Narrowbanding Update Time is Growing Short Bill Waugaman L. Robert Kimball & Associates

Why Narrowbanding? FCC Foresaw A Spectrum Shortage Mandated By The FCC. Began In Also Known As “Refarming”. Allows Twice The Systems In The Same Spectrum. (15 or 25 KHz Bandwidth Channel) 10/16/20152Kimball Technology

What Narrowbanding Is Reduces channel spacing by 50% Reduces the emission bandwidth of a radio by 50% from 20KHz to 11 KHz Applies to VHF High Band ( MHz) Systems Applies to UHF (420 to 512 MHz) systems 10/16/20153Kimball Technology

What it Is Not Narrowbanding is not 800 MHz Rebanding Does not impact 800 MHz systems Does not impact 700 MHz – Migration to spectrum efficient technologies is already in the rules and equipment is available. Does not impact Low band VHF (30-50 MHz.) Systems 10/16/20154Kimball Technology

Dates to Remember January 1, 2013 (Think December 31, 2012) –ALL Systems Must Be Operating In The Narrow Bandwidth Mode. January 1, 2011 –No New Systems Will Be Licensed To Use Wide Bandwidth. –No Existing Systems Using Wide Bandwidth Will Be Allowed To Expand Their Licensed “Footprint”. 10/16/20155Kimball Technology

VHF And UHF Impact Impact varies at VHF and UHF –Current Frequency/Channel Spacing 15 KHz spacing at VHF 25 KHz spacing at UHF –New channel spacing for narrowbanding 7.5 KHz for VHF 12.5 KHz for UHF Common to both –Adjacent channels must all be narrow banded to realize the benefit. 10/16/20156Kimball Technology

Impact at VHF Current 15 KHz channel spacing Reduces channel spacing to 7.5 KHz. Reduces the radio emission to 11 KHz Bandwidth Reduces system audio deviation (Modulation) from 5 kHz to 2.5 kHz. (Half the bandwidth) Planning is CRITICAL to reduce interference 10/16/20157Kimball Technology

Existing VHF Systems: Already a problem. Not able to use adjacent channels at close distances KHz Bandwidth Overlap Adjacent channels WideBand 15KHz Channel Spacing 10/16/20158Kimball Technology

Beginning Narrowbanding Narrowband channels not usable until wideband users convert KHz Bandwidth Overlap ANALOG NARROWBAND 7.5KHz Channel Spacing Wide Band 11KHz Bandwidth ANALOG NARROWBAND 10/16/20159Kimball Technology

After all convert to Narrowband KHz Channel Spacing 11KHz Bandwidth This represents analog voice with a 11KHz necessary bandwidth ANALOG NARROWBAND 10/16/201510Kimball Technology

Hate That VHF Overlap?? Convert to Project 25 Digital KHz Channel Spacing 8.1KHz Bandwidth DIGITAL NARROWBAND P25 with C4FM Modulation only requires 8.1KHz Necessary Bandwidth DIGITAL NARROWBAND DIGITAL NARROWBAND DIGITAL NARROWBAND DIGITAL NARROWBAND 10/16/201511Kimball Technology

Impact at UHF Utilizes the former 12.5 kHz “offset” channels for full power systems Results in some adjacent channel interference. coordination and mileage spacing issues until everyone converts. Reduces adjacent channel “splatter” Allows closer mileage spacing. 10/16/201512Kimball Technology

Beginning Narrowbanding Narrowband channels not usable until wideband users convert KHz Bandwidth ANALOG NARROWBAND 12.5KHz Channel Spacing Wide Band 11KHz Bandwidth ANALOG NARROWBAND 10/16/201513Kimball Technology

After all convert to Narrowband KHz Channel Spacing 11 KHz Bandwidth ANALOG NARROWBAND This represents analog voice with a 11KHz necessary bandwidth ANALOG NARROWBAND ANALOG NARROWBAND ANALOG NARROWBAND ANALOG NARROWBAND 10/16/201514Kimball Technology

P25 at UHF KHz Channel Spacing 8.1KHz Bandwidth DIGITAL NARROWBAND P25 with C4FM Modulation only requires 8.1KHz Necessary Bandwidth DIGITAL NARROWBAND DIGITAL NARROWBAND DIGITAL NARROWBAND DIGITAL NARROWBAND 10/16/201515Kimball Technology

Latest Actions Clarifications Of Third R&O Issued By FCC NPSTC and LMCC Submit Suggested Action to Cancel Licenses That Do Not Reflect Narrow Band Emissions On January 1, /16/2015Kimball Technology16

