WHAT IS REFARMING

1
WHAT IS REFARMING?

• FCC SPECTRUM INITIATIVE TO INCREASE CHANNEL
  CAPACITY IN THE LOWER FREQUENCY BANDS

2
WHY?

• Create additional channel capacity
• Update antiquated rules
• Avert potential danger to public safety

3
BACKGROUND

• July 1991 Notice of Inquiry Released
• October 1992 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
  Released
• June 1995 Report and Order Released
• December 1996 Memorandum Opinion and Order
  Released
• February 1997 Radio Service Consolidation Plan
  Adopted
• March 12, 1997 Second Report and Order Released

4
REFARMING DECISIONS

• Defined Channel Plan
• Elected to Transition to Narrowband Through Type
  Acceptance Guidelines
• Established Antenna Height and ERP Limitations
• Consolidated Radio Services
• Formulated Rules for Trunking in Lower Bands
• Implemented Low Power Pool

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UHF CHANNELING PLAN
OLD PLAN PRIMARY SECONDARY
453.1375
453.1625
453.175
453.125
453.150
12.5 kHz PLAN PRIMARY (HIGH POWER) SECONDARY
453.1375
453.1625
453.175
453.125
453.150
CHANNELS AS THEY APPEAR TODAY
.175
.125
.150
.1625
.1375
.18125
.16875
.15625
.14375
.13125
.11875
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VHF CHANNELING PLAN
155.130
155.160
155.100
155.145
155.115
155.160
155.130
155.145
155.115
155.100
155.1075
155.1375
155.1525
155.1225
155.160
155.100
155.115
155.130
155.145
155.1075
155.1225
155.1375
155.1525
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TYPE ACCEPTANCE TIMELINES
New Type Accepted Equipment Must Be Designed to
Operate at 12.5 kHz Band- width or 25 kHz
Channels if Efficiency is Met New Type Accepted
Equipment Must Be Designed to Operate at 6.25 kHz
Band- Width or 25 kHz Channels if Efficiency is
Met
2/14/97
1/1/05
8
ERP/ANTENNA HEIGHT LIMITATIONS

• FCC Adopted Safe Harbor Table
• Table was Suggested by LMCC in Answer to FCC
  Proposal
• Based on Service Area
• One Size Does Not Fit All
• Safe Harbor Table will Result in Flexibility,
  Accuracy and Efficiency
• Applies Only to New Systems and Existing Systems
  Adding Frequencies

9
RADIO SERVICE CONSOLIDATION

• From 20 Pools To 2
• Public Safety
• Industrial/Business
• Police, Fire, Railroad, Power and Petroleum Will
  Coordinate Their Own Frequencies
• TV Band Channels in One Pool

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RADIO SERVICE CONSOLIDATION
PLMRS POOLS
PUBLIC SAFETY INDUSTRIAL/BUSINESS Local
Government Power Police Petroleum Fire
Forest Products Highway Maintenance Film and
Video Production Emergency Medical Relay
Press Special Emergency Special
Industrial Business Manufacturers Moto
r Carrier Railroad Taxicab Automobile
Emergency
Will Coordinate Their Own Frequencies
11
TRUNKING BELOW 512 MHz

• Two types of trunking permitted
• Centralized -- uses a control channel which is
  constantly on the air. No monitoring prior to
  transmission is required.
• Decentralized -- Either the mobile or the base
  station/repeater monitors prior to transmitting.
• FCC considers centralized trunking to be true
  trunking

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CENTRALIZED TRUNKING

• A licensee must
• Have exclusive use of the frequency (only in TV
  band), or
• Gain consents of co- and adjacent- channel
  licensees whose service areas overlap a 70-mile
  circle of the proposed trunked site, or
• Provide engineering analysis proving no overlap
• Once licensed, has a protected service area, no
  new co- or adjacent channel licensees are granted
  within that PSA unless the trunked system gives
  consent.

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GAINING CONSENT

• Consent is based on bandwidth of proposed system
  -- the wider the bandwidth, the more consent
  required.
• 25 kHz trunked systems must obtain consent of co-
  and adjacent channel licensees 15 kHz above and
  below the proposed frequency
• 12.5 kHz trunked systems must obtain consent of
  co- and adjacent channel licensees 7.5 kHz above
  and below the proposed frequency.

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ENGINEERING STUDIES

• In lieu of consent, proposed UHF trunked system
  can provide engineering analyses showing that the
  proposed systems 39 dBu contour (37 dBu for VHF)
  does not overlap existing co- and adjacent
  channel licensees 21 dBu (19 dBu for VHF)
  interference contour.

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PROTECTED SERVICE AREA

• Once granted, a YG (trunked) FB8 (centralized)
  system receives a protected service area (PSA).
  A PSA is determined by the systems 39 dBu
  contour calculated by the system parameters --
  HAAT, ERP, etc. No new co- or adjacent channel
  licensees are granted within that PSA unless the
  trunked system gives consent.

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DECENTRALIZED TRUNKING

• Decentralized trunked systems must monitor prior
  to transmitting
• No consent from co- or adjacent channel licensees
  is required because of the monitoring
  requirement.
• Decentralized trunked systems do not have a PSA

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MANDATORY DATE FOR NARROWBANDING?

• FCCs Biennial Review Docket 99-87 asked for
  comments on setting a date for mandatory
  narrowbanding
• FCC stated the current pace of migration to
  more spectrally efficient technology is not rapid
  enough
• Comments were overwhelmingly supportive but
  varied in the dates and methodology

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Recent Ruling on Narrowbandingfor 150-174 MHz
and 421-512 MHz

• No new applications for operations using 25 kHz
  channels after January 13, 2004 (Stayed)
• No modifications to existing 25 kHz systems that
  exceed existing interference contours after
  January 13, 2004 (Stayed)
• FCC will not certify equipment capable of 1 voice
  path per 25 kHz of spectrum beginning 1/1/05
• FCC will prohibit manufacture or import of 25 kHz
  equipment beginning 1/1/08
• Mandatory migration to 12.5 technology
• Non-public safety 1/1/13
• Public safety 1/1/18
• Issued a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
  asking if similar measures should be implemented
  to encourage deployment of 6.25 kHz technology

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THANK YOU

• Any Questions?