Amazon set to launch smartphone in Fourth Quarter of 2012AD - The App Economy and the Increasing Importance of Digical Content

Ever since CitiGroup analyst Mark Mahaney claimed that Amazon was possibly working on a US$200 smartphone as stated in the article “Amazon’s smartphone”, published November 18, 2011 3:13 AM, Bloomberg, NY Post and “Amazon smartphone 'in the works'” published 7:09PM GMT 18 Nov 2011 by Katherine Rushton, Media, Telecoms and technology editor, The UK Telegraph, my imagination has been fired up.

More intriguing is the possibility that Amazon may launch it in the Fourth Quarter of 2012AD and be manufacture by FoxxConn as stated in the article Amazon may launch a smartphone in Q4 2012: report, published Fri Nov 18, 2011 12:48pm EST, Reuters.

This speculation began in November 2011AD. It has now ratcheted up ever since Amazon declared its Earnings Call on Tuesday January 31^st 2012AD to have increased thanks to the Amazon Kindle Fire as stated in the article “Kindle Fire stokes interest in Amazon earnings”, published January 30, 2012 6:36 AM PST by Larry Dignan, CNET News.

According to the article “Kindle sales boom, though Amazon sales and outlook disappoint”, published January 31, 2012 1:31 PM PST by Larry Dignan, CNET News for the entire 2011AD, earnings were up by 41% compared to 2010AD with earning of US$631 million. Earnings for the Fourth Quarter of 2011AD are up by 35% compared to the Fourth Quarter in 2010AD with earnings of US$177 million.

Amazon clearly had a great Fourth Quarter of 2011AD based on their Earnings Call on Tuesday January 31^st 2012AD!

Clearly the Fourth Quarter increased was buoyed by the Amazon Kindle Fire, but fell below that projected by analysts due to what to expect in terms of the profit margin loss of approximately US$2.70 per Kindle Fire sold.

But did it really put a dent in the Apple iPad sales as prognosticated in my Geezam blog article entitled “Amazon sells 5.5 million Kindle Fires in Fourth Quarter 2012 – Apple iPad sales drop and plans January Press Event” and my blog article entitled “Apple iPad 3 Launch on March 2012 - Amazon Kindle Fire is a Sweet Dream but a Beautiful Nightmare for Apple”?

Apparently not, based on the pre-Amazon analysis of Stifel Nicolaus analyst Jordon Rohan as stated in the article “Kindle Fire sales strong in Q4, but no match for iPad”, published January 30, 2012 5:00 AM PST by Don Reisinger, CNET News. The analyst pre-Amazon Earnings Call on Tuesday January 31^st 2012AD upped the ante by stating that Amazon had sold approximately six million (6,000,000) Amazon Kindle Fires, half of the total number of Android Tablets sold.

This is comparable to the 5.5 million (5,500,000) estimated by Barclays analyst Anthony DiClemente  as stated in the article “Time to Stoke Those Kindle Fire Sales Estimates”, published January 9, 2012 at 3:30 am PT, by Peter Kafka, All Things Digital. Both of these estimates, which Amazon has yet to confirm, are nonetheless far below the sales figures of the Apple iPad which sold 15.43 million Apple iPads in the same Fourth Quarter of 2011AD.

Clearly, despite being cheaper, Amazon has a lot of catching up to do if they are to beat Apple….assuming that is their intention. This as the success of their Amazon Kindle Fire demonstrates the increasing importance of Digital Content to both Apple and Amazon.

Most interestingly it also demonstrates the importance of the so-called App Economy, which according to analyst TechNet as stated in the article “App economy creates nearly half a million US jobs”, published February 7, 2012 By Trevor Mogg, DigitalTrends  and “Study credits 'app economy' with 500,000 U.S. jobs”, published February 7, 2012 10:15 AM PST by Lance Whitney, CNET News.

The App Economy, the driving force behind the success of Apple, Google and Amazon for both Apple iOS and Google Android mobile devices, has in the past four (4) years created over five hundred thousand (500,000) jobs for Developers, Software Engineers and other support staff and surprisingly, most of them are located outside of Silicon Valley.

Jamaica stands to benefit from this App Economy too by virtue of being able to write Freemium Gaming Apps using Scotia VISA Debit Cards as the receiving Payment Method as stated in my Geezam Blog article entitled “How to use Scotia VISA Debit Card Online”

The possible specs would really make this smartphone duet of :

• Basically smaller version of the Amazon Kindle Fire
• Running on Google Android OS 4.0 aka IceCream
• Featuring the Cloud-enhanced browser Silk, with possibly one of the smartphones being entirely Cloud Based
• Both priced below US$200 outright purchase, with no mobile device contracts but requiring a Data Contract
• Built in Wi-Fi Calling as described in my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers 4G vs Wi-Fi Calling - Galaxy Rangers”
• Curated Google Android App Store, again more support for the App Economy!

