017


David Zalaznik—Peoria Journal Star —Washington, Illinois

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Fred Zwicky—Peoria Journal Star —Washington, Illinois

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Brad Dye—Rural Wayne County Illinois

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More photos from the Chicago Tribune here.

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Wireless Messaging News

made on a mac

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ADVERTISERS SUPPORTING THE NEWSLETTER

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Please Support Our Advertisers
They Make This Newsletter Possible

Advertiser Index

American Messaging
Critical Alert Systems
Critical Response Systems
Easy Solutions
Hahntech USA
Hark Technologies
Ira Wiesenfeld & Associates
Ivycorp
Leavitt Communications
Preferred Wireless
Prism Paging
Product Support Services — (PSSI)
Paging & Wireless Network Planners LLC — (Ron Mercer)
Specialty Answering Service
STI Engineering
WiPath Communications

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CRITICAL RESPONSE SYSTEMS

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Over 70% of first responders are volunteers.
Without an alert, interoperability means nothing.

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M1501 Acknowledgent Pager

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Learn more on Solavei.com   Enroll today!

This is a commercial message from Solavei, LLC

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Find Out How to Use Real-time Analytics to Improve Volunteer Dispatching!

As a public safety professional, you are cordially invited to attend a complimentary webinar on December 12, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. This informative webinar will last approximately thirty minutes and cover:

  • How to use real-time analytics to improve public safety with volunteer dispatching
  • How to capture and use the right analytics to improve your public safety operation

The webinar is complimentary, but you must reserve your place by clicking here . Space is limited so please reserve your seat today. In the mean time you can click here for a complimentary white paper on "Public Safety Dispatching." Feel free to visit our web site www.criticalresponse.com for more information. We look forward to seeing you on December 12. If you can't attend in person, please register and we will send you a copy of the recorded webinar.

Copyright © 2013 Critical Response Systems, Inc.
Our address is 1670 Oakbrook Drive, Suite 370, Norcross, GA, 30093
Source: CRS

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STI Engineering

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sti header
 

250W VHF Paging Transmitter

STI Engineering is delighted to announce the release of the RFI-148 250 high performance paging transmitter. The transmitter features true DDS frequency generation that enables precise control and flexibility for a wide range of data transmission applications.

The transmitter is particularly suitable for large simulcast POCSAG and FLEX paging networks and can be used as drop-in replacement of older and obsolete transmitters.

sti tx
  • High power output
    (selectable from 20 W - 250 W)
  • SNMP Diagnostics and alarms
  • Full VHF Band coverage
    (138-174 MHz)
  • DSP precision modulation
  • Integrated isolator
  • Sniffer port for in-rack receiver
  • Remote firmware upgrade capability
  • Software selectable frequency offset
  • Adjustable absolute delay correction
  • Front panel diagnostics
  • Hardware alarm outputs
  • High frequency stability
  • External reference option
  • FCC and ACMA approved
  • CE compliant version in development
sti logo sm22 Boulder Road Malaga 6090 Western Australia
Telephone:  +61 8 9209 0900
Email:   sales@stiengineering.com.au
Facsimile:  +61 8 9248 2833
Web:  www.stiengineering.com.au

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ivy ad

   CHECK THIS OUT

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FCC eyes lifting ban on cell calls on planes

Bart Jansen, USA TODAY 10:03 p.m. EST November 21, 2013


(Photo: Matt Slocum, AP)

The Federal Communications Commission is reviewing its 22-year ban against in-flight cellphone calls, igniting concerns among frequent fliers about plane cabins becoming much noisier.

At its meeting Dec. 12, the FCC will consider changing its rules to allow passengers access to mobile wireless services. The 1991 ban began because of concerns about jamming ground stations.

"Modern technologies can deliver mobile services in the air safely and reliably, and the time is right to review our outdated and restrictive rules," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said. "I look forward to working closely with my colleagues, the FAA and the airline industry on this review of new mobile opportunities for consumers."

The FCC will collect public comment if the proposal moves forward, but opposition erupted immediately.

"My answer is quite simple: Absolutely no way. Never," said Diane Johnson of Fort Worth, a publications executive. "With all the stress of travel, silence on a plane is like music to my ears."

The FCC proposal would give airlines the option to allow voice calls, according to two FCC sources who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Phones are used widely on airlines in other countries, for calls and data, by linking essentially to a communication tower aboard the plane. This would satisfy FCC concerns about interference with ground stations, according to the two agency sources.

"On the technical side of things, there have been changes that do allow wireless services on planes that prevent interference with ground service," one source said. "We think there is some benefit to giving airlines the choice of improving consumer choice and access, and let them to decide whether or not they're going to allow voice."