What to Do Now! 10/16/201517Kimball Technology

PLAN! COMMUNICATE! PLAN! 10/16/201518Kimball Technology

Educate Your Decision Makers Narrowbanding Will Be Expensive! Bring Them Into The Planning Process. No Last Minute Surprises. Only Three Budget Cycles Remain Until 1/1/2012 No Grants Or Funding For Narrowbanding 10/16/201519Kimball Technology

Start Planning Now Hire A Good Consultant Engage Your Equipment Vendor Get Your Service Shop On Board Talk To Your Mutual Aid Partners & Neighbors 10/16/201520Kimball Technology

Start Planning Now Inventory Your System – What Needs Replaced? Plan Your Subscriber Radio Purchases Plan Your Infrastructure Purchases. Plan Your System Reconfiguration & Upgrades. Plan For Risks & Unintended Consequences 10/16/201521Kimball Technology

Mobile & Portable Considerations Any Radios Purchased Since 1998 Should Be Capable Of Narrowband Operation And Software Programmable For Narrowband Use. –Check With Your Equipment Supplier. –Will The Radio Program to all the 7.5 MHz VHF Frequencies? Plan To Phase Out Any Radios Which Are Not Narrow Band Capable By Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute Mixed Vendor System? –Ensure The Equipment Is Compatible - “Companding” –Work With Your Radio Supplier And Test The System Early. 10/16/201522Kimball Technology

System Considerations –Review Site Engineering For The Narrow-banded System. Adequate Signal Coverage? Simulcast holes created? Fringes and In-Building? –Inventory The Infrastructure To Ensure It Is Narrow Band Capable. Repeaters Base Stations Satellite Voting Receivers And Comparators Encryption Paging Transmitters –Work With Your Equipment Suppliers & Consultant 10/16/201523Kimball Technology

System Considerations –Consider Project 25 Capable Equipment Meets Narrow Band Requirements Better Audio Recovery Than Narrowband Analog No Reduced Coverage Vs 25 Khz Analog. Multiple Features Not Available In Analog Systems –Ensure Replacement Equipment Is Narrowband Capable NO Used Equipment NO eBAY –Review Site Placement And Coverage Of The Planned Narrowband System. –Paging/Messaging/Alerting Systems. 10/16/201524Kimball Technology

Don’t Forget Other Systems Public Utilities – SCADA systems. Schools Road Department Low power “Dot” radios Community Watch Cache Radios – Transportable Systems Command Post/Communications Vehicles Mutual Aid Gateways 10/16/201525Kimball Technology

Mutual Aid Planning Mutual Aid –Neighboring Systems –Regional & Statewide Systems –Gateways – Reprogram As Appropriate Reprogramming timing –Do Together To Maintain interoperability 10/16/201526Kimball Technology

And a few DON’Ts Don’t Modify Legacy Wide Band Equipment That Is Not Intended For Narrowband Use. –Modifications May Void FCC Type Acceptance –This Is Old Equipment, No Longer Supported By The Manufacturer –May Not Operate Properly In A Public Safety Application Don’t Be Rushed. –You Need To Be Planning Now. Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute 10/16/201527Kimball Technology

PAGING! Paging–only Frequencies Are Exempt From Narrowbanding. There Are Only Two Public Safety Paging-only Frequencies – Mhz – Mhz If You Page Or Alert On Any Other Frequency, It Is Not Paging-only And Must Be Rebanded. 10/16/201528Kimball Technology

Volunteer & Station Alerting Older Volunteer Responder Pagers And Monitor Receivers Are NOT Narrowband Capable. Minitor I – IV Must Be Replaced Minitor V Is Narrowband Capable Older Plectron AND Other Station Alerting/Siren Activation Systems Are Not Narrowband Capable. 10/16/201529Kimball Technology

Logistics Planning How Do We Make Narrowbanding Happen? Maintaining Quality Of Service Infrastructure Cutover Planning –Site By Site? –Channel By Channel? –Overlay System? Coordination With Mutual Aid Providers –Maintain Interoperability 10/16/201530Kimball Technology

Logistics Planning Subscriber Cutover Planning Radio Capacity –Pre And Post Systems In The Radio? –Turn The Knob? –Limited Capacity = A More Complex Plan Is Needed How Many “Touches” Are Needed? Who Does The Programming? Where? Assets Needed For Portable/Mobile Transport? 10/16/2015Kimball Technology31

Resources 10/16/2015Kimball Technology32

A Few References locations APCO FCC KIMBALL narrowbandingtips_07.08.pdf 10/16/201533Kimball Technology

And Now….. Questions?? 10/16/201534Kimball Technology