Smartphones possibly named Amazon Blaze (what happens when a Fire gets out of control) and Amazon Starfire (what happens when a Gas cloud in Outer space ignites to create a star) as hinted in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Amazon sells 5.5 million Kindle Fires in Fourth Quarter 2012 – Apple iPad sales drop and plans January Press Event” may sound farfetched.

But given Amazon previous success thus far with its Kindle line and its pre-Madonna the Amazon Kindle Fire, the support of the App Economy and the increasing importance of Digital Content, an encore come the Fourth Quarter of 2012AD is very likely.

Phillip Paulwell broker's Telecom Deal - Telecom Regulator and Mobile Number Portability Coming

Looks like Minister of Energy Mining and Telecommunications, Philip Paulwell has done it yet again. This time in the Telecoms realm, he has brokered a deal in a meeting with the three (3) remaining Telecom Players Telecoms Providers Digicel, LIME and Triple Play Provider FLOW on Tuesday February 7^th 2012AD as it relates leveling the Telecoms Sector for all players. Telecom Provider LIME, however, is playing possum.

I am glad that the commitment is in place, whether Telecom Provider LIME acknowledges it or not. Minister of Energy Mining and Telecommunications, Philip Paulwell is doing for the Telecom Sector what he is currently doing for the Energy Sector as state in my blog article entitled “Senator Phillip Paulwell chooses LNG over Coal - Power Engineers in Stephen King's Graveyard Shift”

Minister of Energy Mining and Telecommunications, Philip Paulwell has negotiated as now reported in the article “Paulwell brokers Lime/Digicel agreement”, published Tuesday, February 14, 2012, The Jamaica Observer the following significant changes:

• Mobile Number Portability, effectively making Fixed Line and Cell phone number something you can keep for life whenever customer switch Telecoms Networks as explained in my previous blog article entitled “MNP and MRSI - How it leads to Mobile Number Portability and Crime Eradication in Jamaica”
• A Telecom Regulator for the Telecom providers ONLY, weaning them off the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation), thus giving the rapidly expanding Industry more importance as per my Geezam blog article entitled “New Telecom Act Coming for Jamaica – Providers surprised with their Own Regulator” and my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers get their own Regulator - GOJ says Telecoms For Your Eyes Only”
• A renewed commitment from the Three (3) Telecom Providers as it relates to making wired and Wireless Broadband accessible to all Jamaican via the cess from the UAFCL (Universal Access Fund Company Limited) as stated in my blog article entitled “LIME, FLOW and the $JA543-million Internet plan - Ebony and Ivory”

At least Triple Play Provider FLOW is being pragmatic, urging for the negotiations to proceeds and just get it over with, as intoned by FLOW’s CEO and President Michelle “Dallas” English, quote: “Minister Paulwell has made the right move in making a public commitment to this process and we look forward to actions being taken in the shortest possible time. It is important to ensure that Jamaican consumers can freely select their carrier of choice and also make calls between networks unimpeded by high cross network charges”.

Again Minister of Energy Mining and Telecommunications, Philip Paulwell is exuberant, quote: “I am pleased to state that the result of our efforts is agreement between the Ministry and the three largest carriers; LIME, Digicel, and FLOW on a broad range of issues. The complete understanding of the parties is that the following matters will be addressed with expedition for the betterment of the industry and the nation as a whole”

Telecom Provider LIME’s Managing Director Gary Sinclair was quick to jump into the Media spotlight, stating emphatically that no solid agreement had actually been reached as pointed out mere hours later in the article “No agreement yet, says LIME”, published 2012-02-14 18:42:45, Go-Jamaica.

In fact, he went even further, giving the GOJ (Government of Jamaica) an ultimatum of three (3) months to implement interim regulatory measures, such as OUR’s proposed JA$5.00 Flat Rate Cross-Network Calling charge, or they plan to leave Jamaica as stated in the article “LIME sets three-month deadline”, published Wednesday, February 15, 2012 by CAMILO THAME Business Co-ordinator, The Jamaica Observer.

Apparently, Telecom Provider LIME claims, they are losing money as stated in the article “LIME Jamaica low on cash”, Published Wednesday February 15, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner

But something is amiss, I fear dear reader, as Telecom Provider Digicel pointed out: Telecom Provider is playing possum as pointed out in the article “Digicel rebuts LIME”, published 2012-02-15 19:16:02, Go-Jamaica.  Digicel simply asserts that the meeting did indeed take place with the Minister of Energy Mining and Telecommunications, Philip Paulwell explaining his plan in detail.

Whether or not Telecom Provider LIME had reached concordance on the issues discussed can only be ascertained from the minutes of the meeting. But Telecom Provider Digicel  points out that Telecom Provider LIME was indeed informed.

More interestingly, they have even pointed out that Telecom Provider LIME is misrepresenting in the Media the number of active subscriber as being three hundred and eighty thousand (380,000) on their Network of which Telecom Provider LIME claims only two hundred and ninety thousand (290,000) are active.

