It's interesting they're still pushing forward with plans to put the new system on T-Band considering the FCC's announcement of its uncertain future. Unless they backed down on that?
From a logistics standpoint, it makes sense to continue on T-band for now.
- Procurement process is already underway
- Many agencies already have compliant or compliant-capable mobiles and portables
- Allows 800 MHz rebanding to take place before engineering spectrum-use plans for 700 & 800 MHz, which will have to be done in full cooperation with everybody else in 7 adjacent counties (source of my "fun to watch" comment, as we will be one of the 7)
- Allows LTE development to 'mature' to the point of actually performing the data tasks
- Allows the longer range site planning, acquisition, construction and network integration processes to take place for the additional 20+ sites that will be needed for 700/800 MHz
Also, keep in mind that the Fat Lady hasn't even started to warm up in the legislative opera on the T-band displacement issue. Both L.A. and NYC have
significant influence in Congress. It would not surprise me to see in a couple of years that maybe 14 and 15 stay Public Safety (which would equate all of 700 MHz and the NPSPAC portion of 800 MHz in channel capacity).
