GOING MOBILE The Newest in Communications Technology for Contractors

u can’t be everywhere at once. pany owners often have to discuss once? Mobile communications equip- Owners and employees of to- strategy with members of the office ment is the answer. Today’s impres- day’s contracting firms have to staff while driving across town to in- sive variety of mobile communica- Y tions equipment can satisfy almost communicate a wide range of infor- spect yet another project. And office mation over a variety of distances. personnel have to transmit revised every need. Even contractors who are Foremen have to give instructions to blueprints from the drafting table to already using this equipment to some employees on each floor of the highrise the dirt field across town. extent can benefit by exploring building that they are constructing. But shouting, running to pay new innovations in communications Project managers have to be available phones, or hiring bicycle messengers technology. to settle minute-by-minute problems at every half-hour won’t do. So how does A construction company’s typical the jobsite, even when they are at the a contractor communicate effectively business day presents several situations company offices. Construction com- in a dozen different environments at in which mobile communications equipment can be useful. Your equip- ment needs will vary depending on which situations occur, and what infor- mation needs to be transmitted. So you should analyze the verbal and data traffic patterns in your company before investing in equipment or up- dating your current equipment. For instance, do you work on very large commercial jobsites where a foreman or other member of the supervisory staff might have to deliver orders or instructions to employees who are more than speaking distance away? Do your foremen or supervisors often find themselves needing to talk to someone at the corporate head- quarters, at a branch office, or even at the office of a subcontractor or sup plier while in their vehicles or on the jobsite? Does your project manager, while in his company truck, need to provide a portable, inexpensive way to send simple messages and even data relay specifications to the site fore- to field personnel. man? Does your CEO often get caught

January 1987/Construction Dimensions 37 “Even contractors who are already using this equipment can benefit by exploring new innovations in communications technology.” in meetings at clients’ offices with no pagers, , and -, According to Karahalios, some of way for you, at the corporate office, the vast majority of which are cellular the basic types of pagers on the market to get him on the phone? telephones. today include: display, tone only, tone All of these are basic examples of “A is the simplest method of and voice, and vibrator pagers. Some the main situations in which mobile contacting someone, when you don’t tone pagers produce more than one communications would be effective. need that person to respond in voice tone, each one indicating a different The primary location interactions right away,” explains Dino Karahalios, response, such as calling vs. returning suitable for this type of equipment in- public relations specialist for to the office. Most vibrator pagers pro- clude: site trailer or office to jobsite; Motorola, a leader in mobile com- duce a vibration instead of a tone, to company vehicle to vehicle, office or munications equipment. Most paging avoid disruptive beeping during a site; within the jobsite; and from your systems consist of a terminal from meeting, or to signal a person in a office to another firm’s office. which any number of pagers can be noisy environment who might not hear signalled using radio frequencies. The a tone. With voice pagers, the Equipment . . . pagers themselves are easily portable; is able to relay a short verbal message, small enough to clip on a belt or carry such as “call the ABC Supply Com- There are different types of mobile in the hand or pocket. Most pagers pany.” As with all pagers, however, the communications equipment to answer operate within a local range, although recipient cannot answer back. each different need. The equipment regional— and even nationwide— Display pagers are the new wave in can be divided into three main types: paging systems are emerging. the pager market. These devices usual-