Telecom Provider Digicel however claims that in fact their MGW (Media Gateway) resolves approximately five hundred thousand (500,000) unique phone number terminations, effectively suggesting that Telecom Provider LIME has about that many active subscriber, be they prepaid or postpaid.

Tit-for-tat, with my opinion swinging in Telecom Provider Digicel’s favour, as indeed Telecom Provider LIME did have approximately six hundred thousand to seven hundred thousand (600,000 - 700,000) subscribers.

This based on figures obtained by The Jamaica Observer from the 2010 Office of Utilities Regulation's “Quarterly Report for the Telecommunications Sector” which covers the three (3) month period July to September 2009 as stated by the in the article “Jamaican mobile still a talkers market” Published Wednesday July 7, 2010, The Jamaica Gleaner and “Answering LIME's factotums — here and elsewhere”, published Friday, September 30, 2011 BY AL EDWARDS, The Jamaica Observer.

So it appears that Telecom Provider LIME is indeed playing possum, possibly even faking death to malign the GOJ as not having the Telecoms Sector in Jamaica set up to their liking, even making claims of Jamaica being a loss making asset as stated in the article “Tough times for Cable & Wireless Communications”, published Friday, February 17, 2012 BY LEWIS CYPHER, The Jamaica Observer.

The possibility of C&W Worldwide, the global subsidiary of C&W PLC, being sold out to Telecom Provider Vodafone as stated in the article “Vodafone eyes bid for Cable & Wireless Worldwide” published Wednesday February 15, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner may just be hokum, as I do recall as a Network Maintenance Technician working at C&W Jamaica (2001 to 2004) the annual ritual of threats of purchase that materialize out of nowhere and disappeared just as fast.

More as this story develops, as this marks some exciting times in the Telecoms Sector.

University of California Researchers develop 1 micron nanoscale Laser - Optical SCoC Revival of the Apple G4 Cube

In a development that make me more hopeful about supercomputing coming to the Desktop, another research breakthrough has come to light, literally in the burgeoning field of NanoTechnology.

This is in the development of a Nano-Laser 1 micron in diameter by the University of California in San Diego, California as stated in the article “Nano-Laser is small as speck of dust”, published February 9, 2012 6:49 AM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News and the article “Electrical Engineers Build 'No-Waste' Laser’, published 9^th February 2012, The ScienceDaily.

This as it may herald the future development of an Optical SCoC (Super Computers on a Chip) functional at s.t.p (Standard Temperature and Pressure) which is 25 degrees Celsius and 1atm. Thus breaking the 3.6GHz speed barrier for Personal Computers without the need for exotic cooling techniques as opined in my blog article entitled “Intel and LightPeak - Race towards the Sun”.

More interestingly, Apple G4 Cube may be in for a revival and at an even smaller scale than before, possibly handheld and functional like a supercomputer!

But what is a Nano-Laser anyway?

At 1 micron, it’s smaller than a human hair (600 microns) or even pollen (10 microns)! The discovery was published in the science Magazine Nature in the article “Thresholdless nanoscale Coaxial Lasers”, published 08 February 2012, Nature. Worth spending you hard earned cash in your Scotia VISA Debit Card once you follow the instructions in my Geezam blog article entitled “How to use Scotia VISA Debit Card Online” to purchase!!

Lasers (Light amplified by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation) typically required a certain threshold energy level to be exceeded before they can begin “lasing”. This Threshold level is the point at which the coherent light output of the Laser far exceeds the input light that stimulates the emission of Light.

The problems faced at the nanoscale level are similar to those faced by Raytheon when placing a Directed Energy Weapon on a Ship, which is in the macroscopic level as stated in my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers and Raytheon - Star Wars on the high Seas”. Or as in the case of Boeing making one portable enough to carry on a truck as stated in my blog article entitled “Boeing and the HELTD Direct Energy Weapon - StarShip Troopers Death Star in Revenge of the Sith”.

Same problems folks! It’s a matter of scale and size and the problems experienced both at the Macroscopic as well as the macroscopic level are the same, only scaled-up or scaled-down based on the application.

At the nanoscale level (1 micron and smaller), getting Lasers to work is rather difficult, as it’s very difficult to control the light source, owering to the fact that at that scale, photons are much bigger and more plentiful. Thus the clever new construction method used by Dr. Mercedeh Khajavikhan and her team at the University of California was to build the Nano-Laser in a construction manned similar to a Coaxial Cable.

This is the point where I get in on the action, as Coaxial Cable construction is of interest to me, being as it is a suggestion of mine made back in 2011AD in a Skype phone conversation with a friend of mine in New York. Coaxial Cables are deliberately build with:

• An outer Rubberized PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) casing
• An outer sheath of mesh wire that acts as an EMI shield as well as a strength member
• Plastic (Dielectric) insulation
• A Central Copper Core.

This is to reduce the EMI (Electromagnetic interference) caused by the oscillating pulses traveling along the Cable. By mimicking this construction type of a Coaxial Cable, they were able to do the very same thing: cut down on the production of EMI that would normally act as a choke (Lenz’s Law and Faraday’s Left Hand Rule) and create resistance to the production of more oscillations.

