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Dear Friends of Wireless Messaging, Welcome back to The Wireless Messaging News. Well, I found another of those anti-Paging articles this week. It is the worst attack on paging that I have ever seen. At first I wondered if it was a late April Fool's joke or science fiction. Unfortunately it is neither — just a mis-informed contrary opinion, and an attempt to sell another smartphone app. “RCare Officially Declares War on Pagers, Advocates Accountability and Efficiency in Senior Housing” “Pagers must be eliminated. They must be stopped at all costs.” I won't honor this junk by re-posting it here, but if you must read it, follow this link . For a positive opinion on critical hospital communications, be sure to read the LETTER TO THE EDITOR from Kevin McFarland, Sr. Application Systems Analyst at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. I am proud to have Kevin as a member of my Board of Advisors. Our friend Mary Jesse is in the news again this week — a new venture. Good luck Mary. Nurse-Activated Stroke Codes Improve Process, Clinical Outcomesby Alicia Ciccone, Editor A nurse-driven stroke evaluation algorithm improved patient triage and treatment utilization. A nurse-driven stroke evaluation algorithm improved patient triage and treatment utilization. VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Nurse-activated stroke codes help improve both process and clinical outcomes in the emergency department, according to results from a retrospective analysis presented at the 2016 annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) . Knowing “time is brain,” Sarah Song, MD, MPH, of Rush University Medical Center, and colleagues sought to improve acute stroke process metrics by transitioning from a typical physician-driven stroke evaluation algorithm to a nurse-driven process in an urban comprehensive stroke center. In order to do so, nursing staff were trained to recognize stroke symptoms, and an alert process initiated by the greet or triage nurse was activated. Stroke code data from January 1, 2013 through August 16, 2015 were included in the study, with nurse-activated stroke codes initiated on December 6, 2014. Overall, 221 patients were included in the pre- and 103 in the post-intervention analysis. Following initiation of nurse-activated stroke codes, all process outcomes improved. Overall stroke team paging improved from 57% to 96%, with stroke team paging within 15 minutes of patient arrival improving significantly from 33% to 71%; 45-minute door-to-lab goal improved from 33% to 43%; and 45-minute CT scan order-to-complete goal improved from 94% to 98%. Clinical outcomes, including the percentage of patients receiving intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) increased from 1% to 4%, and average door-to-endovascular procedure time decreased from 2 hours 43 minutes to 1 hour 56 minutes. No change in door-to-needle times and percentage of patients sent home or to inpatient rehabilitation were observed. Based on the considerable improvements observed in the study, the authors stress that continual evaluation of triage protocols is necessary to optimize acute stroke treatment. Reference Now on to more news and views. | Wayne County, Illinois
A new issue of the Wireless Messaging Newsletter is posted on the web each week. A notification goes out by e-mail to subscribers on most Fridays around noon central US time. The notification message has a link to the actual newsletter on the web. That way it doesn’t fill up your incoming e-mail account. There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. Readers are a very select group of wireless industry professionals, and include the senior managers of many of the world’s major Paging and Wireless Messaging companies. There is an even mix of operations managers, marketing people, and engineers — so I try to include items of interest to all three groups. It’s all about staying up-to-date with business trends and technology. I regularly get readers’ comments, so this newsletter has become a community forum for the Paging, and Wireless Messaging communities. You are welcome to contribute your ideas and opinions. Unless otherwise requested, all correspondence addressed to me is subject to publication in the newsletter and on my web site. I am very careful to protect the anonymity of those who request it. I spend the whole week searching the Internet for news that I think may be of interest to you — so you won’t have to. This newsletter is an aggregator — a service that aggregates news from other news sources. You can help our community by sharing any interesting news that you find.
