FCC Narrow Band Mandate: It s Closer Than You Think What i

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FCC Narrow Band MandateIts Closer Than You
Think
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What is Narrow Banding?

• A Federal Communications Commission unfunded
  mandate to make additional spectrum available in
  the 150 MHz / 450-470 MHz spectrum by reducing
  the amount of space that a frequency occupies
• Also Refereed to as REFARMING
• Both Public Safety Business-Industrial

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What does Narrow Banding effect?

• Narrow banding will effect all radio systems
• Voice Dispatch
• Data MDT AVL
• Telemetry Water pumps Tanks, Waste Water,
  Gas, Electric, etc
• Users on 700 or 800 MHz may be effected because
  many still have old V/U system

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Timeline

• 1992 - Refarming Introduced by FCC
• 1995 - Report and Order and Further Notice of
  Rulemaking, 92-235 establishes the timeline
• 1997 FCC begins accepting applications for
  Narrow Band licenses

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Timeline

• 2004 - 04-292, Third Memorandum Opinion and Order
  (3rd MOO), Third Further Notice of Rule Making
  and Order (3rd FNPRM), December 2004 (WT Docket
  99-87)
• Sets specific dates to phase in narrow banding
  with deadlines in 2005, 2011 and 2013.

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Timeline / Deadlines

• 2005 - VHF/UHF narrow band interoperability
  channels (see table below) become primary usage
  and adjacent channels are now secondary usage if
  they are still wide band emission such as
  20K0F3E, or as the Commission states, "utilizing
  emissions wider than 11K per voice path on these
  channels." Existing users on interoperability
  channels are now secondary to interoperability
  usage.
• VCALL, VTACs UCALL UTACs

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Benefit for Narrow-banding
Adj. Ch. Interop Ch. Adj. Ch.
151.13000 151.13750 VTAC 11 151.14500
154.44500 154.45250 VTAC 12 Not PS
155.74500 155.75250 VCALL 10 155.76000
158.73000 158.73750 VTAC 13 158.74500
159.46500 159.47250 VTAC 14 Not PS
453.20000 453.21250 UCALL40 453.22500
453.45000 453.46250 UTAC 41 453.47500
453.70000 453.71250 UTAC 42 453.72500
453.85000 458.86250 UTAC 43 453.87500
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Benefit for Narrow-banding

• Add the National VHF UHF Interoperability
  frequencies to your radio when rebanding using
  APCO Standard
• Common Frequencies
• Common Channel Names
• Common CTCSS Tones

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Timeline / Deadline

• After December 31, 2010, end of this year,
• no new applications for wideband (20K) licenses
  accepted modifications only if existing coverage
  area is not increased
• Many frequency coordinators are not accepting any
  new wideband apps due to the time takes to
  process and get to the FCC no later than December
  31, 2010.

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Timeline / Deadline

• January 1, 2013 (December 31, 2012)
• All VHF 150 MHz / UHF 450 470 MHz radio
  systems operating under FCC CFR Part 90 MUST be
  narrow band compliant.

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How does the NB Mandate effect Public Safety?

• What does narrow band compliant mean?
• All hand held, portables, mobiles, control
  stations, base stations and repeaters must be FCC
  certified to operate narrow band
• All radio equipment must be programmed to operate
  in the narrow band mode
• All equipment must operate in the narrow band
  mode.

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Narrow Banding

• FCC reaffirms date in 4TH MOO released on
• 5/14/2008
• FCC has gone on record stating that they will
  further reduce the band width of a frequency to
  6.25KHz. No deadline yet. To accomplish this
  the technology will be digital.
• APCO P25 digital radio standard is the only
  accepted digital radio that is recognized in
  Federal Grants.
• Not Kenwood / ICOM NXDN nor MotoTRBO
• Narrow banding is going to happen, be ready.