In the Coaxial Cable installation, this reduces the use of Analog or Digital Amplifiers (boosters), Repeaters or “Boosters” as Cable TV Technicians call them along the length of the CATV (Community Access Television) installation.

This as the outer Mesh Sheath is interwoven in a pattern similar to a twisted pair wire, thereby cancelling out the magnetic field generated by the straight Central Copper Core and thus cancelling out any inductance in the Coaxial Cable (Lenz’s Law and Faraday’s Left Hand Rule) and making the Coaxial Cable purely resistive.

A similar thing may have been happening at the nanoscale level which this new construction of the Nano-Laser used by Dr. Mercedeh Khajavikhan and her team at the University of California solved. More interestingly, they can make them even smaller or larger, Alice in Wonderland style, with variations in power accompanying the scale-up or scale-down of the Nano-Laser.

But what use does a Nano-Laser have anyways?

Because the Nano-Laser is so small, the upper threshold before the Nano-Laser turn is very small, almost threshold-less. Logical, as the Laser is so small in size and so would require very miniscule amounts of light to power up in the first place.

Thus the applications, like the original Ruby Red Laser invented by Theodore H. “Ted” Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories on May 16, 1960AD are mind bogglingly endless, some of which have not yet even being conceived:

• High-resolution LCD or OLED displays, making 4K Displays and Retina Display look passé
• Nanoscale Lasers that can scan atom by atom images of viruses and DNA molecules but at very high resolution
• The invisibility cloak as described in the James Bond movie Die another Day and the article “Cloak's on you: Scientists create 'invisible' object”, published January 26, 2012 7:04 AM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News could be made real i.e. nanocamera on side of the Aston Martin DB5 captures what they see and project it via embedded nanoscale Lasers as a display in the paint on the other side, making the car invisible on once side
• Advertisers will love it as well, as it will low-cost paste-on Moving Displays as seen in the movie “Minority Report” a reality
• Camera with higher pixel density for smartphones, exceeding even that of Sharp’s recent development of a 12.1 Megapixel camera, which may be featured in the apple iPhone 4GS or even the Apple iPad 3 as stated in my blog article entitled “Sharp develops world's thinnest 12.1 Megapixel Camera - Apple iPhone 5 and Apple iPad 3 in Sharp's focus”
• Optical Laser Printers with ultra high printing quality, something that Apple may be interested, being as no-one has yet to make a standard Cloud Printer, muchless a good printer as noted in my blog article entitled “Standardizing the Cloud Printer for Tablets and smartphones - Molly Wood rants about the broken printer ”

But it’s the applications in computing that have me very excited. Optical Computer would also be possible. Combined with the development of a superglue by 3M and IBM (International Business Machines) Vertical Processor Array of Low-Voltage Multi-Core Optical Processors may be coming to a Apple MacBook Air or even a revival of the Apple G4 Cube quite soon.

This concept, which I call Iso-Linear due to the non-linear relationship between processing power and the number of potential Multi-Core Processors in this 3D stack described in my blog article entitled “IBM and 3M to develope adhesive for Iso-Linear Processor - Rihanna's Umbrella for Intel's SuperComputer on a Chip” may not only be a SCoC (Super Computer on a Chip) but potentially also an Optical Computer, using these Nano-Lasers as their lasing source.

Dr. Mercedeh Khajavikhan and her team at the University of California paves the way for ultra-high imaging applications as well as the development of an Optical SCoC that may be used in the future return of the Apple’s G4 Cube that may change Tablets and UltraBooks forever.

MakerBot 3D Replicator Printer debuts at CES 2012 - Evanessence Brings Star Trek to Life

3D is now the new up and coming trend in Broadcasting in the US of A, with ComCast as the poster boy for the push towards IPTV Streaming a 3D HDTV as stated in my blog article entitled “FLOW goes 3D HDTV as Netflix cometh - XFinity follow-on indicates Streaming's Deep Impact” and the Geezam Blog article entitled “FLOW goes 3D HDTV et al – Netflix to make FLOW Extinct”.

Even local Triple Play Provider FLOW has plans to go 3D HDTV, with their plans now being supported by a recent announcement of an additional US$30 billion in funding for the build-out of their Triple Play Network in the next five (5) years as stated in the article “Flow to invest another J$30b in five years”, published Friday February 3, 2012 by Steven Jackson, Business Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner and in the article “Columbus Communications makes multibillion-dollar telecoms investment in the region”, published Friday, February 10, 2012, The Jamaica Observer

But a 3D Printer is something of a novelty in the Printing World, a world that is yet to make a standard Cloud Printer for Tablets as stated in my blog article entitled “Standardizing the Cloud Printer for Tablets and smartphones - Molly Wood rants about the broken printer”.