written information coast to coast: the firm has 40 domestic and inter- national company offices. Yet, says Facsimile Machines Pankratz, computer-to-computer communication or electronic mail weren’t the sole answers to their A Communications Solution transmission problems. The com- pany’s array of paper traffic includes not only engineering drawings and Mobile Communications is one “were slow, provided inconsistent hand-written memoranda, but pro- way that many businessmen, in- copy quality, and had to be operator posal information, letters to clients, cluding contractors, can save money attended at both stations to transmit time sheets, and accounting data. and time. But in the construction and receive documents.” With the These materials “had to be rushed to business, words aren’t the only things old analog “,” a typical page took our offices, our vendors, and our that need to be exchanged rapidly; six minutes to transmit. Poor copy clients-even to our project sites.” changes in site plans or design legibility necessitated resending The answer: new technology in specifications also have to be documents, reading them over the facsimile equipment. “Today’s digital transmitted quickly and accurately, phone, or sending documents equipment transmits documents in often under tight deadline schedules. through overnight package delivery. less than 30 seconds per page to “In the past if a contractor was anywhere in the world,” says working with an engineer in another CH2M HILL experienced all the Sheehan. “These machines operate state, the only means of sending usual difficulties with traditional fax unattended and have features that blueprints, contracts, or site plans machines. “Frankly, we were down make them not only reliable, with was through overnight courier or on ‘fax,’ ” says Diane Pankratz, of- consistent copy quality, but also less U.S. mail,” says John Sheehan, fice systems director for the Oregon- labor intensive and extremely cost senior vice president for the com- based engineering firm. “Many of effective in the office environment.” munication products group of the our people were disappointed with Patrick Householder, a sales Ricoh Corporation, a manufacturer the performance and relatively poor manager of Telautograph Corpora- of office communications equipment. copy quality delivered by the fac- tion, set out to convince skeptics at Although facsimile machines have simile equipment we had used since CH2M HILL that the new genera- also been available since 1930, the early 1970s.” tion of ‘fax’ machines could meet Sheehan explains that until a few CH2M HILL has an especially their demands. He says that the ma- years ago, analog facsimile machines great need to rapidly transmit hand- jor reason for using facsimile equip-

38 Construction Dimensions/January 1987 ly use sophisticated microprocessor sion of the Electronic Industry technology to send small amounts of Association explains that a private data-such as a material cost or re- system is one in which “a business en- vised specifications in the case of tity goes to an equipment manufac- construction industry users-from a turer to purchase radio equipment, terminal located in an office to the then obtains a license from the FCC pager. The information is shown on a to operate that equipment for his own small LED display similar to those on business purposes.” Construction digital watches, and the devices usually firms may want to operate a closed have a limited memory capacity, up to radio system to provide communica- about 120 characters. tion between employees of the com- pany. “Most industries and businesses Private Versus operate on these private systems,” Common Carrier . . . Schimmel says. A common carrier, on the other How you go about purchasing—or hand is “a system operated by a pro- leasing the use of—a paging system fessional provider of a communica- will depend upon your needs. This tions service,” says Schimmel. “This brings up a basic operating distinction provider buys the equipment and ob- in the industry which applies to all tains a license to sell his service to types of mobile communications subscribers or customers.” Radio- equipment: private versus common and paging systems are the Paging systems can be operated carriers. primary systems operated by common either privately or through a common Eric Schimmel, staff vice president carriers; radio systems are, for the carrier. “A doctor or a lawyer of the Mobile Communications Divi- most part, privately licensed. wouldn’t want to pay for a private

ment is ease of operation-most the company expects a great increase ample, the main office needs to com- modern machines can operate unat- in the number of satisfied customers municate with its regional branches. tended. Sheehan agrees, saying that in the future. “As the market con- • Speed — Generally, the faster the new fax units are “as easy to use tinues to expand,” he says, “we the machine, the higher the initial as regular paper copiers and push- believe that you will find digital fax purchase cost. With high-speed button telephones, and are less ex- machines sprouting in the marketing machines, the money you save on pensive than many desktop copiers.” executive’s office, the personnel of- phone line usage can usually justify Householder explains that trans- fice, even the CEO’s office—any- the initial expenditure. mitting through facsimile also elim- where that rapid and flexible com- • Image Quality — This is especially inates the time-consuming keyboard- munication is needed.” important when sending graphs, ing necessary for - “For those businesses,” says artwork, drawings, photos, etc. The ing. And most importantly, facsimile Sheehan, “that find themselves number of halftone shades of grey units can handle graphics as well as sending high volumes of documents offered by the transceiver will affect type; Sheehan says that the new fax through overnight delivery services, the quality of reproduction. Overall, machines “can transmit virtually any or even through the time-consuming the image quality of transmissions type of document, including com- and often error-prone method of has improved noticeably with com- binations of halftones, graphics and reading information over the phone, mon resolution now at 200 x 200 dots signatures.” the time to buy a facsimile machine per inch. The cost savings with today’s fax has arrived.” He offers several points • Service — Many major manufac- machines are substantial. “The line to look for in selecting a high-speed turers operate a toll-free, nationwide cost in the first minute of a transmis- facsimile machine. service hotline for their customers. sion from New York to Los Angeles • Compatibility or Standards — Many user problems can easily be will be approximately 69 cents,” Based on transmission speed, there corrected via these hotlines and explains Sheehan, “with each addi- are three categories of facsimile through the phone company, thereby tional minute costing about 46 cents. machines: groups one, two and three. eliminating the need for an on-site Thus, the cost of sending a four-page High-speed digital machines fall in- service call. document from New York to L.A. is to group three and can communicate • Confidentiality — This is fast typically only about $1.15.” with groups one and two. But becoming a priority to fax users who Pankratz and others at CH2M machines from groups one and two want to protect the integrity of their HILL say they are “completely cannot transmit to group three documents. Look into fax units of- satisfied” with their new digital fax transceivers, unless the transceiver is fering compatibility with encryption equipment. Telautograph’s vice presi- equipped with group three options. devices if document security is a dent of marketing, Frank May, says This can present a problem if, for ex- concern in your business.

