by Mark Smiley | Dec 17, 2021 | Main Articles
FAA Warns Rollout Of 5G Network Could Also Affect Air Safety Including Flights From DIA
by Glen Richardson
Denver’s cellphone carriers are set to begin shutting down their older networks as 2022 gets underway. If and when they do and you have an older device you won’t be able to text, phone friends or make an emergency 9-1-1 call.
The shutdown dates were set to start Jan. 1, 2022, and continue throughout the year. Verizon says their 3G CDMA network will go away no later than the end of 2022. T-Mobile plans to retire all its 3G networks, including those obtained through its merger with Sprint, as quickly as possible as this year begins.
The changeover dates initially appeared to be confirmed. Phone carriers here and elsewhere have been proceeding as if they were permanent and established.
Air Safety?
However, the FCC warned as 2021 was coming to an end that the 5G rollout would impede air safety for pilots and slow airline travel, including traffic at DIA in Denver. Just after mid-November, carriers agreed to delay their launch of 5G C-band spectrum licenses until Jan. 5, 2022, due to the FAA concerns.
DIA Delays: FAA says the rollout of 5G may affect air safety, including at DIA. Pilots apparently will also tell passengers that new 5G devices should be turned off or switched to airplane mode during flights.
In a special information bulletin released at the time, the FAA said operators “should be prepared for the possibility that interference from 5G transmitters and other technology could cause certain safety equipment to malfunction, requiring them to take mitigating action that could affect flight operations.”
The bulletin said “there have not yet been proven reports of harmful interference,” but recommended pilots also remind passengers that all portable electronic devices equipped with 5G be should be turned off or switched to airplane mode during flight.” Following Thanksgiving, however, The Wall Street Journal reported that, “AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. said they would limit some of their fifth-generation wireless services for six months while federal regulators review the signals’ effect on aircraft sensors.”
Definitive Dish Deal: Colorado dropped out of the T-Mobile-Sprint merger lawsuit to allow Littleton-based Dish Network to create nation’s fourth wireless provider. Dish is attempting to build a cloud-native 5G network.
Rollout Impact
The slowdown or even a longer delay may yet occur as the two government agencies — the FAA (Federal Aviation Agency) and FCC (Federal Communications Commission) — feud over nationwide safety. The Wall Street Journal said the compromise was proposed in a letter sent to the agencies by the carriers.
If and when the rollout begins, here’s what to expect: Your older phone(s) will no longer take phone calls; furthermore, apps and websites will no longer work over a cellular connection.
Killing off the slower networks, moreover, will upset much more than just your cell phone: older cars have 3G systems, as do security cameras and other systems. Examples include medical alert devices plus e-readers like the Kindle.
New Nightmare
Denver is one of the first major U.S. cities where telecommunications companies sta
rted installing the super-powerful cell towers. Companies providing 5G service here — AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile — are doubling the number of 5G towers around the Mile High City.
Valley residents were told they were the beginning of, “a new era of digital interconnectedness.” Cell phone carriers even claimed, “It was the beginning of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
Over the past couple of years, however, residents in neighborhood after neighborhood have found them to be an infrastructural nightmare.
Poles A Drawback
Homeowners say the poles are ugly, spoiling the scenery and harming their property values.
As time has gone by, residents in several locations have uncovered additional problems but contend they can’t get the cell phone companies to fix them or even acknowledge problems exist. The city, however, can’t stop the carriers from installing the poles, thanks to a 2017 state law that says companies should generally be allowed to build them on the public right of way along city streets.
Furthermore, many families remain uneasy that the poles could also cause adverse health effects. Will the added small cells mean there are higher amounts of RF-waves surrounding people? Bottom line: Nothing conclusive has been ruled out or in and the long-term effects remain unknown.
Colorado Deal
Colorado, as many local residents likely recall, was originally one of 12 states that joined a lawsuit to stop the merger claiming it would hurt consumers and cut competition.
Changeover Collision: Rollout of 5G technology by Denver’s cellphone carriers this month will shut down older cellphones (pictured). If you have a Samsung Galaxy S4 or older it is also a 3G device, but newer models may still need an update to work.
