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   AMATEUR_RADIO      Ham radio for when Armageddon strikes      2,531 messages   

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   Message 231 of 2,531   
   Roy Witt to Y'all   
   Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1862 - Ap   
   19 Apr 13 10:38:55   
   
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------   
   * Forwarded by Roy Witt (1:387/22)   
   * Area : HAM (HAM)   
   * From : Roy Witt, 1:387/22 (19 Apr 13 10:36)   
   * To   : Y'all   
   * Subj : Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1862 - April 19 2013   
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------   
   Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1862 - April 19 2013   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1862 with a release date of April 19   
   2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.   
      
   The following is a Q-S-T.  Ham radio takes the point position after a   
   terror attack on the Boston Marathon; the SARL gets two frequencies at 5   
   MHz to do a propagation study; the FCC says that the 2011 national EAS   
   test is considered to be a success; a special event station in May will   
   honor the Native American Code Talkers and will everyone in the world be   
   on-line by 2020?  All this and more on Amateur Radio NewslineT report   
   number 1862 coming your way right now.   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO:  HAM RADIO RESPONDS TO BOSTON MARATHON TERRORIST ATTACK   
      
   Som 250 ham radio operators were providing communications for the Boston   
   Marathon on Monday, April 15th, when a pair of bombs believed planted by a   
   terrorist went off killing three onlookers and sending scores to local   
   hospitals.  Some with very serious and life threatening injuries.  Amateur   
   Radio Newsline's Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, is here with what's known about   
   the attack and the role played by the hams on scene:   
      
   --   
      
   It is a day Paul Topolski, W1SEX, will never forget.   
      
   Topolski tells Newsline he was working with radio operators close to the   
   finish line of the Boston Marathon and things were going well. And then,   
   there was the first blast..   
      
   "I was in the net control trailer about 400 feet from where the blast   
   was," he recalls. "Things were going pretty smooth and we had and were   
   commenting all of the operations that we had were up and running and no   
   real issues.   
      
   "And, within a couple of minutes my assistant and I just happened to be   
   looking at each other out of the corner of our eye and then that blast hit   
   and shook the trailer and we knew it wasn't good."   
   Topolski says then the second blast went off and they knew things were   
   going to be brought to a halt. He says their big concern, operators at the   
   medical tents at each mile along the route...   
      
   "Net control immediately started doing a roll call and finding out where   
   all our people were - exact locations and their condition, making sure   
   that they were okay. And, as it turns out everyone was just fine and   
   continuing operations."   
      
   Just before that roll call began, Topolski told his counterpart overseeing   
   net-control on the course to reach out to him on a secure line..   
      
   Steve Schwarm, W3EVE, who also spoke with Newsline about the events of   
   that day, was on the receiving end of that call and was a bit surprised...   
      
   "He calls me on the radio and says, 'Call me on my cell phone.' And, I   
   know something's got to be wrong because he'll only talk to me on the cell   
   phone when it's something he doesn't want anybody else to hear," Schwarm   
   says.   
      
   "So, I called him on the cell phone and that's when he told me that two   
   bombs had gone off in downtown and said I don't know what's going to   
   happen next, but thought you'd like to know and I said thanks.   
      
   "So, I stoppped all the activity in my net control and announced it to   
   everybody there and I said that we don't know what's going to happen next,   
   but I'm quite sure the race is probably over."   
   Topolski, who was at the medical tent close to the finish line, says once   
   it was established all those close to the bomb locations were okay, there   
   was general agreement among the operators to stay at their posts and   
   assist...   
      
   "It was a kind of a mindset, 'Okay, we did have a problem and let's   
   continue to do our jobs,' and everybody did just that until we were   
   finally sent on our way by the Boston Police Department and the   
   Massachusetts State Police because we were literally right in the "ground   
   zero" area," Topolski says. "We were in the crime scene so we had to bug   
   out."   
      
   But, before they were sent out, Topolski says the operators were busy   
   helping medical personnel...   
      
   "Instead of taking care of runners, we were no working with the medical   
   people who were serving casualties from the incident itself," Topolski   
   says. "We had medical coverage, or coverage in the medical tents and we   
   started receiving reports of those injuries and the types of things that   
   were going on and then we were relaying that information to the public   
   safety people via WebEOC and other means."   
      