January 1987/Construction Dimensions 39 system when they could get good metropolitan areas on VHF and UHF 24-hour service through a common are occupied today,” says Schimmel. carrier,” says Schimmel. However, In fact, overcrowding of the airwaves larger companies who plan to put a lot is a major concern of the FCC and of users on a paging system might find other organizations involved in mobile it feasible to invest in a private system communications. which they can operate themselves. The most recent change in this Two-way radios, or “two-way land system was the FCC’s move to open mobile radios” as industry experts up the 800-1000 MHz range to mobile refer to them, are probably the most communications users. A substantial popular mobile communications device portion of this range is now allocated on the market. “With the pager, only to commercial operators of trunked a message was possible; two-way radio or cellular telephone systems who radios expand the communications then sell their services to subscribers. potential because immediate response Within this basic dichotomy the is possible,” says Karahalios. These array of radio equipment is virtually radios are available in mobile or por- endless. Many different facets of your table styles. Mobile radios are usually operation must be examined before installed under the dashboard of a car you can determine your radio needs, or other vehicle; portable radios are including the range you require, the smaller and can be carried in the hand number of units you will be using, and or coat pocket. The latter, while ideal the amount of privacy you will need. for contractors working all over the This portable radio is being programmed jobsite away from vehicle or office, with a code so only it will receive the have traditionally had less range than message intended for it, thus ensuring the Setting Up Your System . . . privacy of radio communications. the larger mobile radios. This dif- “There are several ways to configure ference is disappearing, however, with FCC allocated some channels in the a radio system,” says Fred Davis, the introduction of repeaters into the UHF band for radio use because the manager of repeater operations for market. “Repeaters are devices which VHF band was so crowded.” Low Kemp Communications, Inc., mobile take the radio signal being produced VHF is below 50 megahertz (MHz), communications dealer. “You could by a portable or mobile unit and repeat and high VHF is above 150 MHz. get a license to have a private system, it, transmitting it further along and UHF channels available for two-way with your own in your of- thus increasing the range of the unit,” radio are between 450 and 950 MHz. fice and an on the roof. Then Karahalios explains. Most newer radio systems operate in you might add your own repeater, and One other important distinction is the UHF range, while most older put it in a high, remote location, so whether the radio operates in the VHF systems operate in the VHF range or that you can communicate on your () or UHF (ultra lower UHF range. However, what you system within a much larger area. If high frequency) range. Schimmel says will need depends on what channels are you own your own equipment and you that “VHF used to be the only band available in your metropolitan area. are the only system on it, then there available for two-way radios; then the “Almost all the channels in major is no limit to the number of mobile units you can operate on that system.” “Or as an alternative,” Davis con- tinues, “you can share a repeater with other companies which have radio systems. This is called a “community repeater,” and you would want about 60-80 mobile units—about 10 custo- mers—on it. This is, of course, much less expensive than having your own repeater and renting the location for it yourself; but with a community repeater, you must monitor for clearance before you can use it. So in other words, you have even less privacy than you would with your own system.” The alternative to a private system is the SMR, or Special service, which the EIA’s Schimmel calls “a hybrid of private and common carrier systems.” According to Special Industrial Radio Service Association, SMR ser- vice was established in the mid-1970’s 40 Construction Dimensions/January 1987 to “provide a communications service to private radio licensees on a commer- cial basis.” The key to the effectiveness of this system is trunking. “Trunking is a method of connecting several channels into one mobile relay system which is used for both private and commercial applications,” says Karin Norton, SIRSA’s Director of Com- munications. In a traditional radio system, a private radio licensee—such as a company—is licensed to use one chan- nel. In this situation, says Davis, “someone else nearby—30 miles away for instance—can apply for a private license and obtain authorization to use the same channel. As many as 10 or more licensees may share a channel in the same geographical area. This can cause interference.” According to Schimmel, it also creates “busy hours”: periods during the day when certain channels in a particular area are clogged with users. If the channel you’ve been assigned to is in use, you may have to wait for free time; mean- while, other channels that you don’t have access to may be lying idle. With SMRs, says Schimmel, “an in- dividual or a company obtains a special license for five to twenty chan- nels (usually in multiples of five), depending on his ability to fulfill a loading requirement of 100 units per channel. Then, this operator arranges for subscribers—businesses offering a variety of services and using the radio at different times—to share the use of these channels.” The SMR system uses trunking equipment which allows computerized random assignment of channels to the system’s subscribers,” Schimmel con- tinues. In other words, the system can scan over the five or more channels and assign a vacant one to you for that time. All units in your system will automatically switch to that. channel, allowing you to communicate without having to wait, and allowing for effi- cient usage of channels which other- wise might have been idle. This type of system also allows you more ex- clusive use of a channel, since while it is assigning channels, the trunking system will automatically skip over those in use. Besides exclusive use and conven- ience, trunking provides much cleaner channels because they are operated in the 800+ MHz range. “At 800 MHz the FCC doesn’t allow any other licensee within approximately 70 miles (far beyond most systems’ range) on tion designates certain frequency bands construction of buildings is not in this the same frequency,” explains Kemp for use by any business operation, sub- category.” Commercial contractors, Communications’ Fred Davis. “So ject to proper authorization. In addi- then, should apply for use of the there is virtually no interference— tion, the Special Industrial Radio Serv- Business Radio Service. unlike a regular 450 UHF system. ice designates other frequencies to be These are simply some of the op- Unfortunately, for this exact reason, used only by people engaged in in- tions available in mobile and portable setting up an SMR or any new trunked dustrial activities such as the operation radios today. For instance, digital system is not possible in many major of farms or ranches, mining, and util- transmission to supplement voice with metropolitan areas. “There are a finite ity and infrastructure construction, data messages between a base station number of channels available, and in among others. Applicants for this serv- terminal and a mobile or portable unit most cities there is a waiting list for ice, which is operated by the associa- is also available for radio systems. authorization to operate a system,” tion’s profit-making subsidiary, can re- Many of today’s radios come with a says Davis. So the FCC won’t allocate quest the use of frequency bands both special visual readout area for recep- the use of that many channels to one above and below the 800 MHz level, tion of these messages. Other options trunked system in a busy area.” depending on the type of use. to consider include portable radios For contractors interested in this which can be converted into mobile Special Services . . . service, it should be noted that the list units; “tone coded squelch,” which of eligible users for the Special In- minimizes the reception of messages Within the range of VHF and UHF dustrial Radio Service includes the from other radios in the area which are frequencies, the FCC has designated following: “[those] regularly engaged on your channel but do not have your that certain frequency bands be allo- in the construction of roads, bridges, tone frequency; and timers, which cated for specific purposes. With some sewer systems, pipelines, airfields, or automatically revert your system to exceptions, the FCC has allocated fre- water, oil, gas, or power production, standby after 60 seconds, preventing quency bands above 800 MHz for use collection or distribution systems. inadvertent and prolonged transmis- by common carriers, while those below Other engineering projects, normally sions which tie up a repeater or chan- that level are for private systems not classified as heavy construction ac- nel for co-users. operated for a profit. tivities, will be considered on the merits The big news in the mobile com- The Business Radio Service Associa- of the showing made, however, the munications industry is cellular tech-