The state pulled out of the lawsuit, however, when T-Mobile agreed to sell its subsidiaries Boost and Virgin Mobile to Colorado-based Dish Network for $5 billion. The deal allowed Dish to take over T-Mobile and Sprint’s service bands, creating the nation’s fourth wireless provider.
Eventually the compact will create, “thousands of new jobs,” the state said when announcing the deal. Potential job estimates according to carrier sources, are currently slightly more than 2,000. To date, Dish is still building the network in conjunction with more than 35 other companies. When completed it will link about nine million customers of Boost plus cable companies Comcast and Charter by relying on Verizon’s network.
T-Mobile Tactics
Meanwhile, in what some industry insiders are calling “double-dealing,” some observers are insinuating that T-Mobile is trying to crush the Dish deal.
Prior to the close of 2021, T-Mobile launched substantial promotions intended to get back the very customers it was required to sell to Dish as part of the Sprint merger. Even without the T-Mobile promotions, Dish was expected to lose more than 8.9 million wireless subscribers.
T-Mobile is the brand name used by the mobile communications subsidiaries of the German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG. The brand is active in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Poland, along with the U.S.
by Mark Smiley | Dec 17, 2021 | Featured Stories & Advertisers
by Mark Smiley | Dec 17, 2021 | Main Articles
by Mark Smiley
Candy Cane Tunnel: The candy cane tunnel is a must see when visiting Elitch Gardens this holiday season.
Rides: A limited amount of rides are open at Elitch Gardens during the Luminova Holidays event.
Luminova Holidays at Elitch Gardens premiered on November 26, 2021, and runs through Sunday, January 2, 2022. For the first time ever, the park transformed into Luminova Holidays and delivered a winter wonderland experience with larger-than-life holiday displays featuring over three million lights and more.
The immersive family experience features a display of glittering lights, fun rides, memory-making moments, and visits with St. Nick. Reservations are required. The event will run evenings from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
“We truly are proud and excited to introduce the first-ever holiday event at the Park,” says David Dorman, Elitch Gardens General Manager. “Luminova Holidays promises to be a must-see, sensational, and sophisticated spectacle, and a must-do for Coloradans of all ages to make lifelong memories at Elitch Gardens.”
Luminova Holidays featured at Elitch Gardens includes a 65 ft. Christmas tree, 25 ft. snowman that never melts, 200 ft. candy cane tunnel, ornaments and presents scaling over 16 ft. tall, rides on limited Elitch Gardens attractions, strolling holiday entertainers, and interactive activities, including light-up hopscotch.
Three Million Lights: Luminova Holidays features over three million lights throughout the park.
“This year more than ever we want families and friends to create memories that will last well beyond the holiday season,” says Dixie Baker, co-producer of Luminova Holidays. “We are extremely excited to be making our Colorado debut and to share with Denver the joy and holiday cheer that thousands have experienced when coming to see Luminova! We are thrilled to be partnering with Elitch Gardens and look forward to brightening up your holidays for years to come.”
President and CEO of VISIT DENVER, Richard Scharf, further adds, “We are thrilled that Luminova Holidays has chosen Denver and Elitch Gardens for their newest attraction. The holiday season in the Mile High City is always an exciting time with shopping, festive attractions, performances, and displays, and we look forward to adding another unique tradition for families to enjoy downtown.”
Visit ElitchGardens.com/Luminova to reserve your visit and purchase tickets. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram – @LuminovaHolidays and @ElitchGar dens, and Twitter – @LuminovaHoliday and @ElitchGardens.
by Mark Smiley | Dec 17, 2021 | Travel
by Mark Smiley
After record-breaking performances in Dallas, Texas, the Jurassic World Exhibition will open in Denver on March 4, 2022, at the National Western Center, located at the Washington Street exit of I-70. For the first time ever, Denver fans of the Jurassic World film and television franchises can experience the dinosaurs in their own community inside a 20,000 square foot immersive experience.
This experience is based on one of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history. Visitors will walk through the world-famous “Jurassic World” gates, encounter life-sized dinosaurs, and explore richly themed environments. Guests will have an up-close look at a Velociraptor, stand under a towering Brachiosaurus, and encounter the most fearsome of them all, the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Guests will be able to imagine what it would have been like to roam among these creatures and even interact with new baby dinosaurs, including “Bumpy” from the popular animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous which airs on Netflix.