   Topolski estimates those closest to the blast zones were there for about   
   35 minutes afterward until they got sent out because of concerns among   
   authorities about other possible devices.   
   Back to Schwarm at course net control, who in the minutes after the blasts   
   was now working with operators still out on the course.   
      
   "Police were ordering people to stop," Schwarm says. "So runners tended to   
   congregate at the first aid stations and the water-fluid stations along   
   the course. And all of them had ham radio operators.   
      
   "So, as soon as that happened, we told everybody on the frequency what was   
   going on. The event had stopped and they would start to organize those   
   people. And, then we started to use some of our medical sweep buses to   
   take the runners to some pre-determined shelters.   
   "The original thought was that if we had something like a thunderstorm   
   come through and had lightning and things like that we wouldn't want all   
   these people on the course. So, that was the original intended use for the   
   shelters but they found out that they could be used for this as well."   
   Schwarm says for the operators close to the blast zones, it was a hectic   
   time....   
      
   "They supplied communications for the medical tents and that was where a   
   lot of the initial triage of the runners occurred and a lot of lives were   
   probably saved because they had basically a first-class emergency room   
   right there," Schwarm says.   
      
   But the day was far from over for Topolski and his operators who were   
   evacuated from the developing crime scene, Schwarm says....   
      
   "The roles actually got reversed because they were concerned about having   
   another device in the area so they had a lot of people evacuated," Schwarm   
   says. "Paul and his team evacuated and several of his operators came up to   
   help me in case we were going to be doing an extended operation.   
      
   "It wasn't clear how long it was going to take for us to get this thing   
   cleaned up and they came up to help in case we needed some backup. I was   
   very concerned about some of my net control operators getting exhausted,   
   needing some backup. So I knew he had some good people and they came up to   
   help out."   
      
   So, where was net control for the course? Schwarm says the Boston area   
   hams put it at a perfect location...   
      
   "We're actually quite a distance from the course," Schwarm says. "We're   
   about a mile or two from the course. It's at a facility, it's a private   
   school in Brookline which is a suburb of Boston.   
      
   "And, it's on top of a very high hill, which, if we had to, we could   
   probably work every single repeater we use with a 100-milliwatt   
   walkie-talkie because we can see them all - literally. And, it makes an   
   ideal location for it and we also then have high-speed internet at our   
   fingertips and several phone lines and a few things like that. It's a very   
   nice facility."   
      
   So what form of communications do the hams who work the Boston Marathon   
   use? VHF frequencies only, Schwarm says...   
      
   "The Boston Marathon is the only marathon that's run in a straight line,"   
   Schwarm explains. "And we plan on having HT-coverage for the entire course   
   and the finish and the start. So, as a result, you tend to use a fair   
   number of frequencies to make that happen.   
      
   "We use five separate repeaters to cover five sections of the course. And,   
   then we have a network of linked repeaters that we use to cover the entire   
   course from beginnning to end just for things that need to be covered   
   across that range."   
      
   Topolski has been involved in the marathon amateur radio coverage for 20   
   years. For Schwarm, this was his 13th year and he says it won't be his   
   last.   
      
   "I think what you'll find is that next year we're going to have a bigger   
   and better Boston Marathon and we're going to go on," Schwarm says. "I   
   mean we went through a lot of planning and soul searching for these kinds   
   of things after 9-11 and this was probably a wake-up call to re-think some   
   of those."   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V in Philadelphia.   
      
   --   
      
   Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost loved ones and to   
   those injured in this unprovoked and uncivilized attack against humanity.   
   We will have more for you in upcoming Amateur Radio Newsline reports.   
   (ARNewslineT and various other sources)   
      
   **   
      
   WORLDBEAT:  ICASA COUNCIL APPROVES TWO 5 MHZ FREQUENCIES FOR SARL   
      
   The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa has last approved   
   two frequencies at 5 MHz for the South African Radio League to carry out   
   propagation research.  This is in response to the society's application to   
   collect information about country wide propagation conditions in that   
   spectrum.   
      
   The South African Radio League had applied for access to 5 MHz in 2010,   
   2011 and again in 2012.  In its application the society told the   
   telecommunications regulator that while the propagation of signals are   
   fairly well known for high power broadcasting, there is still quite a lot   
   that can be learned by radio amateurs, especially away from the coastline.   
      