A spokeswoman for the airline industry said it hasn't seen the proposal and declined comment. "We will want to analyze any proposal to understand the impact," said Victoria Day of the group Airlines for America.

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA strongly opposed the move. The group warned that calls would be disruptive, loud and divisive and possibly go beyond a mere nuisance to hurt safety by drowning out announcements.

The FCC considered relaxing its ban in 2004 but decided against a change after a flood of opposition and because of lingering technical questions.

"Passengers overwhelmingly reject cellphone use in the aircraft cabin," the attendants union said. "The FCC should not proceed with this proposal."

Capt. Patrick Smith, a 20-year pilot who writes the blog askthepilot.com, said cell calls wouldn't be allowed if safety issues remained, so it's just a social question.

"Just imagine 250 passengers all making calls at once," Smith said. "I shudder to imagine how awful that would be."

Passengers, including frequent business travelers, have long opposed allowing calls because of the noise from other calls.

"I am very much opposed to allowing voice calls aboard flights," said Bill Clegg, a hotel executive in Huntersville, N.C. "The cacophony of babies crying, children screaming and adults carrying on conversations does not need the addition of business travelers closing deals or leisure travelers yakking about travel plans, romances or what they had for dinner last night."

Some travelers shrugged off the problem.

Kim Hunter of Los Angeles, head of a marketing company who travels more than 150,000 miles per year, said calls are fine so long as "there is no disruption on both the flight deck and the cabin."

If that's the case, "I support allowing voice calls aboard all flights, both domestic and international," Hunter said.

James Morrow, an information technology consultant from Overland Park, Kan., said opponents may be overreacting because he thinks the airlines will charge dearly for the calls.

"While it might be annoying to be sitting next to someone who is on the phone, I think people are overestimating how frequently this will actually be used," Morrow said. "The airlines will charge dearly for the privilege, and sound quality of the call will almost certainly suffer if only due to the background noise of an airplane."

The reconsideration of voice calls followed the Federal Aviation Administration recent move to allow passengers to use their gadgets such as games and e-readers while taking off and landing. The FAA has prohibited the use of electronics when the plane was less than 10,000 feet in the air.

The Telecommunications Industry Association, which represents manufacturers and suppliers of communication equipment, praised the FCC for considering the change.

"TIA supports initiatives to make mobile broadband services, including Internet access, available to passengers and flight crews aboard commercial airliners and private aircraft," TIA President Grant Seiffert said. "We look forward to examining the specific proposals of the commission in this matter."

Source: USA Today

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leavitt

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

UNICATIONbendix king
ZETRON

motorola blue Motorola SOLUTIONS

COMmotorola red Motorola MOBILITY spacer
Philip C. Leavitt
Manager
Leavitt Communications
7508 N. Red Ledge Drive
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail: pcleavitt@leavittcom.com
Web Site: www.leavittcom.com
Mobile phone:847-494-0000
Telephone:847-955-0511
Fax:270-447-1909
Skype ID:pcleavitt

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Carriers slammed for rejecting smartphone 'kill switch'

Martyn Williams, IDG News Service
@martyn_williams Nov 20, 2013 3:30 PM

Law enforcement officials trying to rein in violent smartphone theft have criticized cellular operators who they say rejected a solution that would help address the problem.

"It is highly disturbing that these corporations rejected a proposal that would have helped keep millions of consumers safe," San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said in a joint statement Wednesday.

The officials have been pushing for a "kill switch" that could render smartphones inoperable after they're stolen, reducing the incentive for crime. But news reports this week suggested carriers have rejected the idea.

"If they did so to protect their own profit margins, as several recent reports suggest, it is even more egregious," the pair said in their statement.

"Companies that choose to prioritize profits over safety put consumers everywhere at risk. Since smartphone thefts so often result in violence, we call on manufacturers and carriers alike to make the opt-out kill switch an industry-wide standard."

The carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, United States Cellular and Sprint, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Robbery catnip

Robberies involving smartphones have been increasing across the U.S. and, in many major cities, they now make up the majority of serious street crime. In many cases, victims are physically attacked or threatened with knives or guns for their phones.

The two officials have had some success with Apple and Samsung. Apple designed new security features into the latest version of its iOS operating system, and Samsung is shipping new handsets with a security software package installed.

Source: TechHive

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Specialty Answering Service

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Why Should You Choose Specialty Answering Service?

Specialty Answering Service is one of the most trusted call center service-providers in the industry. We have combined an amazing business answering service with a passion for technology and customer service to develop an essential solution for any company looking to stay ahead in our “on demand” world. Your customers want information and answers now. Are you ready to help them? We are!

We are able to integrate with any paging or messaging service that our clients already subscribe to.