Editorial Opinion pieces present only the opinions of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of any of advertisers or supporters. This newsletter is independent of any trade association. Subscribe IT'S FREE * required field If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter just fill in the blanks in the form above, and then click on the “Subscribe” button. There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. It’s all about staying up-to-date with business trends and technology. Back To Paging
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Contact: Andrea Cumpston EWA Welcomes Robin Cohen as Executive Director of Regulatory Affairs and Spectrum Strategies(Herndon, VA) — The Enterprise Wireless Alliance announced today that Robin Cohen has joined its senior management team in the role of Executive Director of Regulatory Affairs and Spectrum Strategies. This is a new position for EWA that will enhance the Alliance’s efforts to promote efficient use of spectrum and to secure new spectrum access opportunities for its members. Ms. Cohen, an industry veteran, brings a deep understanding of the issues facing the wireless communications industry. Prior to this EWA position, Ms. Cohen spent more than 19 years at Sprint Corporation (formerly Sprint Nextel), the last 11 as Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs. Ms. Cohen’s responsibilities included management of Sprint’s compliance with the FCC rules, assisting with Sprint’s advocacy on FCC policy matters, and protecting Sprint’s single largest multi-billion dollar asset, its spectrum licenses. While with Sprint, she was twice recognized for her outstanding achievements by receiving Sprint’s Circle of Excellence Award. This represents a return to EWA for Ms. Cohen who began her career as a Spectrum Manager with the Industrial Telecommunications Association, a precursor to the Alliance. “We are thrilled to have Robin join EWA’s professional staff,” said EWA President Mark Crosby. “Her industry experience, spectrum knowledge and regulatory insights will be incredible assets as the Alliance pursues its strategic objectives on behalf of its members and customers,” he continued. Among other responsibilities, Robin Cohen will help develop EWA’s advocacy efforts before the Federal Communications Commission and, oversee critical spectrum management projects. About the new role, Robin said, “I am looking forward to this new opportunity and am excited about assisting EWA in representing its membership with its advocacy efforts regarding regulatory policy matters and spectrum strategies before the FCC. EWA is a highly respected association in the telecommunications industry, and I'm fortunate to become a part of such an incredible team of professionals.” At the Enterprise Wireless Alliance, Robin Cohen may be reached by phone at 703-797-5112 and e-mail at robin.cohen@enterprisewireless.org . About the Enterprise Wireless Alliance |
| Source: | Enterprise Wireless Alliance |
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Industry Insights: What’s Up With WhatsApp for Emergency Communications?BY JOSEPH MAZZARELLA ON APR 19, 2016 Editor's note: Industry Insights are sponsored blogs submitted by manufacturers and suppliers serving the EMS industry. When terror struck Brussels on March 22, 2016, one thing that quickly became evident was how much more needs to be done to ensure effective and efficient communications for first responders worldwide. In its aftermath, various media sources reported that Brussels police were forced to use WhatsApp Messenger to communicate with one another in the aftermath of the attacks and that widespread communication problems hampered emergency services. Commercial mobile networks in the area were overwhelmed by increased traffic and Brussels’ emergency services network, ASTRID, likewise failed, leaving law enforcement unable to connect and collaborate in the chaos. As an instant messaging client for smartphones, WhatsApp may be wonderful for personal communications, but it is hardly sufficient to meet the demands for real time communications in the midst of a life-critical crisis. Unfortunately, a lack of reliable emergency communications systems is not unique to Brussels. If a large-scale terrorist attack were to happen on U.S. soil tomorrow, there is a significant risk that similar failures would occur. In fact, in countless cases since 9/11, communications failures coupled with the continuing inability to inter-operate with partner responder agencies during major emergencies have been reported as a serious issue in after action reports. The range includes failures in communications and interoperability during Hurricane Katrina, the Deep Horizon Spill, the Aurora Theater shooting, the Washington Navy Yard shooting and L’Enfant Train Station Fire, among others. Fortunately, there are simple, quick, cost-effective and uncontroversial steps that can literally be taken today that would greatly enhance our ability to respond more effectively to terror attacks. When terror strikes, an effective emergency response requires massive cooperation and information sharing among law enforcement agencies and federal, state and local agencies to eliminate the threat and minimize causalities. First responders must be able to communicate in real time with relevant parties for ongoing assessment and rapid decision-making during unfolding situations. In these scenarios, information is at a premium and every moment of uncertainty, confusion, delay or indecision can inevitably lead to an increased number of injuries and deaths. With real-time situational awareness and coordination being perhaps the most critical components of a first-response effort, there is no greater truism than “time saved is lives saved.” One of our biggest obstacles is a surprisingly simple one—public safety officials and government entities cannot effectively communicate with each other (inter-operate) in real time during an emergency. Sadly, this crucial functional deficit was identified long ago in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. In the intervening 15years, tens of billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on new radio digital radio communications systems based on the premise of improving interoperability, but in reality these new systems never delivered on their primary mission, at least not in any meaningful way. In the United States, initiatives such as FirstNet and the DHS Interoperable Communications Act represent earnest attempts to remedy this persistent problem and are positive steps in the right direction. With FirstNet, congested commercial mobile networks, like those experienced in Brussels, would no longer be needed. Instead, a dedicated private public safety broadband network similar to commercial mobile networks will be available exclusively to first responders. With FirstNet, a broad range of new applications and interactive services will furnish first responders with cutting edge capabilities in the field that vastly exceed the limited voice communications now provided by legacy radio communications systems. Still, more must be done—and can be done now without much heavy lifting or cost. Proven, commercially available solutions for communications interoperability are at our disposal. DHS maintains a list of Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technologies (QUATTs) that have already undergone a rigorous review and testing process under the SAFETY Act (Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technology). Furthermore, DHS certifies a list of “Approved Products for Homeland Security” that are ready to be deployed in defense of our homeland, but remain inexplicably underutilized. These technologies enable secure bridging of public safety agency communication systems with partners and critical infrastructure entities on demand, providing instant, on-demand collaboration using existing systems. In fact, these technologies are used extensively in select parts of the country by hundreds of state and local agencies, but still far too few. Increased deployment of these technologies would result in secure communications among police, fire and EMS, as well as with thousands of local partner agencies that sit on the front line of terror in America—such as hospitals, transit authorities and utilities. We would all do well to remind ourselves that our mission is to protect Main Street, U.S.A. with an urgency commensurate with the serious threats confronting our communities and our citizens. There is no greater imperative. It is simply unacceptable for police and other emergency responders to rely on consumer-grade smartphone apps for emergency communications when life-saving technology advancements are available today. Joseph Mazzarella serves as Mutualink’s senior vice president and chief legal counsel. In addition to being responsible for the management of Mutualink’s legal and governmental affairs, he serves in key operations management and business development roles. He has over 20 years of corporate, finance, M&A, licensing and IP law experience and has in-depth knowledge and experience in the high tech sector, ranging from consumer and enterprise based software development, advanced wireless network and location technologies, and communications. He also serves as a member of Mutualink’s Board of Directors. |
| Source: | EMS World |
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Disaster-Proven Paging for Public SafetyPaging system designs in the United States typically use a voice radio-style infrastructure. These systems are primarily designed for outdoor mobile coverage with modest indoor coverage. Before Narrowbanding, coverage wasn’t good, but what they have now is not acceptable! The high power, high tower approach also makes the system vulnerable. If one base station fails, a large area loses their paging service immediately! Almost every technology went from analog to digital except fire paging. So it’s time to think about digital paging! The Disaster-Proven Paging Solution (DiCal) from Swissphone offers improved coverage, higher reliability and flexibility beyond anything that traditional analog or digital paging systems can provide. Swissphone is the No. 1 supplier for digital paging solutions worldwide. The Swiss company has built paging networks for public safety organizations all over the world. Swissphone has more than 1 million pagers in the field running for years and years due to their renowned high quality. DiCal is the digital paging system developed and manufactured by Swissphone. It is designed to meet the specific needs of public safety organizations. Fire and EMS rely on these types of networks to improve incident response time. DiCal systems are designed and engineered to provide maximum indoor paging coverage across an entire county. In a disaster situation, when one or several connections in a simulcast solution are disrupted or interrupted, the radio network automatically switches to fall back operating mode. Full functionality is preserved at all times. This new system is the next level of what we know as “Simulcast Paging” here in the U.S.
Swissphone offers high-quality pagers, very robust and waterproof. Swissphone offers the best sensitivity in the industry, and battery autonomy of up to three months. First responder may choose between a smart s.QUAD pager, which is able to connect with a smartphone and the Hurricane DUO pager, the only digital pager who offers text-to-voice functionality. Bluetooth technology makes it possible to connect the s.QUAD with a compatible smartphone, and ultimately with various s.ONE software solutions from Swissphone. Thanks to Bluetooth pairing, the s.QUAD combines the reliability of an independent paging system with the benefits of commercial cellular network. Dispatched team members can respond back to the call, directly from the pager. The alert message is sent to the pager via paging and cellular at the same time. This hybrid solution makes the alert faster and more secure. Paging ensures alerting even if the commercial network fails or is overloaded. Swissphone sets new standards in paging: Paging Network
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| BloostonLaw Newsletter |
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.