   The licenses are being issued for an 8 month period but the regulator says   
   that at the end of the period the South African Radio League can apply for   
   an extension.  (SARL)   
      
   **   
      
   RESCUE RADIO:  NATIONAL EAS TEST DEEMED A MODERATE SUCCESS   
      
   The final results of the first National Emergency Alert System or EAS Test   
   show that 83% of broadcasters successfully received the alert.  Amateur   
   Radio Newsline's Heather Embee, KB3TZD, reports:   
      
   --   
   The first national EAS test was held on November 9th of 2011.  Now, in a   
   long awaited and very detailed review, the FCCs Public Safety and Homeland   
   Security Bureau says that while the test demonstrated E-A-S would   
   generally perform as designed, it also shined a bright light on several   
   areas that require improvement.   
      
   The 19-page report says that of the nearly 14,000 radio and TV stations   
   that submitted result data, only 2,300 failed to successfully receive and   
   rebroadcast the alert.  The number would likely have been lower however 3   
   of the 63 Primary Entry Point stations failed which meant a larger number   
   stations further down the daisy-chain did not get the alert.   
      
   While the majority of stations received the national EAS alert, results   
   varied state-by-state.   The report points out that while fewer than 2% of   
   Texas stations didnt get the test on the air, nearly every Oregon station   
   didnt broadcast the complete alert.   
      
   The bottom line is that the FCC and FEMA have concluded that the   
   nationwide EAS architecture is basically sound, but there is still room   
   for improvement.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Im Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in Berwick,   
   Pennsylvania.   
      
   --   
      
   The agencies involved say that they plan more national EAS tests in the   
   future.  You can read the FCC's in-depth report on the national EAS test   
   at tinyurl.com/eas-results.  (FCC, Inside Radio)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO LAW:  FCC SEEKS COMMENTS ON BROADCAST INDECENCY   
      
   The FCC is seeking public comment on a proposed regulatory change to limit   
   complaints to the agency dealing with broadcast indecency.  Amateur Radio   
   Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, is here with the details:   
      
   --   
      
   The FCC indicates that General Docket No. 13-86 has been issued because it   
   has a backlog of complaints dealing with alleged broadcast indecency and   
   no way for it to investigate and act on each one individually.  It notes   
   that after the Supreme Court's decision in FCC vs. Fox Television   
   Stations, Inc in September 2012, Chairman Genachowski (Pron GEN A COW   
   SKEE) instructed Commission staff to begin a review of the Commission's   
   broadcast indecency policies and enforcement to ensure they are fully   
   consistent with vital First Amendment principles.  In the interim, the   
   Chairman directed the Enforcement Bureau to focus its indecency   
   enforcement resources on egregious cases and to reduce the backlog of   
   pending broadcast indecency complaints.   
      
   Since September 2012, the Enforcement Bureau has reduced the backlog by   
   70%.  That amounts to more than one million complaints.  Most of these   
   were simply beyond the statute of limitations or too stale to pursue, that   
   involved cases outside FCC jurisdiction, that contained insufficient   
   information, or that were closed by settled precedent.   
      
   The FCC says that the Enforcement Bureau is actively investigating   
   egregious indecency cases and will continue to do so.  However it is now   
   seeking comment on whether the full Commission should make changes to its   
   current broadcast indecency policies or maintain them as they are.   
      
   For example, the Commission wants to know if it should treat isolated   
   expletives in a manner consistent with the way it currently does based on   
   its decision in the Pacifica Foundation case of the 1960's, or should it   
   instead maintain the approach to isolated expletives set forth in its   
   decision in complaints against various broadcast licensees regarding their   
   airing of the "Golden Globe Awards" program in 2004.  It also wants to   
   know if it should treat isolated non-sexual nudity the same as or   
   differently than isolated expletives.   
      
   The FCC says that commenters are invited to address these issues as well   
   as any other aspect of the Commission's substantive indecency policies.   
   It also notes that the issuance of  General Docket No. 13-86 does not   
   alter any of the Commission's current substantive indecency policies.   
   That means acceptance of new complaints and ongoing enforcement action   
   will continue as is until the issues in General Docket 13-86 have been   
   decided.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in Scottsdale,   
   Arizona.   
      