Phone: 888-532-4794
Fax: 888-644-4129
E-mail   left arrow Web   left arrow Support   left arrow

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Specialty Answering Service

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American Messaging

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amsi

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American Messaging

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Easy Solutions

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easy solutions

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 28 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.

Easy Solutions
3220 San Simeon Way
Plano, Texas 75023

Vaughan Bowden
Telephone: 972-898-1119
Website: www.EasySolutions4You.com
E-mail: vaughan@easysolutions4you.com

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Easy Solutions

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Product Support Services, Inc.

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Wireless and Cellular Repair — Pagers, Coasters, Handsets, Infrastructure and other Electronics

pssi logo

pssi

repairmanrepairman

Product Support Services, Inc.

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

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.

PSSI Offers Customers —

  • Centralized Returns and Repair Services at our 125,000 Sq. Ft. Facility, in a Triple Free Port Zone, 3 Miles North of DFW Airport.
  • Experience, PSSI repairs 5,000 units a day and has capacity for more.
  • ISO9001:2008 Certified Operation, with integrated Lean Manufacturing processes and systems for best-in class performance and turn-times.
  • Authorized Service Center for Level I, II and III Repair by a wide variety of OEMs including LG, Motorola, Samsung, Nokia and others.
  • State-of-the-art facility for multiple wireless test environments, including infrastructure and board-level test and repair capabilities.
  • Serialized Tracking through PSSI's proprietary Work-In-Process (WIP) and shop floor management system PSS.Net. This system allows PSSI to track each product received by employee, work center, lot, model, work order, serial number and location, tracking parts allocated, service, repair and refurbishment actions through each stage of the reverse logistics process. Access to order status and repair reports can be transmitted electronically in formats like FTP, EDI, API, XML or CSV.
  • Expertise, PSSI's executive team has 125+ years of industry experience.

 

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LEAVITT Communications

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its stil here

It's still here — the tried and true Motorola Alphamate 250. Now owned, supported, and available from Leavitt Communications. Call us for new or reconditioned units, parts, manuals, and repairs.

We also offer refurbished Alphamate 250's, Alphamate IIs, the original Alphamate and new and refurbished pagers, pager repairs, pager parts and accessories. We are FULL SERVICE in Paging!

E-mail Phil Leavitt ( pcleavitt@leavittcom.com ) for pricing and delivery information or for a list of other available paging and two-way related equipment.

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Phil Leavitt
847-955-0511
pcleavitt@leavittcom.com

leavitt logo

7508 N. Red Ledge Drive
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
www.leavittcom.com

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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

TigerText Ties With Cloud Contact Software Provider

Santa Monica-based real-time, secure messaging app provider TigerText — which has seen widespread adoption with healthcare providers — said today that it has integrated its product with contact center software provider Startel. According to TigerText, the integration allows Startel's answering service customers to security text message colleagues and clients from within the Startel software, which is critical to meet HIPAA rules for answering services serving the healthcare market. Answering services are widely used by physicians and health providers to manage paging and communications with doctors and others. The two said that recent HIPAA rules have affected how answering services can forward patient concerns to on-call physicians. TigerText's apps provide secure texting which meet those privacy rules.

Source: socialtech.com

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Consulting Alliance

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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 left arrow 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.

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Consulting Alliance

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advertise

 

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HahntechUSA

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HahntechUSA

Telemetry solution

Easy Application & Better Performance

 

NPCS Telemetry Modem

BLUE LINE

(ReFLEX 2.7.5)

telemetry

finger

E-mail: sales@hahntechUSA.com

Website: hahntechUSA.com

 

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HahntechUSA

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Preferred Wireless

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preferred logo

Terminals & Controllers:
1Motorola ASC1500
2GL3100 RF Director 
45SkyData 8466 B Receivers
6Skydata 8466 A Receivers
1GL3000L Complete w/Spares
2GL3000ES Chassis, can configure
1Zetron 2200 Terminals
1Unipage—Many Unipage Cards & Chassis
Link Transmitters:
 QT-5701,35W,  UHF, Link Transmitter
4Glenayre QT4201 & 6201, 25 & 100W Midband Link TX
2Glenayre QT6201 Link Repeater and Link Station in Hot Standby
1Glenayre QT6994, 150W, 900 MHz Link TX
3Motorola 10W, 900 MHz Link TX (C35JZB6106)
1Motorola 30W, Midband Link TX (C42JZB6106AC)
2Eagle 900 MHz Link Transmitters, 60 & 80W
5Glenayre GL C2100 Link Repeaters
2Motorola Q2630A, 30W, UHF Link TX
VHF Paging Transmitters
1Glenayre QT7505
1Glenayre QT8505
12Motorola VHF 350W Nucleus NAC Transmitters
9Motorola VHF 350W Nucleus C-Net Transmitters
3Motorola PURC-5000, VHF, 350W, ACB Control 
UHF Paging Transmitters:
20Glenayre UHF GLT5340, 125W, DSP Exciter
3Motorola PURC-5000 110W ACB Transmitters
900 MHz Paging Transmitters:
3Glenayre GLT 8600, 500W
2Glenayre GLT8200, 25W
15Glenayre GLT-8500 250W
40Motorola Nucleus 900MHz 300W CNET Transmitters
9Motorola PURC 5000 300W, 900MHz ACB Control