Clients Should Review Updates to Rate of Return Study Areas and Challenge if NecessaryOn April 14, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced the release of a data set showing updates to the Form 477 filing made by non-incumbent providers between February 19 and March 30, 2016 for broadband deployment data as of June 2015. The data set can be found at https://transition.fcc.gov/wcb/RORBlockChanges(30Mar16).xlsx . Carriers should review the FCC’s records for accuracy, as this data will impact the availability of USF support for broadband under the recent Rate-of-Return Reform Order. The firm is available to assist in making corrections, which are due April 28. HeadlinesRUS Announces Community Connect Broadband $11 Million Funding AvailabilityOn April 18, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) published a Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) announcing the application window for Fiscal Year 2016 of the Community Connect Grant Program. $11,740,000 is available for funding, with a $3,000,000 cap per grant. Applications are due no later than Friday, June 17, 2016. The Community Connect program helps fund broadband deployment into rural communities where it is not yet economically viable for private sector providers to deliver service. Rural areas that lack any existing broadband speed of at least 4 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream are eligible. State and local governments, Federally-recognized Tribes, Non-profits, and For-profit corporations are all eligible to apply. Grant applicants must demonstrate matching contributions in cash of at least fifteen percent (15%) of the total amount of financial assistance requested. The minimum bandwidth that an applicant must propose to deliver to every customer in the proposed funded service area is ten megabits downstream and one megabit upstream for both fixed and mobile service to the customer. Funding is available only in contiguous geographic area within an eligible Rural Area (i.e., a rural area that does not already have access to 4/1 speeds) that does not overlap with the service area of a current RUS borrower or grantee. Applicants must propose to offer service, free of charge to users, at the Broadband Grant Speed to all Critical Community Facilities located within the Proposed Funded Service Area for at least two (2) years, and must propose to provide a Community Center with at least two (2) Computer Access Points and wireless access at the Broadband Grant Speed free of charge to users for at least two (2) years. FCC Releases Tariff Review Plans for ILECsOn April 13, the FCC issued an Order setting forth the Tariff Review Plans (TRPs) that are available for all incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) to use to support the annual revisions to the rates in their interstate access service tariffs. These documents are to be used to provide the supporting documentation to partially fulfill the requirements established in the FCC’s rules. As readers will recall, the Rate-of-Return Reform Order re-prescribed the authorized rate of return from 11.25 percent to 9.75 percent by July 1, 2021 through an annual .25 percent reduction. In order to implement the annual rate of return reductions contemplated by the Rate-of-Return Reform Order beginning July 1, 2016, all rate-of-return incumbent LECs will be required to file access service tariff revisions each year reflecting the revised rate of return. Deadline for Comments to Refresh Sandwich Isles Reconsideration Record ExtendedOn April 15, the FCC issued an Order granting in part a motion for extension of time to file comments to refresh the record on Sandwich Isles Communications, Inc. (Sandwich Isles) Petition for Reconsideration regarding its cable network lease costs submitted for cost recovery through the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) pool. Comments are now due April 28, and reply comments are now due May 9. As we reported in a previous edition of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, the FCC released a Declaratory Ruling in 2010 addressing whether certain lease expenses incurred by Sandwich Isles were costs that were “used and useful” and could be included for recovery in the NECA pool. Specifically, the Bureau found it was reasonable to include 50% of “the lease expenses subject to dispute” in the revenue requirement, relying on a finding of certain “equitable considerations.” The Declaratory Ruling allowed costs to lease the cable network each year, including the maintenance and insurance costs, to the extent that they were not attributable to actual usage of the cable, plus certain engineering costs. However, it excluded expenses related to the actual usage of the cable network for the provision of services covered by the NECA tariff, 100 percent of which already would be included in Sandwich Isles’ revenue requirement even absent the Declaratory Ruling, and those expenses associated with actual usage of the cable to provide services not encompassed by the NECA tariff, including, among other things, non-regulated services and intrastate services. Sandwich Isles filed a Petition for Reconsideration of the Declaratory Ruling in 2010, and AT&T filed an Application for Review that same year. More recently, NECA filed a Petition for Clarification and/or Declaratory Ruling in this docket, seeking clarification regarding particular conclusions in the Declaratory Ruling. According to the Public Notice, recent filings in the record indicate new or changed facts and circumstances that may be relevant to the Commission’s consideration. Therefore, the FCC seeks to refresh the record, and invites interested parties to comment on the outstanding petitions and application, as well as provide any and all updated