Starting later this year, and continuing for the next several years, many public safety radio communications systems will be required to modify their radio frequencies as part of an FCC plan to prevent interference problems, explains Police Chief Magazine.
The affected radio operations are in the 800 MHz band, where Nextel and other cellular-type commercial radio service (CMRS) providers operate alongside public safety and Private Wireless radio systems.
Unfortunately, the interleaving of police and commercial systems like Nextel’s led to dangerous interference during many public safety operations. The FCC’s solution, supported by IACP, APCO International, and others, is to reband 800 MHz to separate public safety channels from Nextel’s commercial channels.
Although that will require most public safety 800 MHz systems to change frequencies in the band, Nextel will cover all of the costs of the rebanding. The details for rebanding each public safety system will be addressed through negotiations with Nextel, subject to approval by the independent Transition Administrator and, if necessary, the FCC.
Public safety system operators in the 800 MHz band should take several steps to prepare for this process.
- First Step: Local agencies should determine whether they operate on frequencies subject to the rebanding requirement (some 800 MHz channels will remain unchanged).
- Second Step: Local agencies should review the FCC-approved schedule and determine the likely timing of rebanding for their system.
- Third Step: Agencies should update their equipment inventory to ensure that they have accurate information regarding the number, model, and location of all radios that may require retuning or replacement.
- Fourth Step: Agencies should consider whether they will need assistance from engineering or legal consultants to guide them through the rebanding negotiations and implementation.
Affected agencies need to stay informed. One way of doing so is through APCO’s 800 Alert Web site (www.800mhz.org), which provides detailed information and links to related sources of information offered by the FCC and the Transition Administrator.
Under the Consensus Plan agreed to last year, public service agencies will gain use of the 700 and 800 Mhz bands currently operated by Nextel that were causing interference.
Nextel will exchange 16 megahertz of spectrum spread around the 700 MHz, 800 MHz and 900 MHz bands for 6 megahertz in the 800 MHz band and 10 megahertz in the 1.9 GHz band.
Nextel will then have 16 megahertz of contiguous spectrum in the 800 MHz band, on which the carrier could continue to offer its voice service, and 10 megahertz in the 1.9 GHz band to offer “3G” services in the future. Nextel would then have a total of 26MHz, about what it has now, but allocated differently to avoid interference and consolidate their spectrum bands in 800 Mhz and 1.9Mhz.
Related DailyWireless stories include, Consensus Decision in Nextel’s Court, FCC: Nextel Gets PCS Spectrum, Consensus Plan From FCC?, Consensus Plan Near?, Freq Consensus?, Localizing Consensus Plans, Nextel’s Consensus Move, Nextel Gets 2.1 & 2.5 GHz, 800 MHz Spectrum Swap Near?, WiFi Vrs WiMax, Will 802.20 Challenge WiMax? and Nextel Adds Priority Service.