SEE WEB FOR COMPLETE LIST:

www.preferredwireless.com/equipment left arrow

Too Much To List • Call or E-Mail

Rick McMichael
Preferred Wireless, Inc.
10658 St. Charles Rock Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63074
888-429-4171 or 314-429-3000
rickm@preferredwireless.com left arrow

preferred

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Preferred Wireless

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critical alert CA Partner’s Program
 

Providing better communications solutions to hospitals across the country — together!

For CAS, strong partnerships remain key to providing our software-based communications solutions to our customers. These solutions include:

ca dr and nurse
nurse call systemscritical messaging solutionsmobile health applications

We provide the communication, training and resources required to become a CA partner. In turn, our partners provide customers with the highest levels of local service & support. CA Partners may come from any number of business sectors, including:

  • Service Providers
  • System Integrators
  • Value Added Resellers and Distributors
  • Expert Contractors
If you would like to hear more about our CA Partners program, we’d love to hear from you. criticalalert.com

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Selected portions 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 with the firm's permission.

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BloostonLaw Telecom Update Vol. 16, No. 42 November 20, 2013

Headlines

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Wheeler Embraces the "IP Transition"

On November 19, 2013, newly-confirmed FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler posted a statement to the FCC's Official Blog describing his intention to vigorously spur the "IP Transition." "We have listened," declares Wheeler, "and now it is the time to act." Despite the action-oriented nature of Wheeler's post, however, it appears the blog post primarily hints at additional collection of information for the time being.

According to the announcement, the Technology Transitions Policy Task Force will present a status update at the FCC's upcoming December 12 meeting, with the expectation that the January meeting will include consideration of an Order for immediate action. In Wheeler's own words, that Order should include recommendations to the Commission on how best to:

  • obtain comment on and begin a diverse set of experiments that will allow the Commission and the public to observe the impact on consumers and businesses of such transitions (including consideration of AT&T's proposed trials);
  • collect data that will supplement the lessons learned from the experiments;
  • initiate a process for Commission consideration of legal, policy, and technical issues that would not neatly fit within the experiments, with a game plan for efficiently managing the various adjudications and rulemakings that, together, will constitute our IP transition agenda;
  • speed the initiation of experiments and assess, monitor, measure, and analyze their outcomes;
  • inform and protect consumers;
  • obtain accurate and useful information about the technology transition from multiple resources that could include collaboration with other federal, state, and tribal agencies, public input through crowd-sourcing, and leveraging outside expertise and advisors; and
  • initiate a process to decide the legal and policy questions raised by this network revolution.

Of particular interest, Wheeler noted that the key to the transition is to "encourage technological change while preserving the attributes of network services that customers have come to expect – that set of values we have begun to call the Network Compact." Whatever the "Network Compact" specifically entails, the connection between customer expectations and the underlying network is one rural carriers have been trumpeting throughout the transitional proceedings, contrary to the arguments of AT&T that it's a new network with new rules.

BloostonLaw will continue to monitor the transition proceedings as they unfold.

Wheeler Calls for Cellphone Unlocking Before the Holidays

FCC Chairman and former CTIA President Tom Wheeler last week urged the wireless industry to stop dragging its feet and to finalize amendments to the CITA Consumer Code that would address consumers' rights to unlock their mobile devices once their contracts are fulfilled.

In his letter to current CTIA President Steve Largent, Wheeler noted that FCC staff had been working with the trade group on these matters for eight months, and wanted to resolve the matter before the December holiday season. Five requirements that the FCC expects the industry's voluntary unlocking policy to include are:

  • providing a clear, concise, and readily accessible policy on unlocking;
  • unlocking mobile wireless devices for customers, former customers, and legitimate owners when the applicable service contract, installment plan, or early termination fee has been fulfilled;
  • affirmatively notifying customers when their devices are eligible for unlocking and/or automatically unlocking devices when eligible, without an additional fee;
  • processing unlocking requests or providing an explanation of denial within two business days; and
  • unlocking devices for military personnel upon deployment.

CITA and the FCC are reportedly in agreement on all but the third item regarding proactive consumer notification. Wheeler characterized a voluntary unlocking rights policy that lacks such consumer notice as "a hollow shell."

