700mhz Trunking and Public Safety

[John_M]

We have talked alot about the 800mhz rebanding but I have heard very little about the 700mhz Trunking that is supposed to be for Public safety. The FCC has required that all Public Saftey be switched to 800mhz by 2011. This is a little confusing to me. Maybe the 700mhz
Trunking issue deserves a sticky.

 

[Joseph11]

We have talked alot about the 800mhz rebanding but I have heard very little about the 700mhz Trunking that is supposed to be for Public safety. The FCC has required that all Public Saftey be switched to 800mhz by 2011. This is a little confusing to me. Maybe the 700mhz
Trunking issue deserves a sticky.

I guess my Bearcat BC175XL is going to be useless in a few years, but yes, there should be a 700 MHz Sticky Thread.

 

[nd5y]

The FCC has not required all public safety to move to 700 MHz.
They haven't even set a date for the remaining TV stations to move
out of the band.

Most of what I know about the band I learned from these web sites:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/publicsafety/700MHz
http://caprad.nlectc.du.edu

 

[John_M]

The FCC has not required all public safety to move to 700 MHz.
They haven't even set a date for the remaining TV stations to move
out of the band. Most of what I know about the band I learned from these web sites:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/publicsafety/700MHz
http://caprad.nlectc.du.edu

I have read that the FCC is requiring all Pubic Safety to be
moved to 800mhz by 2011 (not 700mhz) that is what is confusing me. I'll check out the websites you posted to learn more.

 

[IdleMonitor]

This is the talk so far that I could find on 700 mhz for Canada. I think there's another file that goes with this too.

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=download&id=1539

I'm thinking something along the lines for Border stuff maybe. Would it be wrong that in the U.S. the fed's could be the one's that could be using that band as well at some point.

 

[Voyager]

We have talked alot about the 800mhz rebanding but I have heard very little about the 700mhz Trunking that is supposed to be for Public safety. The FCC has required that all Public Saftey be switched to 800mhz by 2011. This is a little confusing to me. Maybe the 700mhz
Trunking issue deserves a sticky.

Maybe it's confusing because it's NOT TRUE. There is no such requirement to move to 800 MHz, and 700 MHz is just another new band - like VHF Low Band, VHF High Band, UHF, UHF T-band, 800, and 900.

There are VHF/UHF licenses out there that don't even expire until well after 2011! If they were requireing a move, they surely would not be issuing conflicting licenses.

Joe M.

 

[n4voxgill]

The FCC has not ruled everone must move anywhere. The 2011 figure is when all old wideband VHF, UHF radios must be replaced by narrowband equipment. The band will still be available.

The only thing happening in 800 MHz right now is rebanding which is moving the NPSPAC frequencies, 866 to 869 MHZ down to 851 to 854 MHz and shifting the users in 851 to 854 up. At some point narrowbanding will impact but not schedluled at this time.

700 MHz is just one of the new bands that is being opened to Public Safety. There is a requirement in place for when TV must move out of channels 60 to 69, but it is based on a formula. Congress is pushing the FCC to set a firm date.

A big hunk of spectrum is opening in 4 GHz for public safety and other portions in the future. PSWAC asked the FCC for 100 MHz of additional spectrum and the 24 MHz in 700 was the first installment by the FCC.

If you wish to follow 700 MHz changes, the best site is www.npstc.org which is the group that put caprad together and are federally funded. The next meeting of NPSTC is in San Antonio in two weeks. One of the unique features in 700 is federal agencies can get a license to operate. Another is that frequencies set aside for interoperability must use P25 modulation.

P25 is only in phase 2 and work continues on phase 3, called MESA, that will change modulation.

But no band is being abolished.

 

[John_M]

So, Public Safety in any area of the country could choose the 700mhz band to upgrade their systems instead of using the 800mhz band?

 

[Voyager]

So, Public Safety in any area of the country could choose the 700mhz band to upgrade their systems instead of using the 800mhz band?

Yep. It's still only available to state agencies in some parts of the country at present, but eventually it will be available to all. Many counties are waiting for the 'go ahead' to get licenses. The ones I am familiar with have 800 MHz TRSs and will be using the 700 MHz channels for aditional voice channels.

Joe M.

 

[n4voxgill]

all of the 800 frequencies are gone in many metropolitan areas. The only possible expansion for many agencies will be in 700 MHz.

Motorola already has a dual band 700/800 radio and i'm sure macom will have one shortly.

 

[John_M]

This doesn't automatically mean Digital 700mhz Public Safety.
Public Safety can choose to use either Anolog or Digital systems?

 

[Voyager]

all of the 800 frequencies are gone in many metropolitan areas. The only possible expansion for many agencies will be in 700 MHz.

Motorola already has a dual band 700/800 radio and i'm sure macom will have one shortly.

Actually, they have several:

XTS1500
XTS2500
XTS5000 (I think that does 700)
XTL5000

Joe M.

 

[loumaag]

This doesn't automatically mean Digital 700mhz Public Safety.
Public Safety can choose to use either Anolog or Digital systems?

I believe this is correct, with the exception of interoperability channels that are mandated to be P25 with optional encryption (AES).

 

[N_Jay]

This doesn't automatically mean Digital 700mhz Public Safety.
Public Safety can choose to use either Anolog or Digital systems?

I believe this is correct, with the exception of interoperability channels that are mandated to be P25 with optional encryption (AES).

I don't think you will find much (or any) analog in 700 MHz due to the bandwidth requirments.

 

[cellblock776]

Louisiana plans to use 700MHz as part of it's new LATIE system. http://www.lsp.org/interoperability.html

 

[MacombMonitor]

What impact will Nextel, getting out-of-the-way, have on all of this?

 

[n4voxgill]

Nextel had bought the guard bands for the 700 public safety bands, but surrendered them as part of the deal for the spectrum they received near 2 gig.

They have no impact in any way on 700 MHz.

 

[INDY72]

Last I heard, 700 MHz for PS use MUST be digital,.. business usage will be allowed to be analog.

 

[MacombMonitor]

Nextel had bought the guard bands for the 700 public safety bands, but surrendered them as part of the deal for the spectrum they received near 2 gig.

They have no impact in any way on 700 MHz.

I was refering to the 850MHz band. Here in Michigan, I thought that was where their problem was, with interfering with Public Safety, no? :?

 

[INDY72]

Also,... The last I heard on TV, was official beginning of TV leaving 700 MHz area is to begin by no later than 2008, and be completed by 2012. VHF is to be completed narrowband capable, with Feds having digital ready narrowbanding by 2008. Railroads to be fully digital capable by 2012, and the AM aircraft digital project to begin by 2012... Seems 2012 is the big bang year for the FCC, and other agencies.