A nearly 2000 percent increase in poor call quality/dropped call complaints from rural cellular users to their representatives has drawn a reaction of 24 US Senators who are asking the FCC to look into the matter.  Radio Communications Report has a story on this issue HERE.

Nedw standards for portable radio sets used in hazardous environments have been in the works for some time.  The issue appears t be getting close to finalization.  The link HERE will take you to an article in Urgent Communications magazine.

Vertex announced that effective January 1, 2012 they will transfer their LMR business to Motorola and focus on Amateur, Air-band and Marine radio equipment and revert to using the name of Yaesu Musen.  The announcement from them is available HERE.

South of the border, rampant lawlessness even involves the communications airwaves.  Associated Press writers uncovered details on how Mexican drug cartels utilize Land Mobile channels, unlicensed  naturally, and frequently with stolen or illegally obtained equipment.  The link to the AP Story is HERE.

Light Squared, a venture investment firm aquired a former Mobile Satellite license and intends to use the channels for a mostly teresterial based data service.  The problem is, a potential for harmful interference to GPS receivers on adjacent channels.   The issue has been brewing for a few years now and a newly leaked study indicates about 75% of the GPS receivers in the study were interfereed with, meanwhile LightSquared just recently told the FCC the opposite.  Other problems appear to be developing,  the Security and Exchange Commission is now looking at some of the firms investor policies and activities.   Bloomberg Business nNews has coverage on this latest development  HERE   and the link to a story from Wireless Week is HERE. 

Long time FCC Commissioner Michael Copps has said he is willing to step down as soon as a replacement can be named, prefferably by January 1 or sooner.  Copps, a Democrat, has held his position for the past ten years.  The FCC News Release is HERE and RCR Magazine covers the story if you click HERE.

A well known Washington DC area Attorney and contributor to Urgent Communications Magazine has come out with his feelings on the newly proposed House of Representatives bill to extend the Narrowbanding deadline by an additional two years.  Calling it a “Dangerous document that could do more harm than good”  Alan Tilles explains the dangers in his column that can be found by clicking to the magazine site  HERE.

Representative Rothman of New Jersey introduced a bill to instruct the FCC to extend the January 1, 2013 deadline for Narrowbanding land mobile technology by two years. It was referred to the House Committee on Energy and COmmerce.

You can click HERE to see the short House Bill.

The US government has baned China’s Huawei to build LTE networks for the US Public Safety community because of fears over national Security.  The US fears that the firm, whic mains close ties with the Chinese Red Army could build “Backdoor” chips and code into the Public Safety radio gear that would allow spying on US systems… story from fierce Witreless is HERE .

The FCC has released an official Order and Citation against various mail order-internet sales firms for selling illegal signal jammers.  The devices, capable of interfering with, jamming or blocking WI-FI, Cellular, GPS and other legitimate signals are illegal to sell to unauthorized users.  The Orer listing the offending parties and their devices can be found HERE.