"Enough time has passed, and it is now time for the industry to act voluntarily or for the FCC to regulate," wrote Wheeler.

SBCA Responds to NTCA's Vantage Point Paper

There is an old saying in the legal profession: "When strong on the facts, pound the facts. When strong on the law, pound the law. When strong on neither, pound the table." On November 14, 2013, the Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Association (SBCA) filed a letter with the FCC responding to NTCA's Vantage Point Paper, filed with the FCC earlier this month. The SBCA submission comes across as table pounding at its finest.

In the first paragraph of its filing, SBCA characterized the Vantage Point Paper as "just another attempt by NTCA to forestall competition in rural areas" and as an "untimely effort to revisit a sound Commission conclusion in the USF/ICC Transformation Order ." According to SBCA, the "Vantage Point Paper makes inaccurate claims about the quality of satellite broadband service in an effort to persuade the Commission to allow rural carriers to leverage and retain their incumbent status — to the detriment of rural broadband consumers across the United States." SBCA claims that "the satellite industry simply seeks a technology-neutral, level playing field in the regulatory arena;" and that with a level regulatory playing field "the satellite industry is confident that marketplace forces will work to ensure that consumers can take advantage of the quality, price-competitive and innovative services that it provides."

What follows are three pages of bloviating intended to convey that satellite is "a true market competition" that is just as good as terrestrial systems in terms of delivering broadband service, but some of the facts cited by SBCA seem to undercut its own claims. For example, SBCA characterizes as "simply market differentiators" satellite's comparatively poor latency, lower capacity limits, and slower speed. With respect to the latter, SBCA states that "satellite broadband today is available at speeds upwards of 15 Mbps; the same or better speed available on terrestrial DSL." (emphasis added). It goes on to state that broadband "satellite service in rural areas provides reasonably comparable, if not better, performance and speeds to most DSL broadband and 3G cellular services."

Strengths cited by SBCA in support of satellite broadband, assuming they exist in practice, seem weakened by these limitations.

FCC Issues Call For Papers on System for Sharing Spectrum in the 3.5 GHz Band

In a Public Notice issued November 18, the FCC asked for the submission of papers addressing the technical aspects of the Spectrum Access System (SAS) for the 3550-3650 MHz band (3.5 GHz Band). Comments on the PN are due to be filed by December 5, 2013 and reply comments are due by December 20, 2013. The deadline for the submission of papers to be considered in the workshop is January 3, 2014.

The papers will be discussed at a workshop to be hosted by the FCC on Tuesday, January 14, 2014. The workshop will explore the technical requirements, architecture and operational parameters of the proposed SAS. The papers and the workshop are the next steps in a process begun in December 2012 when the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that was to make available at least 100 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz Band for shared commercial uses, including small cell networks (due to relatively short-range propagation in this portion of the frequency spectrum). The NPRM proposes a three-tier, license-by-rule authorization framework that would facilitate rapid broadband deployment while protecting incumbent users of the band, primarily the federal government. Under this proposal, access to the 3.5 GHz Band would be governed by a dynamic SAS, similar to the TV White Spaces database concept, in which access to the band would be based on the priority of the user and would be determined automatically in real time.

Then, earlier this month, an FCC Public Notice (PN) asked for comment on licensing models and technical requirements in the 3.5 GHz Band. The PN reiterated that the proposed SAS would manage three service tiers: (1) Incumbent Access; (2) Priority Access; and (3) General Authorized Access. Incumbent Access users would include authorized federal and grandfathered Fixed Satellite Service users. These users would have protection from harmful interference from all other users of the band. The Priority Access tier would include users with critical quality-of-service needs (such as hospitals, utilities, and public safety entities) who would be authorized to operate with some interference protection. General Authorized Access tier users would use the band opportunistically within designated geographic areas but would be required to accept interference from the higher-tier users.

To that end, the FCC now believes it is in the public interest to seek further input from interested stakeholders on system level capabilities, technical parameters, and other requirements for the proposed SAS. The November PN provides more specific guidance about the objectives and scope of the upcoming workshop and invites all interested parties to develop detailed technical papers addressing the specific issues discussed in the PN.

FCC Seeks Input on Improving FCC Efficiency

The Special Counsel to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced in an FCC blog posting on November 18, 2013, that the Commission is seeking public input on improving the efficiency of FCC processes. Responses are due by December 2, 2013.

The staff has been instructed to develop a plan within the next 60 days that includes recommendations on how best to tackle the challenge of reforming FCC processes.

The FCC specifically asks for input on ways it can: streamline, update and eliminate inefficient, outdated or duplicative processes; improve the effectiveness of communications between the public and the FCC; make information collections and reports more focused, transparent and relevant; expand the overall transparency of the workings of the agency; and any other ideas to improve the focus, speed and efficiency of the FCC's work-flows. The responses will be compiled into a report and recommendations to Chairman Wheeler. All feedback received will be made public.

