The FCCs Mandatory Narrowbanding Schedules

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The FCCs Mandatory Narrowbanding Schedules

• Spectrum Management 2005
• National Spectrum Managers Association
• May 24, 2005
• Katherine C. Lucas, Esq.
• Keller and Heckman LLP
• 1001 G Street, NW Suite 500W
• Washington, DC 20001
• 202-434-4100 / lucas_at_khlaw.com

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• Policy Trends
• Spectrum Policy Task Force
• Spectrum Efficiency
• Market-based Approach
• Geographic Area Licensing/Competitive Bidding

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Overview

• The FCCs Narrowbanding Efforts
• Private Land Mobile Radio
• Shared Federal Government Bands
• 700 MHz Public Safety Band

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• Private Land Mobile Radio
• Mandatory Narrowband
• Conversion
• (WT Docket No. 99-87)

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PLMR Narrowband Migration

• Background Refarming
• Objective More assignable channels
• Means Create a narrowband channel plan
• June 1995
• Implementation
• Soft equipment conversion dates
• 12.5 kHz August 1, 1996
• 6.25 kHz January 1, 2005

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PLMR Narrowband Migration

• Who is impacted?
• Part 90 Licensees
• Public Safety and Non-Public Safety
• PLMR Bands
• 150-174 MHz and 421-512 MHz

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PLMR Narrowband Migration

• November 2000 NPRM
• Date certain transition to narrowband equipment
  requested
• What timetable is appropriate?
• February 2003
• Mandatory migration schedule established
• December 2004
• Revised schedule established

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PLMR Narrowband Migration

• Timetable
• Final Conversion Date January 1, 2013
• Interim Deadline January 1, 2011
• No applications for new 25 kHz systems or
  modifications that expand an existing 25 kHz
  system
• Manufacture and importation of equipment
  operating with 25 kHz bandwidth is prohibited

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PLMR Narrowband Migration

• Narrowband Equivalent Standard
• A technology that achieves the narrowband
  equivalent of one channel per 12.5 kHz of channel
  bandwidth (voice) or 4800 bits per second per
  6.25 kHz (data) if the bandwidth specified is
  greater than 12.5 kHz per channel
• Paging-Only Channels
• Exempted from the narrowbanding requirements

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PLMR Narrowband Migration

• 6.25 kHz Conversion Deadline??
• Commenters unanimously agreed
• It is too early to set a deadline for conversion
  to 6.25 kHz
• FCC should wait and see how issues are resolved
  with 12.5 kHz conversion

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PLMR Narrowband Migration

• Open Issue
• Manufacturers Petition to Defer
• 6.25 kHz capability requirement for certification
  of new equipment
• Lack of industry standards for 6.25 kHz
• FCC stays January 1, 2005 Deadline

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• Private Land Mobile Radio Channels Allocated for
• Federal Government Use
• (ET Docket No. 04-243)

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Shared Federal/Non-Federal Bands

• Background
• March 2005 FCCs rules revised
• Designed to more closely mirror the NTIAs
  timetable for the Federal bands

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Shared Federal/Non-Federal Bands

• Who is impacted?
• Non-Federal Users operating in the shared Federal
  Government Bands
• Which bands?
• 150.05-150.8 MHz, 162-174 MHz and 406.1-420 MHz

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Shared Federal/Non-Federal Bands

• PLMR Channels Being Narrowbanded
• Meteorological/Hydro Channels
• 169.425, 169.450, 169.475, 169.500, 169.525,
  170.225, 170.250, 170.275, 170.300, 170.325,
  171.025, 171.050, 171.075, 171.100, 171.125,
  171.825, 171.850, 171.875, 171.900, 171.925,
  406.125, 406.175, 412.675, 412.725, 412.775
• Forest Firefighting and Conservation
• 170.425, 170.475, 170.575, 171.425, 171.475,
  171.575 172.225, 172.275, 172.375
• Public Safety
• 166.250, 170.150
• MED Channels
• 150.775, 150.790, 163.250
• SVRS
• 173.075

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Shared Federal/Non-Federal Bands

• Timetable Primary Operations
• MED Channels 150.775 and 150.790 MHz
• New wideband until Jan. 1, 2008
• May be expanded until Jan. 1, 2011
• Wideband transmissions must cease by Jan. 1, 2013
• MED Channel 163.250 MHz
• No new wideband systems
• Existing stations may be expanded until Jan. 1,
  2013
• Wideband operations must cease by Jan. 1, 2013
• No new operations on the MED Channels 150.7825
  and 150.7975 MHz
• Existing licenses will be renewed indefinitely
• Existing SVRS Channels operated by police and
  LoJack may continue to employ wideband for 14
  years
• New systems must operate using narrowband

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Shared Federal/Non-Federal Bands

• Timetable Secondary Operations
• Revised the FCCs Hydro Channel Plan
• Added 23 channels
• Deleted 6 channels
• Include channels in the 406.1-420 MHz in the
  transition to 12.5 kHz
• No new applications for wideband stations in the
  162-174 MHz
• Applies to channels where operations are
  permitted on a secondary basis
• Includes Hydro, Forest Firefighting and Public
  Safety channels
• New wideband Hydro stations (406.1-420 MHz band)
  authorized on secondary basis until January 1,
  2008
• Existing wideband systems (162-174 MHz band) the
  operate on a secondary basis may be expanded
  until January 1, 2011
• Wideband operations must cease by January 1, 2013
• Existing wideband Hydro systems (406.1-420 MHz
  band) may be expanded until January 1, 2011
• Wideband operations must cease by January 1, 2013

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• Meeting Federal, State and Local Public Safety
  Agency Communication Requirements Through the
  Year 2010
• (WT Docket No. 96-86)

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700 MHz Public Safety

• Background
• Transition to Digital TV
• Made 24 MHz available for Public Safety use
• DTV transition targeted for December 31, 2006
• Public Safety band designated for
• General Use
• Interoperability
• State License
• Low Power
• Secondary Trunking
• Reserve

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700 MHz Public Safety

• Who is impacted?
• 700 MHz Public Safety Band
• 764-776 MHz and 794-806 MHz
• General Use and State Licenses
• General Use
• Administered by Regional Planning Committees
• State License
• Statewide geographic area license

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700 MHz Public Safety

• General Use Migration Plan
• Safe Harbor
• Implement a one voice channel per 6.25 kHz
  requirement for General Use
• Safe Harbor December 31, 2005

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700 MHz Public Safety

• Timetable
• Final Deadline December 31, 2016
• Interim Deadline December 31, 2014
• No applications for new systems using 12.5 kHz
  bandwidth after this date
• Manufacture, marketing and importation of
  equipment is prohibited

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700 MHz Public Safety

• Why was the timetable revised?
• Equipment reliability
• 6.25 kHz equipment not widely available
• Safety Issue Field testing required
• Budget concerns provide incentive to voluntarily
  transition over the next 7 years
• Dont want to jeopardize safety to satisfy
  bandwidth requirement

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700 MHz Public Safety

• Transition How will it work?
• By January 31, 2007
• WTB will release PN listing all General
  Use/State Licensees authorized for 12.5 kHz
  channels
• Licensees must notify when system is using
  6.25 kHz exclusively
• Must be filed no later than January 31, 2017
• Subject to enforcement action/penalties for
  misrepresenting system use

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• Thank you!
• For a copy of the presentation
• E-mail me at lucas_at_khlaw.com