   --   
      
   Comments on FC General Docket Number 13-86 will be due 30 days after   
   publication in the Federal Register with reply comment due no later than   
   60 days after publication in the Federal Register.  You can download and   
   read the text of this proposed rule making at   
   tinyurl.com/fcc-indecency-rules.  (FCC)   
      
   **   
      
   NEW PRODUCTS:  FREE REPEATER LOCATOR FOR IPHONE/IPAD   
      
   A free Repeater Directory App for the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand,   
   South America and more is now available for iPhone and Android based smart   
   devices.  Repeater Locator enables the traveling ham to easily find   
   repeaters across most populated areas of the world using GPS or a Locator   
   to find repeaters.  The app also makes available the complete database of   
   United Kingdom analog, IRLP, Echolink and D-Star repeater and a growing   
   world repeater database covering all but North America.  Also the Android   
   version supports the BlueCAT, FT-857 and FT-817 Bluetooth CAT interface   
   that allow a user to simply touch a repeater to instantly his or her your   
   radio.  You can find Repeater locator by searching for ZBM2 at the Apple   
   App Store or the Play store   
   (M1HOG)   
      
   **   
      
   HAMVENTION 2013:  ROOMS AVAILABLE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON   
      
   According to an April 13th posting to the Dayton Hamvention Yahoogroups   
   Remailer from the University of Dayton, the campus housing had about 15   
   rooms each accommodating between 4 to 6 people available for Hamvention   
   weekend.  The posting by the University notes that it has been offering   
   lodging to Hamvention attendees for over 15 years.  If you are looking for   
   a last minute place to stay for this years Hamvention try taking your web   
   browser to  tickets.udayton.edu. (Hamvention Remailer)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS:  IDXC 9TH ANNUAL DX CONVENTION   
      
   IZ8EDJ reports that details of Italy's 9th International DX Convention to   
   be held on April 28th, in Capaccio-Paestum are now available at   
   tinyurl.com/italy-dx-meeting.  The offical Web site for the convention   
   itself is on the web at www.dxitalia.it (Southgate)   
      
   **   
      
   NAMES IN THE NEWS:  KJ4EMJ NAMED TO SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT TELECOM POST   
      
   Back here in the U-S-A, Julie N. Zoller, KJ4EMJ, has succeeded Richard C.   
   Beaird at the Department of State.  This in the role of Senior Deputy   
   Coordinator of the Office of Multilateral Affairs, Communications and   
   Information Policy Directorate, Economics and Business Affairs Bureau.   
      
   The ARRL reports that in this position, she will serve as principal   
   advisor to the United States Coordinator for International Communications   
   and Information Policy.   
      
   More on her appointment is on-line at tinyurl.com/zoller-appointment.   
   (ARRL)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM HAPPENINGS:  SPECIAL EVENT STATION TO HONOR CODE TALKERS   
      
   The Lawton Fort Sill Amateur Radio Club will be hosting a special event   
   station from May 8th to the 11th at the Comanche National Museum in   
   Lawton, Oklahoma.  This to commemorate the work of the Comanche Code   
   Talkers of World War II.   
      
   According to Wikipedia, the Code talkers were people who used obscure   
   languages as a means of secret communication during wartime.  The term is   
   now usually associated with the United States soldiers during the world   
   wars who used their knowledge of Native-American languages as a basis to   
   transmit coded messages.   
      
   There were approximately 400 to 500 Native Americans in the United States   
   Marine Corps whose primary job was the transmission of secret tactical   
   messages.  Code talkers transmitted these messages over military telephone   
   or radio communications nets using formal or informally developed codes   
   built upon their native languages.  Their service improved communications   
   in terms of speed of encryption at both ends in front line operations   
   during World War II.  (KC5FM)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO HAPPENINGS:  CRYSTAL RADIO AWARDS PRESENTED AT NAB   
      
   The recent National Association of Broadcasters annual Radio Luncheon   
   provided the setting for the presentation of the 10 NAB Crystal Radio   
   Awards.  The event also featured a keynote address from famed composer,   
   musician and program host John Tesh, the induction of Dave Ramsey into the   
   NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame and a Crystal Heritage Award to radio   
   station KNOM AM and FM of Nome, Alaska.  The Crystal Radio Awards   
   recognize radio stations for their outstanding year-round commitment to   
   community service. The luncheon was sponsored by ASCAP, the American   
   Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.  For those not aware, John   
   Tesh wrote and performed the music score for the 1986 ARRL video "The New   
   World of Amateur Radio."  (RW)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  RADIO AMATEURS GET $25,000 FOR CUBESAT FROM JPL   
      
   Two college professors who are also ham radio operators have received a   
   substantial monetary grant from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to help them   
   construct and launch a research satellite.  Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in   
   our newsroom with more:   
      
   --   
      
   Professors Sharlene Katz, WB6FFE, and James Flynn, WB9AWX, are a part of a   
   California State University at Northridge team that has received $25,000   
   from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a CubeSat research project. There   
   is also an award of $30,000 for the project listed by The University   
   Corporation.   
      