The posting notes that this is only the beginning of this round of process reform efforts at the Commission, "which builds on the many steps taken in past years." The Commission hopes "to have an ongoing dialogue both internally and externally about what the agency can do to be more responsive, efficient, and effective."

Law & Regulation

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FCC Announces Effective Date, Comment Due Dates on Inmate Calling Services

The FCC's Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on inmate calling services (ICS) appeared in the Federal Register on November 13, 2013.

The appearance of the Report and Order portion establishes a February 11, 2014 effective date for the final rule. However, rule section 64.6060 and Section III.I of the Report and Order are not included, as they still require approval by the Office of Management and Budget. The new rules:

  • require all interstate inmate calling rates, including ancillary charges, be based on the cost of providing the inmate calling service;
  • adopt an interim rate cap of $0.21 per minute for debit and pre-paid calls and $0.25 per minute for collect calls;
  • adopt a safe-harbor for rates of $0.12 per minute for debit and prepaid calls and $0.14 cents per minute for collect calls;
  • prohibit "site commissions" payments from providers to correctional facilities from inclusion in interstate rates or charges;
  • clarify that inmates or their loved ones who use Telecommunications Relay Services because of hearing and speech disabilities may not be charged higher rates; and
  • require a mandatory data collection, annual certification requirement, and enforcement provisions to ensure compliance.

The appearance of the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking portion sets a comment deadline of December 13, and a reply comment deadline of December 30. In the FNPRM, the FCC is seeking comment on reforming rates and practices affecting intrastate calls, and on fostering competition to further reduce rates.

Walden Defends AT&T and Verizon Participation in Spectrum Auctions

Political news outlet The Hill reports that in a briefing with reporters on Thursday, November 15, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) warned that Congress could step in if lawmakers don't like the FCC's decisions regarding the upcoming auction of airwave licenses, in light of requests for the FCC to limit the ability of Verizon and AT&T to participate in the auction.

According to the article, Walden, who is chairman of the House Communications and Technology subcommittee, stated "I don't think it's fair to take perhaps some of the biggest bidders out of the process in the beginning," Walden said. "Remember, part of the requirement here is to generate maximum revenues for the taxpayers."

The article also indicates that Walden warned the FCC not to set aside too much "prime spectrum" for unlicensed use, stating the FCC should "not to try to calve off valuable taxpayer owned spectrum that should be in auction and make it free and unlicensed."

A day earlier, Walden had announced that the subcommittee is scheduling an oversight hearing sometime in December. Potential topics for the hearing include agency transparency and the proposal to eliminate the UHF discount, the latter of which Rep. Walden considers mishandled by the FCC.

Industry

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LightSquared Sues Charles Ergen and DISH Network

The complex saga of the LightSquared bankruptcy proceeding continues, as LightSquared has now filed a lawsuit against DISH Network, EchoStar Corporation and Charles Ergen accusing Ergen and other affiliated entities of secretly purchasing debt in the bankrupt satellite company in order to gain leverage for a takeover.

The suit, which was filed last Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, alleges that the founder and Chairman of DISH bought $1 billion in LightSquared debt in violation of a credit agreement that prohibited LightSquared's direct competitors, including DISH and EchoStar, from owning the debt. Ergen instead acquired the debt through a separate LLC without revealing he was behind the purchase.

Ergen, who is LightSquared's largest creditor, made a $2.2 Billion bid to purchase LightSquared as a way to gain control over the company's L-band spectrum (1525-1559 MHz) at a deep discount. A bankruptcy auction has been tentatively scheduled for November 25th, with Ergen's offer serving as the opening bid. Competing bids are due by today (November 20).

A DISH spokesman has called LightSquared's complaint "a desperate measure to avoid selling its assets to the highest bidder," reports Bloomberg News Service.

This fall, DISH played a central role in a complex deal to harmonize the height/power rules for unpaired channels in the Lower 700 MHz band and paved the way for AT&T to support interoperability in the Lower 700 MHz band. As part of that deal, DISH secured rulings that would allow it to use Mobile Satellite Service spectrum it acquired from DBSD and TerreStar in 2012, in conjunction with the H-Block and portions of the proposed AWS-3 spectrum, for terrestrial LTE downlink operations. DISH recently promised the FCC it would bid a minimum of $1.56 billion in the upcoming H-Block auction. Sprint Corp. and T-Mobile US both announced last week that they would not participate in bidding for the H-Block.