information relevant to the consideration of these matters. Deadline Established for Broadband Customer Privacy NPRMOn April 20, the FCC published its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking public comment on how to apply the privacy requirements of the Communications Act to broadband Internet access service (BIAS). Comments are due May 27 and reply comments are due June 27. At least one proposal that bears attention from small and rural service providers is the idea of a Small BIAS Provider Exemption. Specifically, the FCC seeks comment on whether there are any small-provider-specific exemptions that are appropriate, such as for small providers who have already obtained customer approval, or who collect data from fewer than 5,000 customers a year (provided they do not share customer data with third parties). Other proposals include definitions for the information that would be protected as “customer proprietary information”; rules to enhance the ability of consumers to make informed choices through effective disclosure of broadband providers’ privacy policies that would include; a three-tiered approach to choice with respect to use of customer PI obtained by virtue of providing the broadband service (no additional approval, opt-out approval, or opt-in approval); whether, and how, Section 222 should be applied to provide additional protection to some or all forms of content or to otherwise complement the effectiveness of existing federal laws; whether there are particular types of information, for example, Social Security numbers, financial account information, or geo-location information that, although included within the definition of customer PI, are so sensitive that they deserve special treatment; proposals to allow consumers to rely on their broadband provider to take reasonable steps to safeguard customer information from unauthorized use; and rules that harmonize the privacy requirements for cable and satellite providers with the rules for telecommunications providers, among other things. Law & RegulationKelsey Smith Act Passes House SubcommitteeOn April 19, the House Energy and Commerce communications subcommittee unanimously passed the Kelsey Smith Act, which requires wireless carriers to provide call location information upon request of an investigative or law enforcement officer. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is currently considering related legislation. Specifically, the Kelsey Smith Act amends the Communications Act to require providers of commercial mobile service or IP-enabled voice service to provide, upon request, the call location information (or best available location information) of a telecommunications device that is “used to place a 9–1–1 call requesting emergency assistance” or “reasonably believed to be in the possession of an individual that the law enforcement officer reasonably believes is in an emergency situation that involves the risk of death or serious physical harm to the individual.” The Kelsey Smith Act was proposed when the eponymous victim was abducted in June of 2007 and Verizon Wireless took four days to turn over the location data for her cellphone which reportedly lead to the location of her body in less than an hour. House Considers Bill to Cap Lifeline BudgetLast week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing in which it considered the ‘CURB Lifeline Act of 2016,” a bill that caps the Lifeline program’s budget at $1.5 billion. The bill is a response to the FCC’s recent action to expand Lifeline to cover broadband, including a flexible $2.5 billion budget. Republicans supported the bill, with Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) calling the recent expansion of the program “a cavalier disregard for basic fiscal discipline.” The Chairman continued, “I don’t think this is the way government should be handling the American people’s dollars.” IndustryNTIA Issues Results of Internet Use SurveyOn April 19, the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) made a blog post discussing the results of a recent survey taken by the U.S. Census Bureau for NTIA on computer and internet use. According to the survey, known as the Computer and Internet Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey, mobile services are beginning to replace wired service in the home. Specifically, the number of American households using wired technologies to access the Internet at home in 2015 decreased from 82 percent of online households in 2013 to 75 percent. At the same time, the number of online households that relied exclusively on mobile service at home doubled from 10 percent to 20 percent. The study also reportedly demonstrated that low-income households that used the Internet at home were significantly more likely to depend on a mobile data plan than those with higher incomes:
NTIA’s blog post can be found here . Hudson Institute Releases Study on Economic Impact of Rural BroadbandOn April 20, the Hudson Institute issued a report entitled “The Economic Impact of Rural Broadband,” which estimates the direct and indirect economic effects of the rural telecommunications, or broadband, industry on Gross Domestic Product (GDP). According to a press release, the study, authored by Senior Fellow Hanns Kuttner, concludes that “Rural broadband services are a necessary input in an economy where the ability to complete a transaction electronically has become indispensable. The economic impact would be greater if broadband was more widespread and as available in rural areas as it is in urban areas.” Major findings include:
