I know it's happened to me before, and it's probably happened to you, too. You're talking just fine on your cell until you get inside an office building or a high-rise of some type, possibly riding up in an elevator, and there goes the signal. There's no doubt coverage is better these days than it used to be. Wireless carriers have added more than 30,000 new towers and cell sites in just the last two years alone. However, this is still physics we're dealing with here, and there are still trouble spots. The New York Times recently ran a story that focused on a new technology called femtocells that at least one carrier is currently deploying to improve coverage in small areas, such as your home. The article went on to mention the use of cell phone repeaters, or boosters, as another possible remedy, saying..

"The presence of boosters on frequencies that belong to the carriers has made them somewhat controversial. The Federal Communications Commission certifies the devices for some purposes, but they recommend contacting your carrier before installing one.

If a person is interested in improving coverage with a booster, “we would encourage that person to first work with his or her wireless carrier to identify a certified device that the carrier also approves of before installing it and using it on the network,” said Robert Kenny, a spokesman for the F.C.C."
  
It's not only important for someone interested in installing a booster to contact their carrier, it's actually against federal law to do so without your carrier's permission. The Telecommunications Act clearly states that a licensee must approve use of any transmitter in its spectrum, and the reason for that is clear. Improperly installed, a booster might do wonders for your coverage, but wreak absolute havoc with your neighbors'. That could disrupt such important transmissions as emergency calls to 911, and that's one of the primary reasons why protecting the integrity of the network, everyone's network, is important. Using repeaters or boosters on frequencies licensed by the government, without your carriers' consent, means you are violating the terms of the license.  So before you take matters into your own hands, make sure you're not doing it at someone else's expense.    

There have been some recent media reports regarding the opinion of Dr. Vini Khurana regarding the use of cell phones and associated health risks. Dr. Khurana, who is a neurosurgeon and not a researcher, believes there is research evidence that indicates cell phone users of 10 years or more greatly increase their chances of developing some forms of rare brain tumors. We continue to encourage discussion on this important topic focus solely on the vast amount of international research that's been performed, which was recently reviewed by an international group of independent health experts for the Swedish Radiation Protective Agency. This comprehensive review included all known existing research in the area, and supports conclusions drawn by the World Health Organizations and other renowned health agencies around the world. There are numerous studies that could be cited that directly contradict Dr. Khurana's claim, such as one from Denmark in late 2006 that included 52,000 long-term mobile phone users, and found that their incidence of these rare tumors was even less than had been predicted based on the incidence rate of the general population. While some experts believe further research is necessary, we maintain that current discussion should be based on holistic review of scientific evidence, and not selected projects which could paint an alarming, misleading, and inaccurate picture of the situation.

Last week, I had the great pleasure of traveling to Southwest Virginia to participate in a cell site ground breaking ceremony. The event was held at a beautiful town hall in the rural community of Pound, Virginia. In fact, the town hall was once a school house where the current mayor - Sarah (Jackie) Gilliam - attended high school. Pound is an old coal town that sits near the Kentucky and Tennessee borders and the roughly 1,000 people that live there have never had wireless service. Enter Virginia Congressman Rick Boucher and Alltel President and CEO Scott Ford.  
 
As a member of both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Congressman Boucher has a keen sense of how mobile communications are helping to revitalize communities all over the country. So it was with that in mind that Congressman Boucher reached out to Alltel about providing wireless service to the residents of Pound, Va. The result was Monday's event,

where Congressman Boucher, Scott Ford, Wise County Supervisor Frank Luntsford, Pound Mayor Gilliam and myself joined with local leaders and residents to break ground on a new cell site that will be operational in June. In his remarks, Scott Ford mentioned how critical the USF ETC program is for projects like the one in Pound, VA. Without USF support, he said projects like this simply wouldn't be possible.
 
So to Mayor Gilliam, Supervisor Luntsford and all of the wonderful people who joined us the other day for this exciting announcement, I want to thank you for your warm hospitality and welcome you to an ever-growing wireless community. We sincerely hope that wireless service will allow the residents of Pound to enjoy safer, more productive and more prosperous lives.

Steve

It's not even a question of whether we can 'leave home without it' these days... it's clear that Americans are feeling they just can't live without their cell phones! Or at least, we'd rather have them than any other communication technology.  That's one of the major findings of a December 2007 survey conducted by the Pew Internet Project. You can read it all for yourself at  http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Mobile.Data.Access.pdf , but I'd like to hit just a couple of the highlights. First, let's look at mobile data. According to Pew, 62% of Americans have "experience with mobile access to digital data and tools". 62%!

That is a big number. We're not just talking about 'talk' anymore, but using devices to email, text message, send or receive pictures or videos, surf the internet, play games, watch music.... the list goes on and on. Combine that with the FCC report  http://www.hraun.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attackmatch/DOC-277784A1.pdf that shows how much more quickly wireless broadband is being adopted than other high-speed data technologies (DSL and cable) and it's obvious wireless broadband is becoming an increasingly popular, viable and competitive technology. 

I also want to hit on the numbers of Americans identifying what technology would be hardest to give up. Six years ago, none was easier to forego than cell phones. 38% of Americans said they could give up their cell phone. And today? Well, the cell phone is now the 'must-have'... leading the pack as the technology most difficult to part with at 51%. The Internet is next at 45%, followed by television at 43%, and the old landline telephone sinking into the sunset with just 40% of Americans saying it would be the hardest to say goodbye to. That compares to 63% who felt that way just five years ago.

It's been a remarkable and rapid transformation, but one that is occuring because consumers demand more change and more innovation, and the wireless industry continues to answer their call.

From time to time bogus emails about cell phone numbers and the “Do Not Call” (DNC) Registry circulate around the internet and make their way into our inboxes.  These emails falsely claim that cell phone numbers are about to be turned over to telemarketers. The emails take on an air of credibility by saying that you can protect yourself by registering your number with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) “Do Not Call” Registry.  Ever since these rumors began years ago, the FTC and CTIA-The Wireless Association® have diligently sought to debunk the myths.  While many folks might have heard by now that these panic-inducing emails are simply not true and cell phone numbers are NOT being turned over to telemarketers,  there are undoubtedly still some people out there who might not realize it’s a sham.  For this reason, it’s important to continue spreading the word to co-workers, families, and friends and remind consumers about the truth. 

According to the FTC, here are the facts about the DNC Registry:

• Contrary to the e-mail, cell phone numbers are NOT being released to telemarketers, and you will NOT soon be getting telemarketing calls on your cell phone. 
• There is NO deadline by which you must register your cell phone number on the Registry. 
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers are barred from calling consumers on their cell phones without their consent. 
• The national associations representing telemarketers have stated that their members do not intend to start calling consumers’ cell phones. 
• There is only ONE National DNC Registry. There is no separate registry for cell phones. 
• The DNC Registry accepts registrations from both cell phones and land lines. You must call from the phone number that you want to register. If you register online, you must respond to a confirmation e-mail.

For more information, visit the FTC’s website: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/10/dnccellphones.shtm