While it is unclear whether DISH's ultimate plan involves leasing its spectrum to mobile carriers, partnering with an incumbent or becoming a service provider in its own right, Charlie Ergen's ambitions of offering terrestrial wireless service along with satellite TV have the potential to shake up the mobile industry.

Deadlines

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FEBRUARY 1: FCC FORM 502, NUMBER UTILIZATION AND FORECAST REPORT. Any wireless or wireline carrier ( including paging companies ) that have received number blocks—including 100, 1,000, or 10,000 number blocks—from the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), a Pooling Administrator, or from another carrier, must file Form 502 by February 1 . Carriers porting numbers for the purpose of transferring an established customer's service to another service provider must also report, but the carrier receiving numbers through porting does not. Resold services should also be treated like ported numbers, meaning the carrier transferring the resold service to another carrier is required to report those numbers but the carrier receiving such numbers should not report them. Reporting carriers are required to include their FCC Registration Number (FRN). Reporting carriers file utilization and forecast reports semiannually on or before February 1 for the preceding six-month reporting period ending December 31, and on or before August 1 for the preceding six-month reporting period ending June 30.

Calendar At-a-Glance

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Dec. 2 — Reply comments on revising and updating the record on cramming are due.
Dec. 2 — Responses to FCC inquiry on efficiency are due.
Dec. 5 — Comments on Revised 3.5 GHz Licensing Model are due.
Dec. 8 — Electronic filing deadline for Form 497 for carriers seeking support for the preceding month and wishing to receive reimbursement by month's end.
Dec. 9 — Petitions for Reconsideration of Special Access Data Collection.
Dec. 13 — Comments on Lifeline Biennial Audit Plan are due.
Dec. 13 — Comments are due on intrastate inmate calling rates and practices.
Dec. 18 — Upfront payment deadline for Auction 96.
Dec. 20 — Form 323 (Biennial Ownership Report) is due.
Dec. 20 — Reply comments on Revised 3.5 GHz Licensing Model are due.
Dec. 23 — PRA Comments on Electronic Tariff Filing Requirements are due.
Dec. 30 — Reply comments on Lifeline Biennial Audit Plan are due.
Dec. 30 — Reply comments are due on intrastate inmate calling rates and practices.
Jan. 3 — Papers on System for Sharing 3.5 GHz Band are due.
Jan. 8 — Electronic filing deadline for Form 497 for carriers seeking support for the preceding month and wishing to receive reimbursement by month's end.
Jan. 15 — Annual Hearing Aid Compatibility Report is due.
Jan. 17 — Mock auction for Auction 96.
Jan. 22 — Auction 96 begins.
Feb. 1 — FCC Form 499-Q is due.
Feb. 1 — FCC Form 502 (Number Utilization and Forecast Report) is due.
Feb. 14 — Inmate calling rules become effective.
Mar. 1 — Copyright Statement of Account Form for cable companies is due.
Mar. 1 — Annual CPNI Certification is due.
Mar. 1 — FCC Form 477 (Local Competition & Broadband Reporting) is due.

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

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Ytterbium Clock Sets New Stability Mark

By Douglas McCormick
Posted 22 Aug 2013 | 20:47 GMT
IEEE SPECTRUM

An international team of researchers has built a clock whose quantum-mechanical ticking is stable to within 1.6 x 10 -18 (a little better than two parts in a quintillion). What does 1.6 x 10 -18 look like? It looks like 0.23 seconds in the 4.54-billion-year history of the Earth, or 66 millimeters in the 4.37-light-year distance from Earth to Alpha Centauri. And it may soon usher in an ability to map the interior of the earth by tracking the relativistic changes in clocks ticking on the surface, push terrestrial and space navigation to new levels of precision, and test the laws of physics.

Scientists from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado, and collaborators at the University of Colorado, the Italian National Institute of Metrological Research, and Turin Polytechnic constructed two clocks based on ytterbium atoms ( 171 Yb) trapped in an optical lattice, spin-polarized, and laser-cooled from 800 Kelvin down to 10 microKelvin (ten-millionths of a degree above absolute zero). Lead author, N. Hinkley, group leader, A.D. Ludlow, and their collaborators describe the device in paper published online by Science .

The path to this breakthrough was bristling with technical challenges such as electromagnetic phenomena that tend to skew frequency measurements. Among them are the Dick effect (interference from the interrogation laser), plus the Stark and Zeeman effects (changes in emitted spectra in response to electric and magnetic fields, respectively), and Doppler shift (changes in light frequency due to an atom's motion, however small).

The NIST ytterbium clock suspends two clouds of atoms—5000 atoms in each—in optical lattices, which are essentially electromagnetic nets of potential wells created by reflecting a laser beam back upon itself. To prevent the field from producing Stark shifts, the researchers tuned the lattice laser to its “magic” wavelength (759 nm), creating a field that balances the Stark shifts for the two clocks.

