The FCC told Congress that it plans to begin examining whether some of the 24 megahertz of 700 Mhz spectrum could be used for a nationwide interoperable broadband network.
“Emergency-response providers would benefit from the development of an integrated interoperable nationwide network capable of delivering broadband services throughout the country,” the agency said.
A group representing public-safety spectrum users said that an interoperable nationwide broadband network requires a lot of spectrum. As such, the group said that should the FCC make such an allocation, it should not permit non-public-safety users access to the band even on a secondary or shared basis. However, the United Telecom Council disagreed, noting that critical-infrastructure industries should have access to the network.
Any public-safety nationwide broadband network would be expensive, warned the FCC Spectrum Policy Task Force.
“Public-safety entities would require adequate funding resources in order to deploy broadband communications systems. Without adequate funding-to purchase equipment and conduct the associated training and coordination-it is likely that public safety would be unable to implement a nationwide, interoperable broadband network,” said the FCC.
“Coordination among federal, state and local emergency-response providers would need to be achieved at virtually every level for an interoperable nationwide network to deliver on its promise,” the FCC added.
In 1997, Congress and the Federal Communications Commission passed legislation that allocated 24 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band for state and local public safety organizations. The allocation was tied to the transition to Digital Television, which would remove television stations from these airwaves.
The FCC was tasked by Congress to examine the spectrum needs of public safety and whether public safety should use commercial services. More than 97 megahertz of spectrum is allocated to public safety already, said the FCC.
“While commercial wireless technologies are not appropriate for every type of public-safety communication, there may be a place for commercial providers to assist public safety in securing and protecting the homeland“, said the FCC (pdf).
Sprint Nextel Corp., said public safety should consider partnerships with commercial wireless.
700 MHz Public Service Band Allotments
| Designated Purpose | Amount of Spectrum | Narrowband (6.25 kHZ) |
WideBand (50kHZ) |
| General Use | 12.5 MHz (52.1%) |
7.7 MHz (1232 Channels) |
4.8 MHz (96 Channels) |
| Interoperability | 2.6 MHz (10.8%) |
0.8 MHz (128 Channels) |
1.8 MHz (36 Channels) |
| Secondary Trunking | 0.2 MHz (0.8%) |
0.2 MHz (32 Channels) |
-0- |
| State License | 2.4 MHz (10.0%) |
2.4 MHz (384 Channels) |
-0- |
| Low Power | 0.3 MHz (1.3%) |
0.3 MHz (48 Channels) |
-0- |
| Reserve | 6.0 MHz (25.0%) |
0.6 MHz (96 Channels) |
5.4 MHz (108 Channels) |
Many police officers are now equipped with Nextel cellphones as well as police radios. That gives them interoperability. Project 25 two-way radios ($2500) are designed for interoperability from the get-go - at least on a few dozen selected narrow band channels. The 800 Mhz band also has some selected mutual aid channels so different agencies can talk to each other.
The SafetyNet RadioBridge is one method to interconnect incompatible radios. It bridges them to provide radio interoperability at an emergency site in a matter of minutes. Raytheon’s ACU-1000 can interconnect up to 24 radio devices in the field - for a cool $20K.
The FCC has designated approximately 10 percent (2.6 MHz) for nationwide interoperable communications out of their designated 24 Mhz of 700 MHz public safety spectrum. But most of the 24 MHz of public servce 700 Mhz band is for narrow band voice and data. The benefits of Mobile WiMax are now penetrating up to the feds (after years of discusions). Mobile WiMax is fast and interoperable by definition. Voice and data.