A copy of the complete report may be obtained here . DeadlinesMAY 31: FCC FORM 395, EMPLOYMENT REPORT. Common carriers, including wireless carriers, with 16 or more full-time employees must file their annual Common Carrier Employment Reports (FCC Form 395) by May 31. This report tracks carrier compliance with rules requiring recruitment of minority employees. Further, the FCC requires all common carriers to report any employment discrimination complaints they received during the past year. That information is also due on May 31 . The FCC encourages carriers to complete the discrimination report requirement by filling out Section V of Form 395, rather than submitting a separate report. JULY 1: FCC FORM 481 (CARRIER ANNUAL REPORTING DATA COLLECTION FORM). All eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) must report the information required by Section 54.313, which includes outage, unfulfilled service request, and complaint data, broken out separately for voice and broadband services, information on the ETC’s holding company, operating companies, ETC affiliates and any branding in response to section 54.313(a)(8); its CAF-ICC certification, if applicable; its financial information, if a privately held rate-of-return carrier; and its satellite backhaul certification, if applicable. Form 481 must not only be filed with USAC, but also with the FCC and the relevant state commission and tribal authority, as appropriate. Although USAC treats the filing as confidential, filers must seek confidential treatment separately with the FCC and the relevant state commission and tribal authority if confidential treatment is desired. JULY 1: MOBILITY FUND PHASE I ANNUAL REPORT. Winning bidders in Auction 901 that are authorized to receive Mobility Fund Phase I support are required to submit to the Commission an annual report each year on July 1 for the five years following authorization. Each annual report must be submitted to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission, clearly referencing WT Docket No. 10-208; the Universal Service Administrator; and the relevant state commissions, relevant authority in a U.S. Territory, or Tribal governments, as appropriate. The information and certifications required to be included in the annual report are described in Section 54.1009 of the Commission’s rules. JULY 29: CARRIER IDENTIFICATION CODE (CIC) REPORTS. Carrier Identification Code (CIC) Reports must be filed by the last business day of July (this year, July 29). These reports are required of all carriers who have been assigned a CIC code by NANPA. Failure to file could result in an effort by NANPA to reclaim it, although according to the Guidelines this process is initiated with a letter from NANPA regarding the apparent non-use of the CIC code. The assignee can then respond with an explanation. (Guidelines Section 6.2). The CIC Reporting Requirement is included in the CIC Assignment Guidelines, produced by ATIS. According to section 1.4 of that document: At the direction of the NANPA, the access providers and the entities who are assigned CICs will be requested to provide access and usage information to the NANPA, on a semi-annual basis to ensure effective management of the CIC resource. (Holders of codes may respond to the request at their own election). Access provider and entity reports shall be submitted to NANPA no later than January 31 for the period ending December 31, and no later than July 31 for the period ending June 30. It is also referenced in the NANPA Technical Requirements Document, which states at 7.18.6: CIC holders shall provide a usage report to the NANPA per the industry CIC guidelines … The NAS shall be capable of accepting CIC usage reports per guideline requirements on January 31 for the period ending December 31 and no later than July 31 for the period ending June 30. These reports may also be mailed and accepted by the NANPA in paper form. Finally, according to the NANPA website, if no local exchange carrier reports access or usage for a given CIC, NANPA is obliged to reclaim it. The semi-annual utilization and access reporting mechanism is described at length in the guidelines. AUGUST 1: FCC FORM 507, UNIVERSAL SERVICE QUARTERLY LINE COUNT UPDATE. Line count updates are required to recalculate a carrier's per line universal service support, and is filed with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). This information must be submitted on July 31 each year by all rate-of-return incumbent carriers, and on a quarterly basis if a competitive eligible telecommunications carrier (CETC) has initiated service in the rate-of-return incumbent carrier’s service area and reported line count data to USAC in the rate-of-return incumbent carrier’s service area, in order for the incumbent carrier to be eligible to receive Interstate Common Line Support (ICLS). Because July 31 falls on a Sunday this year, the filing will be due August 1. This quarterly filing is due July 31 and covers lines served as of December 31, 2013. Incumbent carriers filing on a quarterly basis must also file on September 30 (for lines served as of March 31, 2014); December 30 (for lines served as of June 30, 2014), and March 31, 2015, for lines served as of September 30, 2014). Calendar At-A-Glance April May June July August |
| 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 . |
On-the-Air Activity to Highlight International Marconi Day on April 23Around-the-world Amateur Radio activity will mark the 29th annual International Marconi Day ( IMD ), a 24-hour event held annually to celebrate the anniversary of wireless pioneer Guglielmo Marconi's birth on April 25, 1874. IMD is observed each year on a Saturday close to Marconi's birthday, and this year it will be observed on Saturday, April 23, with many special event stations on the air — some operating from Marconi-related sites that count as points toward the Marconi Award. Certificates are available for both transmitting stations and shortwave listeners (SWLs).