   The April 15th edition of the campus newspaper The Sundial carried a   
   report on the university's CubeSat project that has a mission of testing   
   alternative power techniques for satellites and spacecraft.  Measuring   
   only 10 by 10 by 20 centimeters, the satellite will be packed with solar   
   cells and special software to achieve this goal.   
      
   In order to communicate with the CubeSat, the team is also building an   
   automated ground station on top of a campus building.  The station will   
   not only help the team track university's CubeSat, but other satellites as   
   well.  This is because it will become part of the Global Educational   
   Network for Satellite Operations.  This is a community of universities   
   around the world that track and communicate with satellites.   
      
   Currently, the project is in phase one.  Phase two is set to start during   
   the fall semester of 2013, and the team is hoping to complete the   
   satellite by December of 2014.  Typically, it would cost another $45,000   
   just to launch the satellite, but thanks to the sponsorship from the Jet   
   Propulsion Laboratory the satellite will be hitching a ride into orbit in   
   just a few years.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, in the newsroom in Los   
   Angeles.   
      
   --   
      
   You can read the full story of the creation of this new bird on-line at   
   tinyurl.com/cal-state-northridge-satellite.  (CSUN)   
      
   **   
      
   RADIO AND SCOUTING:  WASHINGTON STATE EVENT A MAJOR SUCCESS   
      
   A ham radio related Youth Workshop on Saturday, April 13th at the Lake   
   Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland, Washington is being called   
   a big success.  This thanks to the hard work of the amateur radio support   
   team at the event.   
      
   According to planners, there were over 100 Electricity, Electronics and   
   Radio Merit Badges completed by the 58 youngsters who were registered at   
   the event.  These are considered Science, Technology, Engineering, and   
   Mathematics or STEM Merit Badges and part of the STEM / NOVA Award   
   sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America.   
      
   There were 14 adults and 14 scouts that qualified for their amateur radio   
   licenses.  Five of the adults were Scout Masters.  Some of the others were   
   from scouting troops and the Lake Washington Ham Club.   Another event of   
   this type is in the planning stages for September 14th.  (N7DRW, K7APS and   
   AE7TD via K9JA)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM RADIO PUBLICITY:  PAPA SYSTEM AND PALOMAR ARC AT FRYS   
      
   Southern California's PAPA System and the Palomar Amateur Radio Club will   
   jointly host an Operating Day at Fry's Electronics in the city of San   
   Marcos on Sunday April 28th.   This will be a demonstration to educate the   
   public about how amateur radio helps in the community.   
      
   This operation will begin at 9:00 am and run though 4:30 pm Pacific   
   Daylight time.  Club members will be available to answer questions and   
   encourage the public to try amateur radio on site.  They will be   
   demonstrating HF through 70cm operations plus D-Star, Packet Radio and   
   Winlink.  Also available will be past copies of CQ and QST magazines,   
   flyers from local clubs, and a public radio use flyer.   
      
   For more information on this event please drop an email to admin (at)   
   papasys (dot) com.  (PAPA)   
      
   **   
      
   HAM CELEBRATIONS:  40 YEARS OF THE CATALINA REPEATER   
      
   And word of congratulations to the Catalina California 2 meter repeater.   
   This as it celebrates of 40 years of continuous service to the regions ham   
   radio community.   
      
   On April 27, 1973, system came on the air with a 10-watt voice from   
   Catalina Island and amazing 1,300 square mile coverage.  Now in 2013 the   
   system, operated by the Catalina Amateur Repeater Association remains one   
   of the most popular in the region.  And over the four decades of its   
   operation there have been many improvements to both its coverage and the   
   service it provides to the community.   
      
   The complete story of the creation of this system located some 26 miles   
   off the Pacific coastline was featured in the April 1974 cover story of 73   
   Magazine.  Even though the magazine itself is long gone you can read the   
   story or download it at from an on-line archive   
   tinyurl.com/catalina-repeater-at-40  (CARA)   
      
   **   
      
      
   DX   
      
   In DX, listen out for special event station XR86PL to be active until   
   April 30th to commemorate the 86th Anniversary of the Chilean Police.   
   Operations are on all bands using SSB, RTTY and PSK.  QSL via the   
   operators home callsign or CE3ETE.   
      