Following an initial launch in Melbourne, Australia, JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION has become a global success with over three million visitors since 2016. The Exhibition has opened its gates to fans in Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia, Paris, Madrid, Seoul, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shanghai.
Universal Parks & Resorts’ President of Global Business Development, Michael Silver said, “What excites us about JURA
Jurassic World: The Exhibition: An immersive 20,000-square-foot experience based on the movies that have grossed over $5 billion worldwide. The exhibit has had over three million visitors since 2016 in Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia, Paris, Madrid, Seoul, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shanghai.
SSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION is the opportunity to give fans a real-world, immersive experience based on the amazing adventures of the films and delivered to a location near them. Visitors will come face-to-face with life-sized dinosaurs and walk through richly themed environments, all inspired by the beloved global franchise.”
Cityneon’s Executive Chairman & Group CEO, Ron Tan said, “JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION features cutting-edge, state-of-the-art technology that is powered by Animax Designs, our animatronics powerhouse located in the U.S. This immersive exhibition is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience that our friends in Denver can look forward to. With sold-out shows in Dallas since its opening there in June 2021, we are confident that our fans in Denver will be wowed by this exhilarating experience.”
“After record breaking sales in Dallas, we are incredibly excited to bring this show to Denver to share with our millions of fans,” said Stephen Shaw, Founder and Co-President of Round Room Live. “The ability to walk amongst these HUGE creatures will amaze and entertain fans with this breathtaking and truly immersive experience.” Shaw went on to explain that the dinosaurs are animatronic but “shockingly realistic.”
“Denver was a chosen city because we love the city,” said Shaw. “There is always a great response to entertainment in Denver, whether it be concerts, touring shows, or family shows. We have always loved going to Denver.”
Tickets to JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION start at $29.50 for adults (16 years +) and $19.50 for youth (3-15 years). Children under three years of age are free with accompanying parent or guardian. Flex Passes are available, as well as special pricing for senior citizens and military. Group sales packages are available for groups greater than 10.
For more information, visit JurassicWorldExhibition.com. The exhibition will be at the National Western Center’s new Stockyards Event Center until Labor Day, 2022, 5004 National Western Drive, Denver, CO 80216.
by Mark Smiley | Nov 19, 2021 | Travel
The Covid Grinch Could Steal Christmas As State Becomes Giant Covid-19 Mixing Bowl, Mountain Town Cases Soar; Flare-Ups In Denver Are Threatening Christmas Concerts
by Glen Richardson
Hospitalizations Skyrocket: Dr. Abbey Lara tends to patients in an ICU room at UCHealth as hospitalizations soar. She is pleading with people to do the “easy thing” and wear a mask and limit social gatherings.
As Cherry Creek Valley residents and families look to celebrate the holidays this month, Colorado has become a giant Covid-19 mixing bowl. Seeking a safe way to get festive, travelers and shoppers are shifting their sights away from mountain towns and downtown Denver to the Cherry Creek-Glendale neighborhoods. Nevertheless, fears are growing that the grouchy covid-19 creature is attempting to put an end to those holiday hopes.
At the beginning of November with Thanksgiving still weeks away, Colorado hospitals for the first time moved their transfer plan to the highest level during the pandemic. About one in every 51 Coloradans is now contagious with Covid-19 as the state registers the fifth-highest rate in the country with new infections compared to population.
With the pace of new coronavirus cases accelerating in Colorado, the state had asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to send in medical teams to help in areas where hospitals are especially full. During the last two weeks of October the rate of new infections in Colorado accelerated rapidly. Only Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming have higher case rates compared to population.
County Countdown
Colorado Cases Spike: Daily Covid-19 cases in Colorado started ramping up in May and were soaring by early Sept. The Colorado Public Health & Environment chart was created by Evan Wyloge.
Most of the state’s large counties have seen increasing cases, though the trend line is especially steep in Pueblo County, which concerns state officials. “It’s probably not a coincidence that this is roughly the same time that Colorado saw rapidly increasing cases last year, though it’s not clear if that reflects changes in the weather itself or in human behavior,” they suggest.