That may soon change with the debut of MakerBot’s 3D Printer aptly named The Replicator at CES (Computer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, Nevada this January 2012AD as stated in the article “MakerBot to Debut Next-Gen 3D Printer at CES”, published January 9, 2012 04:30pm EST By Tony Hoffman, PC Magazine and “MakerBot Replicator 3D printer beams in”, published January 9, 2012 12:46 PM PST by Rich Brown, CNET News

Started in September 2010AD with only five (5) employees, their numbers have swelled to thirty (30) employees and a strong geek following of thousands of users, as evident from their fan website Thingyverse.

Their first model the $1,299 Thing-O-Matic has been a huge success as stated in the article “Hands-on with MakerBot’s Thing-O-Matic, a printer for 3D objects”, published June 22, 2011 by Jeffrey Van Camp DigitalTrends. A DIY (Do-it-Yourself) Printer, upon ordering you can put the printer together with told you have at home.

Once up an running and connected to your PC via a USB Port, you use the material wire supplied which is heated to a molten state by the extruder, the 3D object is built up layer by layer. Much like a loaf of sliced bread is made up of layers, so too is the 3D construct that you build with the MakerBot Thing-O-Matic, one lay of hundreds or thousands at a time.

A geek culture kind of a phenomena, it takes a lot of dedication and planning to build you own 3D models files for the MakerBot Thing-O-Matic, so being a member of the Thingyverse where you can download and collect 3D Model files to try out on your MakerBot Printer is very helpful.

So it’s nice to see the gradual development of a 3D Open Source Printer from Start-up MakerBot. This latest model MakerBot 3D Printer called the Replicator costs US$1999 and can print, if you can still call it that in two (2) colours as stated in the article “MakerBot builds the future, layer by layer’, published January 12, 2012 7:12 PM PST by Eric Mack, CNET News

Interestingly enough, a lot of fans of MakerBot’s 3D Thing-O-Matic Printers also happen to be fans of Minecraft, which recently debut their LEGO Set as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “Minecraft Apple iPhone and iPad making brick building Games Social”. Even the material used in the printer which can be either ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), the plastic material that makes LEGO or PLA (Polylactide) is familiar to Minecraft fans!

Now that MakerBot has made another easier to use 3D Printer, aptly named the Replicator, does this mean the coming of 3D Printers in everyone’s homes as opined CNET Editor Rich Brown’s article “A 3D printer in every garage? Not yet.”, published January 13, 2012 7:00 AM PST by Rich Brown, CNET News an opinion expressed in his article that may be biased due to the Fact that the MakerBot 3D Printer called the Replicator was awarded Best in show in the emerging Technology Category.

It may be more of a thing that, like Minecraft, may develop with the increasingly strong fanbase that loves its tinker and likes its community feel, Open Source roots. It may also have a special appeal to people who want to scan and replicate components in a manufacturing setting so as to breath life into their creations or share data.

A good example of the usefulness of a 3D Printer in a semi-industrial setting (actual a hospital) was the creation of a customer build jawbone from sintering together layers of titanium powder as stated in the article “3D printer produces new jaw for woman”, published February 6, 2012 12:59 PM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News. This printer was made by a Belgian 3D Printer maker LayerWise.

To give you an idea of how time consuming yet precise 3D Printing is in replicating objects, Ruben Wauthle, LayerWise's medical applications engineer explains the process in an interview with BBC, quote: “It used a laser beam to melt successive thin layers of titanium powder together to build the part. This was repeated with each cross section melted to the previous layer. It took 33 layers to build 1mm of height, so you can imagine there were many thousand layers necessary to build this jawbone.”

MakerBot’s 3D Printer the Replicator Brings 3D Creations to Life Evanessence Style and may herald the coming of 3D printing for both Commercial as well as Personal use as the popularity of the Thingyverse fan base continues to grow.

Senator Phillip Paulwell chooses LNG over Coal - Power Engineers in Stephen King's Graveyard Shift

NKOB (New Kid on the Block) Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell has been one busy little Senator indeed as he was already in the limelight since January 2012AD, the Year of the Dragon for his utterances on aspects of his ministry: Telecoms and Energy!

This after the PNP (People’s National Party) won an historic, unexpected and crushing landslide victory over the JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) as stated in the article “It's Portia! - PNP delivers crushing 41-22 seat defeat to JLP’, published Friday, December 30, 2011 BY VERNON DAVIDSON Executive editor — publications, The Jamaica Observer
 

First Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell’s controversial pronouncements on Telecoms!

The Telecoms Provider Digicel swap with America Movil that gave them the CLARO Jamaica Spectrum and licenses for their Caribbean-wide HSDPA+ (High Speeds Downlink Packet Access) Release 7 Network and then ramp up to LTE (Long Term Evolution) push by 2014AD under dubious circumstances was his first controversy. This was given Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell’s tacit support from early on as stated in the article entitled “Paulwell endorses new Digicel/Claro merger condition”, published 2012-01-13 09:22:52, Go-Jamaica.