   CT1FTR will be in Khartoum, Sudan until June. He is signing ST2FT.  QSL as   
   directed on the air.   
      
   AC6DD will be active stroke 9A from Sveti Nikola, Croatia.  This during   
   the RSGB Islands on the Air Contest on July 27th and the 28th.  If you   
   make contact QSL via AC6DD.   
      
   KT3Y, K9VV and WP2XX will be active from the KP2M rental shack on St.   
   Croix Island during the CQ World Wide WPX CW Contest from May 25th to the   
   26th as a Multi-Single entry.  QSL direct only via AI4U or Logbook of the   
   World. No QSL's will be accepted via the bureau.   
      
   Lastly, ZL1GO and ZL3CW reportedly will use the callsign N8A during their   
   American Samoa operation between November 12th and the 26th.  More   
   information on this upcoming operation as soon as it is made available.   
      
   (Above from various DX news sources)   
      
   **   
      
   THAT FINAL ITEM:  GOOGLE EXEC PREDICTS EVERYONE IN THE WORLD ON-LINE BY   
   2020   
      
   And finally this week, do you believe what Google Executive Chairman Eric   
   Schmidt says that everyone in the world will be on-line by the end of the   
   decade?  Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, has the rest of   
   this rather interesting prediction.   
      
   --   
      
   On Saturday April 13th Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt stated on   
   his Google Plus blog that for every person online, there are two who are   
   not.  He went on to add that by the end of the decade, he predicted that   
   everyone on Earth will be connected by 2020.  A day later, Schmidt added -   
   and we quote:  "Think about how great the internet is now with 2 billion   
   users.  Now think about how amazing it will be when 5 billion come online   
   in a decade."   
      
   But can Schmid's prediction come true?  As pointed out in one news   
   article, Google itself supports a project called Geeks Without Frontiers.   
   This is described as a nonprofit group that donates computers and related   
   wireless access technology to poor areas around the world.  The   
   organization's current focus is to bring such wireless access to parts of   
   Mexico, Central America and Africa.  These are regions without any   
   traditional form of wired Internet access.   
      
   Also, back in 2011 Geeks Without Frontiers announced that it had developed   
   its own low cost open source WiFi software.  At that time it said that by   
   driving down the cost of metropolitan and village scale Wi-Fi networks,   
   millions more people will be able to reap the economic and social benefits   
   of significantly lower cost Internet access   
      
   The rise of the mobile access expected to play a role.  In parts of Africa   
   it's reported that more people have access to a mobile phones than have   
   electricity.  Google itself notes that in South Africa 25% of its searches   
   during the week are made via mobile devices and that rises to 65% on the   
   weekends.   
      
   So will every man, woman and child be on-line by 2020?  There's no way to   
   be certain but Google leaders rarely make predictions that they know won't   
   come true.  So the bottom line is, don't rule this one out.  And if it   
   does happen it will likely be thanks to Wi-Fi which is in itself nothing   
   more than a form of digital two-way radio.   
      
   For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in Zion,   
   Illinois.   
      
   --   
      
   According to the International Telecommunication Union, at this time   
   approximately 38% of the world's population is currently using the   
   Internet in some way.  That's up from about 35% who were on-line in 2012.   
   But with poor and developing nations around the world isolated by   
   nonexistent Internet infrastructures, and others hindered by government   
   censorship, some wonder if Eric Schmidt's vision might be a bit overly   
   optimistic.  Then again as time has proven, Google is rarely wrong.   
   (bizjournals.com, digitalspy.com, others)   
      
   **   
      
   NEWSCAST CLOSE   
      
   With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ   
   Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the   
   RSGB, the Southgate News, TWiT-TV and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all   
   from the Amateur Radio NewslineT.  Our e-mail address is newsline (at)   
   arnewsline (dot) org.  More information is available at Amateur Radio   
   Newsline'sT only official website located at www.arnewsline.org.  You can   
   also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio NewslineT, 28197 Robin   
   Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350   
      
   For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk, I'm Jeff   
   Clark, K8JAC, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.   
      
   Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013.  All rights reserved.   
      
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