January 1987/Construction Dimensions 43 nology, the latest improvement in the two separate business transactions, transmission tower in the system and radio-telephone sector of the industry. Ray Boggs, consultant for the market to the regular (see “Cellular technology allows more users research and consulting firm Venture illustration). to use telephones in their cars and Development Corp. says that they are With this arrangement, says Boggs, beyond,” says Karahalios. In the midst closely coordinated: the service com- a cellular telephone user can: of its third year, the cellular industry pany can recommend sales firms which • call a regular phone or another has brought increased profits and in- carry compatible equipment and vice cellular phone outside his particular creased competition to the mobile versa. cell system; communications industry. With this Essentially, these telephones, which • an outside phone can call a a geographic area is divid- transmit over radio waves, “use the or portable cellular phone; ed into separate cells, each with its own same technology as two-way portable • cellular phones within the system can pickup/transmission tower. The devel- and mobile radios,” says Karahalios. call each other. opment of this technology is meant to One major difference is that the Each cellular unit has an identifica- prevent clogging of channels, once a cellular telephones operate on the tion number which is transmitted to problem with older radio-telephone higher end of the UHF range — 800 the MTSO in the course of any systems. MHz and above. A key advantage of transmission; in this way the carrier Only two licensed commercial cellular telephones over mobile radios company can bill each subscriber for operators are authorized to operate the is the transmission distance. Cellular his calls. systems in each city, FCC officials telephone users can make “long In addition, an option called “roam- explain. These carriers then sell the use distance” calls to cellular systems in ing” is available in many areas. As of the system to subscribers. The other metropolitan areas, as well as to Boggs describes it, “if you are a subscribers are the owners of cellular regular telephones in the local and long subscriber to a system in Washington, telephones, which are battery-run and distance calling areas. D.C., but you are driving near operate out of a car or, in the case of “Basically there are three types of Baltimore, Maryland and you want to the new portable cellular telephones, a calls,” explains Boggs. “The core of make a call, you would want to hook briefcase or even a pocket. Although any cellular system is the Mobile Tele- into the signal of a Baltimore service. the sale of the telephone units and phone Switching Office, or MTSO, With capability your phone subscription to the service can require which is hardwired to each cell site or is allowed to tap into the Baltimore system, using your phone’s identifica- tion number to assure that you are still billed for the service. It is not technically difficult, it just requires an agreement on billing arrangements be- tween your carrier and the one in the other city.” The key to the efficiency of a cellular system is its switching capabil- ity; that is, the speed with which a cellular telephone can switch from one cell site to another as the car moves through different sites. The more rapidly the equipment can lock into different sites, the more the operators of the system will be able to subdivide cells without destroying transmission integrity. With greater numbers of cells and sub-cells, more subscribers can be added to a system without clogging.