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Steps to Prepare

• Verify that your Department or Agency has a valid
  FCC Part 90 license
• Conduct a full inventory of all your radios in
  the VHF / UHF band
• Determine which radios can be reprogrammed and
  which radios must be replaced
• Develop a Budget for reprogramming replacement

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Steps to Prepare

• Educate your elected officials
• Secure your funding for cost of reprogramming and
  replacement radios
• Develop a wideband to narrow band plan and
  timeline that addresses
• Procurement, replacement installation of any
  narrow band-capable base stations, control
  stations, repeaters, hand held and mobile radios.
• Installation reprogramming of all radios in
  your radio system without interruption

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Steps to Prepare

• Develop a wideband to narrow band plan for
• Your agency
• Other agencies that have your frequencies
• County agencies systems
• Regional mutual aid systems
• Statewide mutual aid systems
• Set a deadline prior to December 31, 2012
• Remember the ripple effect what I do affects
  others and what other do affects me.

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Steps to Prepare

• Work closely with your agency or contract radio
  communications personnel
• Schedule and coordinate the system conversion
  (Vendors have many customers)
• Modify your FCC radio license for narrow band
  emission designators
• Tailor the conversion plan to your agency
• Check your infrastructure before and after
  rebanding to make sure it is optimized i.e.
  receiver, transmitter, antenna system
• Keep your neighbor informed

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Community Effects

• Narrow banding effects all FCC Part 90 users, not
  just public safety
• Voice, Data Telemetry
• Business, Industry, Agriculture, Schools,
  Colleges, Universities, Private Public
  Utilities, State Local Governments, Hospitals,
  Private Ambulance Services, Volunteer Rescue
  Squads, Fire Departments, Media, etc. all use
  business frequencies that will need to be narrow
  banded.

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Community Effects

• Be proactive with the community
• Newspaper articles, local radio shows, Civic
  Clubs, Chamber of Commerce, Local Emergency
  Planning Councils, etc.
• Part 90 Business / Industry will need to take the
  same steps as Public Safety

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COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Are we forced to move to another band or
  frequencies?
• NO! You will continue to use your existing
  frequencies
• We will have to buy new radios?
• Depends. Many radios purchased since 1997 are
  already narrow band capable, but may need to be
  reprogrammed

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COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Will we have to convert to digital? Not yet.
• However, many agencies are taking advantage of
  this opportunity to upgrade to P25 digital. FCC
  has published that we are not stopping _at_ 12.5
  KHz, but going to 6.25 KHz, no date set.
• Will narrow banding reduce our coverage? Maybe.
• Only a through analysis of your coverage
  requirements and testing can tell for sure

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COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Will more VHF / UHF radio spectrum be available
  after January 1, 2013?
• Depends, maybe / maybe not
• Narrow band frequencies have been coordinate
  licensed since 1997. In many areas usable VHF /
  UHF radio spectrum is very hard to find if any at
  all

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COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Can I use Federal Homeland Security / FEMA
  grants to purchase narrowband radio equipment?
• Yes as long as it is allowable under the grant.

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COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What about my MDT or AVL system?
• Data minimum
• 4.8 Kbps _at_ 6.25KHz (one voice path)
• 9.6 _at_ 12.5 KHz (two voice paths)
• 19.2 _at_ 25 KHz (four voice paths)
• If you meet this, you do not need to narrow band

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What Narrow Banding is Not

• You do not need to change frequency, your
  frequency goes on a diet.
• Does not affect Low band, 700 MHZ, 800 MHz or
  Microwave links, HAM, or Marine Channels
• Do not have to go digital, but may be a good time
  to consider P25
• P25 is the only digital standard for grant
  reimbursement

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Narrow Banding Resources Info

• http//www.imsasafety.org/PDFs/Narrowbanding20V2
  20R2.pdf

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Narrow Banding Resources Info

• http//www.npstc.org/documents/NavigatingTheNarrow
  band100630.pdf

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Narrow Banding Resources Info

• http//www.apcointl.com/new/commcenter911/document
  s/APCO-NPSTC-ANS1-104-1web.pdf

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Other Narrow Banding Resources Info

• www.apcointl.org/frequency/narrowband.php
• http//www.fcc.gov/pshs/public-safety-spectrum/nar
  rowbanding.html
• http//wirelessradio.net/
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vFr9quAXC8Uc
• Virginia SIEC video
• http//www.npstc.org/narrowbanding.jsp

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Questions / Comments

• John Johnson
• Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
• 615 741 3826
• jjohnson_at_tnema.org