The event is not a contest; it is an opportunity for amateurs around the world to make point-to-point contact with historic Marconi sites on HF, and to earn an award certificate for working or hearing a requisite number of Marconi stations. International Marconi Day special event station GB4IMD will operate from Cornwall, helmed by members of the Cornish Amateur Radio Club, which organizes the IMD event each year. IMD 2016 has been dedicated to Norman Pascoe, G4USB (SK), one of the event's founders, who died in February. Cornwall was home to some of Marconi's early work. GK3MPD will be on the air from the inventor's Poldhu site. The Kerry Amateur Radio Group in Ireland will be among those taking part as an Award Station in this year's IMD activities. The station will be set up on the site of the former Marconi Station at Ballybunnion by the "Expeditionary Radio Team" of the radio club. Two HF stations are planned, and special event call sign EI6YXQ will commemorate the original YXQ that the Marconi Station at Ballybunnion used.
Radio amateurs in Norfolk, England, will once again be active from Caister Lifeboat as part of the International Marconi Day celebrations. The Norfolk Amateur Radio Club ( NARC ) will be on the air from special event station GB0CMS from the Caister Lifeboat Visitor Centre to commemorate the village's original Marconi wireless station, established in 1900. The station's initial purpose was to communicate with ships in the North Sea and the Cross Sands lightship. While it's not part of the official International Marconi Day activities, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station ( ARISS ) school contact in England will take place on April 23, and the Marconi observance prompted the proposed initial question to ISS crew member Tim Peake, KG5BVI. Twelve-year-old Benny plans to ask, “Today is International Marconi Day; how do you think Marconi would feel about this radio communication?” Other IMD sites with historical links to the inventor's work include Cape Cod, Massachusetts (WA1WCC); Glace Bay, Nova Scotia (VE1IMD); Villa Griffone, Bologna, Italy (IY4FGM); Signal Hill, St Johns, Newfoundland (VO1AA), and many others. A Facebook page is also available. |
| Source: | ARRL.org |
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Wireless Network Planners www.wirelessplanners.com
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| LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |
Brad, I share your frustration. I am constantly asked why we have not replaced pagers with smartphones. For us the most important criteria is coverage. We are located in a rural setting with many hills and valleys. Even today cell coverage is not adequate for our emergency and patient care requirements. We support several thousand pagers. Device cost, maintenance, battery life, and unlimited group messaging with one common address make a total conversion impractical. For us, paging will be a primary means of communication for some time. Smartphones can provide an important role, particularly within an institution’s owned wireless infrastructure. Relying solely upon cell carriers for life safety communications can be very risky. Thanks for your great newsletter. Kevin Kevin D. McFarland, MSCIS Phone 603-650-5070 | Fax 603-650-8208
“Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.” —John Wooden |
Hello: My name is Jason Mills and I was Vice-President of CalPage, a regional paging player in California during the 1980's and 1990's. I now own Utility Telecom and have for 20 years. I count as one of my "critical" customers USA Mobility. We provide MISSION-CRITICAL DID SERVICE OVER TDM AND PUBLIC OR PRIVATE VoIP. We understand DPT signaling, EandM signaling. We do *ANI*DNIS*, we can handle multi-way IP-backup over multiple network. We have handled many medical operations. We have several thousand doctors including Cedar Sinai using our live-answer voicemail with Paging and SMS text messaging interfaces. I WANT TO JOIN YOUR COMMUNITY AND HELP PAGING PEOPLE IN THE USA. We understand RF, Paging, Voicemail, SIP, VoIP, TDM old-school telephony, paging, Mobilephone (IMTS and manual), ship to shore. I want to help people bridge the gap from Zetron hardware into the new world. I am also building a new paging infrastructure in California for medical and I personally want to re-join this industry. Please let me know how