44 Construction Dimensions/January 1987 Improving switching capabilities is one of the cellular phone industry’s greatest priorities, since studies by marketing research companies such as Venture Development, Inc., predict that the “cel-tel” industry “will grow to almost 1.4 million phones by 1990, making it one of the fastest growing product categories in the communications industry.”

Future Technologies . . . Mobile communications is a multi- billion dollar industry that is constantly changing; as quickly as a potential user can learn about the variety of devices on the market, new equipment and better options are being developed. The trend for all sectors of the in- dustry is toward more efficient port- able equipment: portable radios that can transmit as far and as clearly as mobile ones; portable cellular tele- phones in briefcases that are both lightweight and contain a battery system capable of supporting the telephone for hours; and pagers that are smaller and more lightweight than those currently available. Another “hot item” in the mobile communica- tions industry is secure systems, in which radios and other devices use “an encrypted mode of operation which prevents eavesdroppers from monitor- ing private communications,” accord- ing to Motorola. Other innovative technology to look for includes nationwide paging and paging terminals that print hard copies of messages; mobile and portable radio systems that can network into cellular telephone systems; and more sophisticated data transmission in pagers, radios, and telephones. Whatever your needs, the mobile com- munications industry can probably satisfy them—in fact, probably the biggest problem you’ll encounter is that mobile communications are becoming so popular, airwave space is becoming a precious commodity! (For more information contact: National Association of Business & Educational Radio at 703-739-0300; the Special Industrial Radio Service Association at 703-528-5115 or; the Federal Communications Commission at 202-632-5050.)

Note: Reprinted with permission from Builder and Contractor, June, 1986, published by the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.

January 1987/Construction Dimensions 45