Hopefully Telecoms Provider Digicel will build out the Islandwide HSDPA+ Release 7 Network but give up some of the spectrum to encourage competition in Jamaica’s Telecoms Market as the FTC (Fair Trading Commission) desires as noted in my blog article entitled “Digicel to shut down CLARO's Voice Network in HSDPA+ Push - The Louisiana Purchase of Spectrum”.

As for the former employees and contractors associated with CLARO Jamaica, they may not even have time to rest on their laurels! Canadian-based Solamon Energy Corp is an entrant into the newly liberalized Energy Sector looking to compete in the recently liberalized Energy Sector and in the process employ thousands of Jamaicans as stated in my breaking Geezam article entitled “Solamon Energy Corporation to build Caribbean’s Largest Solar Plant – Jamaica to get a Green Energy Boost”.

So I guess it will all work out after all for the disenfranchised CLARO Jamaica employees come Thursday March 1^st 2012AD when CLARO GSM Voice Network will be turned off, not down……

Thus Canadian-based Solamon Energy Corp may take on former CLARO Jamaica employees with IP RAN (IP Radio Access Network) experience to:

• Build out the communications backbone between their three (3) massive fifty (50) acre Solar Plant
• GPRS (Global Packet Radios System) and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) Remote Billing System based on smartmeters

This as noted in my blog article entitled “Solamon Energy Corp & Green RG invest in Jamaica's Alternative Energy Future - Let the Cheaper Energy Hunger Games for Latin America Begin”.

Now here comes Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell’s latest pronouncements on Energy and what appears to be the coming Liberalization of the Energy Sector and with it competition and even Broadband!

Earlier in January 2012AD year Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell even served up the possibility that JPS Co could offer PowerLine Broadband as a means of offsetting the loss of revenue due to competition in a Liberalized Energy Sector as stated in the article Paulwell wants JPS to offer broadband Internet service, published Sunday January 22, 2012 10:39 am, The Jamaica Gleaner and “JPS invited to offer broadband Internet service” published Sunday January 22, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner.

However, such an offer, even if taken up by JPS Co, would be impractical due to the level of signal attenuation Broadband signals would face traversing on Power lines, not to mention interference with terrestrial communications and even Hospital Equiptment as noted in my explanation blog article entitled “Senator Phillip Paulwell and PowerLine Broadband - Ice Station Zebra”.

Game, set, match on that issue, as its impracticability is well known to Telecoms Technicians working at JPS Co!!

But apparently undeterred, his latest pronouncement on Energy is one that I welcome. It is Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell about turn from his earlier held position on the use of Coal as an alternative fuel to imported Bunker Seed Oil to generate electricity by JPS Co as opposed to LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) as stated in the article “Full speed ahead with LNG”, published 9^th February 2012, Go-Jamaica, which the JLP Supports, makes the news yet again!

The PNP’s original position was to support the use of Coal as it was cheaper and plentiful on the world market, commanding lower prices as stated in the article “Eyes on coal”, published Friday February 3, 2012 by Steven Jackson, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner, expressed some six (6) days ago in the Media.

I guess this means that the Licenses being offered by the Government of Jamaica to invite international bidders to supply LNG as well as to construct the LNG Floating Storage and Re-gasification Terminal and the pipeline infrastructure as laid out in December 2011AD article  “Bids to open next year for LNG terminal”, Published Sunday December 4, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner is still open.

Additionally, Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications Senator Phillip Paulwell backtrack may also be a means of avoiding sending mixed signals to the Bidders in the international community as it relates to the GOJ’s commitment to the JLP’s previously signed Bilateral Trade Agreements and MOU’s related to LNG

It seems that they [PNP] have finally awakened - yet again - to the fact that LNG would save Jamaica US$300 million per annum on their Oil Bill as stated in the article “JPS: LNG power plant to cut US$300m from oil bill”, published Friday February 10, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This in addition to the added savings from the coming expansion of the Wigton Wind Farm as stated in the article “In Five Months, Wigton Saves Jamaica $229 Million”, published Sunday September 25, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner

The last time the debate on LNG surfaced was in June of 2010AD in the article “Government eyes LNG cure for Energy problems”, published Wednesday June 16 2010 by Laura Redpath, Senior Staff Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner but little action had been taken since then, with embattled Minister of Energy and Mining Paul Robertson having to demit office over a LNG

Back then I also did several articles on the subject, most notable of which was an article which outlined the benefits of LNG as a part of Jamaica’s Energy Mix entitled “Alternative Energy and LNG - Is Energy Sector Liberalization necessary?” and the coming Peak Oil Crisis coming in 2015AD as described in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and the Caribbean - Peak Oil in 2015 and The Day After Tomorrow”

To wit:

• LNG is cleaner burning in combustion engines than Oil and results in lower Maintenance costs
• It’s easier to store than Oil or Coal, oweing to the fact that it can be gasified or compressed easily, the energy for which being supplied by Alternative Sources
• It’s easily transported using pipelines, as opposed to Coal which has to be transported by road using Trucks, large Trailers or via Trains
• LNG only poses an explosion danger to the environment as opposed to Coal which poses a health and dust nuisance problem to residents living near to the LNG Regasification plant
• LNG has a higher Energy Density than Gasoline or Diesel as stated in the article “Energy Density”, viewed Monday January 18 2010 by WikiPedia packing 53 MJ/kg compared to Diesel and Gasoline sporting figures of 46.2 MJ/kg and 46.4 MJ/kg respectively
• It can also be used as fuel in Motor Vehicles as stated in my blog article entitled “LPG and the Challenger Transport Co. Ltd.  - A Cheaper Fuel” and the supporting article in The Jamaica Observer entitled “Challenger Transport pioneers Auto LPG”, published Friday, March 05, 2010 by Patrick Foster, The Jamaica Observer.
• It can be used as fuel for Public Transport, saving the GOJ billions of dollars in fuel costs as stated in my blog article entitled “JUTC, Challenger and LNG - Journey to the Center of the Earth”
• Most importantly, the source of LNG fuel is actually sustainable and can be made in commercial quantities Anaerobic digestion of organic matter by Methane producing Bacteria as per my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and the Caribbean - Peak Oil in 2015 and The Day After Tomorrow
• Improved production at companies that use vast amounts of energy to produce their products e.g. Bauxite at JAMALCO as mentioned in the article “US$3-B infrastructural upgrade coming with Natural Gas - Robertson”, published Sunday, October 03, 2010, The Jamaica Observer and explained in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and Distributed AEPP - The GoldenEye Talk Shop”
• Generators that use LNG are Gas Turbine Generators. These Generators can be easily modified to use Hydrogen Gas in the future as per my blog article entitled “Hydrogen Economy and Natural Gas - Wall-E and the Rise of the Oceanospirillales Microbes.
• Gas turbine Generators can enable Jamaica to eventually transition to the so-called Hydrogen Economy in the future using Hydrogen Gas obtained from the electrolysis of Seawater to produce Hydrogen and Oxygen, with Salt and other minerals as byproducts as per my blog article entitled “Whither the Hydrogen Economy”

That the GOJ and Jamaicans at large are divided along political lines on an issue that should be of national importance and unite us as the high cost of Cheaper Energy it is a problem that affects us all as stated in my blog article entitled “Minister Clive Mullings retrogade step on Energy Sector Liberalization - JPS Co's Monopoly An Inconvenient Truth” is intriguingly strange. It also speaks volumes about our mindset as it relates to achieving Developed World Status in keeping with the bipartisan ideals as laid out in Vision 2030.

So it’s going to an interesting year for both Telecoms and Power Engineering. With the Telecoms Sector, more specifically Telecom Provider LIME still awaiting the changes in the archaic Telecommunications Act of 2000 and the provision of a Telecom Regulator separate and apart from OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) as stated in the article “Sinclair demands regulatory protection in high stakes telecoms market” Published Friday February 10, 2012 by Lavern Clarke, Business Editor, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Along with former CLARO RF Technician and Network Engineers, Power Engineers at JPS Co, it seems, will be kept working for the next five (5) years to install the new Gas Turbine Generators that use LNG on Stephen King’s Graveyard Shift (1990)

Qualcomm to create Airplane Wi-Fi named Next Gen-AG using 500MHz of unused 14GHz spectrum - 300MBps in the Mile High Club

Telecom Equiptment Maker Qualcomm has come up with an idea that I think borders on genius. Their idea simply put: re-use currently 500MHz of spare spectrum in the 14GHz band to power what I would effectively like to call Airplane Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) at a maximum theoretical speeds of 300MBps as stated in the article “Qualcomm is exploring the last 4G frontier: The sky”, published Feb. 6, 2012, 8:07am PT By Kevin Fitchard, Gigaom.

Telecom Equiptment Maker Qualcomm’s name for this futuristic Wireless Broadband Delivery system is called Next Gen-AG and must pass muster with the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) before they can start manufacturing the Hardware and firmware for this push to rule Broadband in the Skies.

If this sounds familiar it should, as a similar fate possibly awaits ADSL in Jamaica when FTTH (Fiber To The House) eventually leaves the Guinea Pig Testing stage and becomes so popular that the only use ADSL may have is as low-speed Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) offerings (possibly free?) at Shopping malls and Fast Food Restaurants.

This is the so called Shopping Mall Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as stated in my blog article entitled “Fast Food Wi-Fi for LIME's ADSL Broadband when FTTH goes Mainstream - Mother's and KFC to Supersize Me with Wi-Fi”, similar to the Telecom Equiptment Maker Qualcomm announcement as it is the re-use of an otherwise unused Resource.