Once cooled and stabilized, the clock pumps the contents of the clouds to one of two ground-energy spin states. An interrogating laser then queries both spin states to cancel Zeeman and Stark shifts. Fluorescence reveals the number of atoms originating in the first cloud that are in the ground and excited states, respectively. The device then examines the state of the atoms from the other lattice. The device averages the frequency of each group of atoms over time, and compares them to calculate the clock's inherent instability.

The precision of this average improves over time (inversely proportional, in fact, to the square root of the sampling time, as is the case with many fluorescent devices). The device attained its 1.6 x 10 -18 stability only after 25 000 seconds (6.94 hours) of run time. Though that is a new benchmark, the team thinks it can do better: larger atom clouds, improved methods for reducing interference, and a protocol for alternately loading and examining ytterbium lattices, they say, could allow the clock to reach the same level of stability in runs lasting just 100 seconds. If they, or any group, can manage that, they would likely open up a new class of measurement, with clocks that can gauge not only time, but also space and mass more exactly than ever before.

Source: IEEE SPECTRUM

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PRISM PAGING

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Hark Technologies

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Pedi-Flite improves outcomes and reduces costs for pediatric diabetic patients

November 22, 2013

Providing families with diabetic children access via pager to a transport team improves outcomes and efficiency, according to a recent study performed at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). The study, "Real-time Support of Pediatric Diabetes Self-care by a Transport Team," was reported online ahead of print in Diabetes Care, the world's leading journal for clinical diabetes research and published by the American Diabetes Association.

Brandi E. Franklin, PhD, assistant professor in the UTHSC College of Pharmacy, retrospectively analyzed pager use in pediatric diabetic patients who used the service from August 2009 to December 2012. Pedi-Flite — Le Bonheur's air and ground transport team — answered calls from families with diabetic patients in this new model akin to modern enhanced 911 services. Calls from families were routed to Pedi-Flite Transfer Center dispatchers, who are seasoned emergency medicine technicians trained in diabetes care by the Pediatric Endocrine Center of UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists (ULPS).

These investigators reported that although pager users were 2.75 times more likely to visit the emergency department (ED) for diabetic ketoacidosis or related illness, ED visits by pager users were less likely to lead to inpatient admissions. Moreover, those eventually admitted required a significantly shorter length of stay. More than half of all pages were resolved by Pedi-Flite dispatch without need for further referral to a physician. Researchers estimated that 439 ED visits and 115 admissions were avoided because of this novel system, saving over $760,000.

"This innovative, cost-effective approach reduces disparities in diabetes care and improves access for our patients," said Franklin. The study was conceived and led by Robert Ferry, Jr., MD, who holds the Le Bonheur Chair of Excellence in Endocrinology as chief of UTHSC's Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, in collaboration with Crile Crisler, Jr., MHA, administrative director of Patient Transport at Le Bonheur, and Meri Armour, MBA, president and CEO of Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.

MORE

"Le Bonheur Pedi-Flite is proud to be a part of improving the available services for diabetic patients in our region" said Crisler. "Pedi-Flite enjoys the opportunity to partner with the endocrine service in attempts to reduce severity of diabetic-related illness and ensure that all patients needing help have a 'phone-a-friend' option, available to ensure the answers they need are never more than a phone call away."

Le Bonheur's endocrinology program is recognized by the American Diabetes Association and treats more than 980 children and adolescents with diabetes.

http://www.lebonheur.org

Source: The Almagest

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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From:Barry Kanne
Subject:  Call-out Alerting
Date:November 15, 2013
To:Brad Dye

I seem to recall that there are devices that are manufactured to support the hearing impaired segment of telecom users that trigger a bright flashing light or strobe light in response to an audible alerting device. Perhaps this is the answer to our friends in law enforcement.

73,

Barry

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Editor's note: Bed Shakers, as well.

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UNTIL NEXT WEEK

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Wireless Messaging News


With best regards,
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Newsletter Editor
73 DE K9IQY

Brad Dye
P.O. Box 266
Fairfield, IL 62837
USA

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CONTACT INFO & LINKS
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THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK

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Happy Thanksgiving

Mark Twain

“Thanksgiving Day, a function which originated in New England two or three centuries ago when those people recognized that they really had something to be thankful for — annually, not oftener — if they had succeeded in exterminating their neighbors, the Indians, during the previous twelve months instead of getting exterminated by their neighbors, the Indians. Thanksgiving Day became a habit, for the reason that in the course of time, as the years drifted on, it was perceived that the exterminating had ceased to be mutual and was all on the white man's side, consequently on the Lord's side; hence it was proper to thank the Lord for it and extend the usual annual compliments.”

 

 

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