VERIZON WIRELESS TO OFFER REMOTE AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE
BASKING RIDGE, NJ (Roytours) - The nation's largest wireless company
announced today that it plans to enter the remote ham radio station business
to serve amateur radio operators. Verizon Wireless, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Verizon Communications, Inc. [VZ, -4.25%] indicated that the
stations are a natural fit with their existing infrastructure and require
little additional investment. Customers will be able to talk all over the
world using only their cell phone. The service will be available via
subscription to existing Verizon customers. Coverage is expected to be the
same as Verizon's current 4G coverage area, with all calls routed to high
powered stations located on the east and west coasts of the United States.
"At first we really didn't understand why this service was needed" said
company spokesperson Ben Dover. "We had a misconception that ham radio
operators built their own stations and advanced technology. Then we learned
that there was a subculture in the hobby that tried to talk to as many
countries as possible using any means available and many were already using
a personal computer to talk to those countries. Some didn't even own a
radio. Often they were using a service that offers complete anonymity"
When asked how the new service is different from how Verizon customers
currently call other countries, Dover hesitated. "Well it IS another revenue
stream", he replied.
Software developers have been quick to respond to the announcement. One such
developer, who prefers to go by the name SchrockRock, is working on iPhone
applications called DXCodeReadR and ThisisHowIHonorRoll (THIHR for short).
SchrockRock explained that THIHR continuously monitors a notification system
called the "cluster" and checks to see if the ham needs a country that has
been "spotted" there. If the ham needs it, THIHR automatically works in
concert with DXCodeReadR to generate what hams call a "QSO" to snag that new
country, even while the ham sleeps. "It's all about convincing users that
they are advancing technology", SchrockRock added in a recent post to
reddit.
Markets also reacted quickly, sending Verizon stock down as much as 6% in
early trading. Reached on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, trader
Larry Burke summed up the market's reaction, "There was a going-in concern
about the ethics associated with this type of service as applied to what
hams call the DXCC program. But when brokers are able to explain that not
even the national association of amateur radio operators, the ARRL, is able
to define 'ethics', most concerns evaporate".
Currently, there are few players in the commercial remote business. The
largest, RemoteHamRadio.com or RHR for short, operates a network of remotes,
many of which are located in New York state. Verizon spokesperson Dover said
his company realized the potential "when the FCC chose to look the other way
with enforcement of Part 97 and common carrier regulations as they applied
to this type of service".
Users of existing services seem to enjoy them. One California ham, who goes
by the callsign NJ6YOY, had this to say: "These remotes are fantastic. Just
yesterday I had a PL-259 fail on the coax going into the back of my radio.
The technician told me it would be three weeks before he could come out and
fix it. Three weeks! What was I supposed to do in the meantime? I thought to
myself, 'now this is a case for remote stations'. I whipped out my
MasterCard and signed up for RHR. I didn't even need one of those K3/0
doohickeys. I just did my DXing with my computer. Things were going great
and then my internets stopped working. Fortunately for me there was another
RHR subscriber nearby. I used his internets to work four new ones in one
day. The guy I talked to in Ireland was really happy to work California on
six meters, too. He said he thought the band was only open to New York, but
when I confirmed our QSO on LoTW he was tickled shirtless to see he had
worked a new state". It is not clear to the uninitiated what all of this
means, but NJ6YOY sounded very excited about his new conquests. With
Verizon's new service he won't have to worry about his 'internets' going
down either. All he will have to do is keep his iPhone charged.
[yes, it's satire]
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