This article caught my eye as with the impending shutdown of CLARO Jamaica’s Network looming large on Thursday March 1^st 2012AD it’s now becoming clear what Telecom Provider Digicel’s real ambitions were all about: getting a hold of CLARO’s spectrum and 3G Licenses to build out their Caribbean-wide HSDPA+ Release 7 Network and then ramp up to LTE (Long Term Evolution) push by 2014AD as surmised in my blog article entitled “Digicel to shut down CLARO's Voice Network in HSDPA+ Push - The Louisiana Purchase of Spectrum”.

Interestingly too in the US of A, Telecoms Provider AT&T attempt to get a hold of Telecoms Provider T-Mobile purportedly for the same purpose of using their spectrum to build out a USA-wide LTE Network was flatly rejected by the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) Julius Genachowski. The FCC Chief stated that the merger was not in the US public’s interest as stated in the article “FCC Chairman: AT&T/T-Mobile deal not in public interest, hearing requested, reports WSJ”, published November 22, 2011 By Andrew Couts Digitaltrends.

Guess their Telecoms Industry has the right checks and balances, as the GOJ is yet to set up the Telecoms Regulator, freeing the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) from being overstretched in their duties to this now bustling Industry as stated in my Geezam blog article entitled “New Telecom Act Coming for Jamaica – Providers surprised with their Own Regulator”.

The Telecoms Industry growing complexity requires not only its own Regulator but a radically revamped Telecommunications Act to deal with the growth of Wireless and Wired Broadband for which the originally drafted Telecommunications Act of 2000 was not designed

So this latest attempt at a spectrum grab in the US of A is of interest to me, oweing to the fact that it aims to reuse spectrum that is otherwise rather useless for UE (User Equiptment) as the Mobile phones do not have the battery power to function using these very high frequencies. Even worse, these frequencies are severely attenuated by even just the wind blowing and moisture, let alone metal building in metallic structures!

At 14MHz, only IP RAN (IP Radio Access Networks) can utilize this spectrum but at very high power levels, making them a last resort in a spectrum auction. Telecoms providers in provisioning their Microwave Backhaul always try to use the lowest frequencies possible to minimize on power usage as argued in my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers and Alternative Energy - Stormy Weather and the MTV Generation”

The genius of Telecom Equiptment Maker Qualcomm’s plan is in instead of making UE i.e. Mobile handsets, modems, etc that can receive those frequencies, they instead envision the utilization of a 500MHz block of this particular spectrum to transmit broadband to Commercial Aircraft that would house the gear to convert the LTE signal to Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n). In effect, make the entire Aircraft the MiFi, if you will, converting the 14GHz frequency down to the 5GHz and 2.5GHz normally associated with Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

Commercial Aircraft have acres of reserve electrical power that can be used to power the LTE Tx/Rx gear on board the aircraft. Interestingly, at 14MHz, the severe attenuation of the signal means that the LTE Tx/Rx would have to be placed on the outside of the aircraft, most likely molded to the shape of the wings and fuselage.

Additional power for such as system, if required, would come from solar panels and wind turbines mounted near the engines so as not to create unnecessary turbulence, in effect supplying the LTE Tx/Rx gear with all the power it may need without compromising the Aircrafts power System or draining its onboard batteries.

But more interesting is the transmission system. Telecom Equiptment Maker Qualcomm could theoretically use either ground based 14GHz LTE Antennas pointing up into the sky or use Satellites from above that beam the LTE signal down to earth effectively Satellite Broadband with a twist of Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as stated in the article “Telecom Providers and Satellite Broadband - Quantum of Solace and The Tourist ”.

Either system envisioned would not require a lot of Mobile Towers on the ground or birds [satellites] in the sky as the Sky Waves, the type of propagation used in this proposed system, spreads far and wide and do not need to be directional in nature, a big money saver to new entrants to the Mobile Broadband Telecoms Market. In fact, if could re-use the Crow’s Nest of a lot of Mobile Towers and may not necessarily require Mobile Towers to be built at all, due to the fact that

Albeit Airplane Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) is currently very expensive, foreseeably in the future Telecoms Providers using such gear may actually be the Airlines and Airports. Albeit traveling passengers and seats are the bread and butter of any airline, increasingly Airlines are trying to diversify away from just offering seats and offer VAS (Value Added Services) in a bid to increase their revenue streams.

Much as my prediction of free Shopping Mall Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) may be a VAS for Shopping Malls and Fast Food establishments to attract more customers, so too in the future, In-flight Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) may be another standard choice aside from choosing to fly Coach, Economy or First Class.

As a service, however, it has ways to go before you can go to the airline Check-in counter and declare that you want in-flight Wi-Fi as currently the prices are prohibitively expensive as stated in the article “Wi-Fi use in the air is slow to take off”, published 16 January 2012 By Nancy Trejos, USA TODAY

So a flight of Fancy: REDjet or Caribbean Airlines as Telecom Providers for hefty 300MBps Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n)? Here’s hoping that Telecoms Equipment Maker Qualcomm succeeds in getting on the good side of FCC (Federal Communication Commission) Julius Genachowski for their Next-Gen AG proposal, who may be in no mood for attempts at another Monopoly in the Mile High Club.