I can advertise or become useful in this universe. Thanks. My mobile is 209-981-1010 Thank you, Jason R. Mills On Apr 17, 2016, at 20:27, Brad Dye <brad@braddye.com> wrote: Hi Jason, Wow . . . what a nice message to receive. It will be great having you active in our paging community once again. I believe my weekly newsletter is one of the few remaining publications keeping the paging and wireless messaging industries together. The newsletter goes out every Friday about noon central time. At our peak, we had about 5,000 regular readers in nearly 50 countries. That has dropped off a lot now . . . as you can imagine. The newsletter is supported by advertising and voluntary donations. The various advertising options are here: http://www.braddye.com/read_me.html Sporadic donations have been from $10 to $1,000. Regular advertisers are encouraged to submit app notes, case studies, press releases, product announcements, and things of that sort — at no additional charge. I am happy to know that you want to help. We need all the help we can get. Radio Communications has been my passion for over 60 years. Best Regards, Brad Dye On April 17, 2016 at 11:11:54 PM CDT, Jason Mills <jmills@utilitytelephone.com> wrote: Awesome! I am also an amateur, KE6VOU, and have finally started to engage in that world after having a ticket since the 1990's. Forgot to mention that. Thank you for the warm welcome and let's keep talking. I will take a look at the newsletter and website you note and let's talk again soon! Thank you, Jason Mills by Siri |
| UNTIL NEXT WEEK |
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| THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK |
Helping Others “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” |
| PHOTOS OF THE WEEK |
Ecuador Earthquake
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Earthquake Aid In light of the earthquake that hit the coast of Ecuador and killed 500+ people and destroyed so much property, Panama Hats Direct is trying to stimulate the local economy, and to help the worst-hit coastal weavers by increasing their sales.
So if you have always wanted a Panama Hat, now is a good time to buy one. This company is offering large discounts on their existing stock. Editor's note: Full Disclosure — I do own a Panama Hat that I purchased from this company last year, and wore to the Critical Messaging Association conference in Myrtle Beach, but I am not being compensated in any way for this advertisement. Background: A Panama hat (toquilla straw hat) is a traditional brimmed straw hat of Ecuadorian origin. Traditionally, hats were made from the plaited leaves of the Carludovica palmata plant, known locally as the toquilla palm or jipijapa palm, although it is a palm-like plant rather than a true palm. Panama hats are light-colored, lightweight, and breathable, and often worn as accessories to summer-weight suits, such as those made of linen or silk. Beginning around the turn of the 20th century, panamas began to be associated with the seaside and tropical locales. The art of weaving the traditional Ecuadorian toquilla hat was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists on 6 December 2012. Panama hat is an Intangible Cultural Heritage, a term used to define practices, traditions, knowledge and skills communities pass down from generation to generation as part of their cultural heritage. Beginning in the early to mid-1600’s hat weaving evolved as a cottage industry all along the Ecuadorian coast. Hat weaving and wearing grew steadily in Ecuador through the 17th and 18th centuries. Even then, the best quality hats were being made in what is now the province of Manabí. Straw hats woven in Ecuador, like many other 19th and early 20th century South American goods, were shipped first to the Isthmus of Panama before sailing for their destinations in Asia, the rest of the Americas and Europe, subsequently acquiring a name that reflected their point of international sale, “Panama hats,” rather than their place of domestic origin. The term was being used by at least 1834. Theodore Roosevelt visiting the Panama Canal construction site in 1904, pictured wearing a Panama hat | ||||||
| Source: | Wikipedia contributors, “Panama hat,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Panama_hat&oldid=715615138 (accessed April 21, 2016). |
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