Low-Band VHF 30 MHz to 50 MHz Mid-Band VHF 72 MHz to 76 MHz High-Band VHF 138 MHz to 144 MHz 148 MHz to 174 MHz 220 MHz to 222 MHz Low-Band UHF 406.1 MHz to 420 MHz 450 MHz to 470 MHz 470 MHz to 512 MHz 800 MHz Band 806 MHz to 824 MHz 851 MHz to 869 MHz
- Part 22 (Cellular Service in the 824-849 and 869-894 MHz bands);
- Part 24 (Broadband Personal Communications Service in the 1850-1990 MHz bands);
- Part 27 (Lower 700 MHz Service in the 698-746 MHz bands, Advanced Wireless Service in the 1710-1755 and 2110-2155 MHz bands, Broadband Radio Service/ Educational Broadband Service in the 2495-2690 MHz bands, Wireless Communications Service in the 1390-1395, 1432-1435, 1670-1675, 2305-2320, and 2345-2360 MHz bands);
- Part 90 (Public Safety in the 4.9GHz band); and,
- Part 101 (Point-to-point Microwave in various bands; Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band, the 24 GHz Service in the 24 GHz band, Local Multipoint Distribution Service in the 27-29 and 31 GHz bands, the 39 GHz Service in the 39 GHz band, and the 70/80/90 GHz bands).22
The $10 billion Integrated Wireless Network (IWN), a joint effort between the departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Treasury, is envisioned to support about 80,000 federal officers in all 50 states via Project 25 radios.
The current IWN design is based on a [VHF], Project 25 trunked system utilizing a packet switched Internet Protocol backbone. It will link agencies via Voice over Internet Protocol and streaming video. Based on the government’s preliminary estimates, the program will require installation of communications equipment at about 2,500 locations around the country. But Project 25 radios are expensive ($2500 and up), and they don’t provide the flexibility of, say, a PocketPC with maps, photos, video and a variety of applications.
Washington DC’s WARN network uses a 700 Mhz Flarion system to deliver an Uplink rate of 900 kbps (peak)/300 kbps (average) and a downlink rate of 3 Mbps (peak)/900 kbps (average) throughout the District. WARN consists of 12 radio sites and several hundred clients that facilitate wireless interconnection of Local and Federal public safety mobile devices.The Spectrum Coalition for Public Safety is their lobby organization. “The Homeland Security and Justice departments must make a case for reallocating the remaining 30 MHz from commercial use to serve federal, state and local government needs and critical infrastructure requirements for homeland security and defense,” they say.
Just what influence beltway lobbyists like Northrop, Lockheed-Martin, Motorola, DHS, Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), and others may have on decisions by the FCC and members of Congress to contract out a proprietary public safety net remains unknown. The Spectrum Coalition would like to expand their 24 MHz of spectrum in the 700 Mhz band but are getting blowback.
Many commercial interests (and consumers) have a different take on 700 Mhz.
Some commercial ISPs and content providers see 700 Mhz as the best shot at closing the digital divide. Ubiquitous broadband can best be provided by the 700 MHz band, they say, because it travels further (lowering costs) and penetrates foliage and walls (for broadband access inside the home). They believe private enterprise can manage 700 Mhz public airwaves better than a government takeover.
But the bottom line is the bottom line. Auctioning the spectrum could generate $20 billion.
Related DailyWireless articles include; Networx!, Nextel’s iDen Heads to Feds?, Police Call, Public Service Moves to 800Mhz, Lousiana: Broadband Trial By Fire, Cico’s Push to Talk, Public Service Bands, 700 Mhz Goes Commercial, McCain: Broadcasters Squatting on 700Mhz, More 700 Mhz Testimony, 700 Mhz Worth $28B, The Smartest Guy in the Room, The 700 MHz Club, Auction #44 in the 700 MHz Low Band, Lockheed in $10B Wireless Project, FCC: Nextel Gets Spectrum Credit, Public Service Moves to 800Mhz, Oregon’s 700 mile Cloud in NY Times, WiMax: On The Road with Adaptix, MultiMedia Interoperability, London Explosions & Wireless Fallout, Broadband Bills, More 700 Mhz Testimony, 700 Mhz Worth $28B, Consensus Decision in Nextel’s Court and FCC: Nextel Gets PCS Spectrum.
.gif)
[...] Related DailyWireless articles include; FCC Green Lights 700MHz, 700 Mhz: Public or Private [...]
Left by dailywireless.org » White Space Act Up on January 11th, 2007