If the current trajectory continues, the state should stay slightly below the peak set in December 2020, when 1,847 people were hospitalized with confirmed Covid-19, officials estimate.
Even if transmission goes down by 5% it’s still possible the state could exceed the previous peak, they warn. As the holiday nears, some heath officials are urging Gov. Jared Polis to issue a statewide indoor mask mandate.
Denver Cases Rising
Even more worrisome, the number of hospitalized covid patients and deaths in Denver County is also on the rise. An average of 274 cases per day were reported in Denver County as November got underway, a 47% increase from the average two weeks earlier.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, one in eight residents of the City & County of Denver has been infected, a total of 93,464 reported cases.
Events Altering Tune: Fans at this year’s Westword Music Showcase in September were greeted by reminder to show their Covid-19 vaccination status. Photo: CPR News
An article in the New York Times at the beginning of November suggested, “Denver County is at a very high-risk level of unvaccinated people because there was an average of 37 daily cases per 100,000 people reported in the past two weeks.” The risk in Denver County will decline from the high-risk level if the daily case rate drops to less than about 11.4 cases per 100,000 and the test positivity stays low, the paper suggested.
Christmas Events Impact
Holiday Crowd Concerns: With tens of thousands expected to attend holiday events such as the Dec. 14 Colorado Symphony Holiday Brass concert, check for new rules and regulations in advance.
In addition to the normal winter shows and concerts, dozens of Christmas events that were canceled last year are scheduled to return this month. They include several Nutcracker performances, A Charley Brown Christmas at Dazzle, and Colorado Symphony’s Holiday Brass at Boettcher Hall.
Covid flare-ups at metro-area concerts and events have been rare this year, with fewer than a half-dozen indoor events being canceled according the state’s Department of Health.
Nonetheless, promoters and artists are scrambling to impose sterner guidelines to slow down the virus and keep holiday concerts and shows on track. Upshot: If you and your family are among the tens of thousands planning to attend a holiday performance this month, check for new rules and regulations in advance.
Mountain Town Spike
People from all 50 states arriving in Colorado’s mountain towns to play this winter — plus vaccinated foreign travelers since Nov. 8 — are contributing to the high-country spike. Mountain activities where people gather without masks at restaurants-bars plus carpooling can lead to transmission. Many communities are seeing high enough Covid-19 transmission that authorities are putting restrictions on indoor dining, lodging, and gatherings. A surge of hospitalizations in Pitkin County — where Aspen is the county seat — has already resulted in a mask mandate order.
In addition to the influx of visitors, elevating factors include the winter weather, and because many essential employees live together in dense housing. Moreover, many of the visitors are coming from high pandemic states. Health officials have also found that when there is an increase in the number of mobile devices pinging in mountain towns, a rise in coronavirus cases follows seven to 10 days later.
Additionally, the pandemic is driving a migration of Americans to the state’s high-country communities. San Miguel County, for example, has seen a 20% increase in full-time residents. Plus, many people that own second-homes in the mountains are now starting to relocate to their mountain homes permanently.
Downtown Decline
Mountain Crowds: Even before the ski season began, crowds were flocking to Colorado’s mountain towns. Photos show crowds at September’s Jazz Aspen and at Little Nell’s gondola base. The hospitalization surge in Aspen has resulted in a mask mandate order for all of Pitkin County.
While mountain towns are booming, downtown Denver isn’t faring nearly as well. Denver’s downtown is currently seeing about 150,000 people walking around downtown compared to between 250,000 to 300,000 prior to the pandemic. According to the Downtown Denver Partnership, it’s hard to draw an apples-to-apples comparison because the data doesn’t go back to the summer of 2019. Nevertheless, it’s clear downtown foot traffic remains way down.
Remote work is a major reason for the drop downtown. Many companies still offer flexible work-from-home policies. Others are beginning to delay employee office return plans due to the renewed pandemic surge.
But pared down corporate travel to downtown Denver is also a major factor. Activities at the Denver Convention Center have picked up somewhat, yet remain far below where it was prior to the pandemic. Rich Carollo, director of sales and marketing at the Convention Center, reported few events in November.
