Speaker notes: webinar 800 MHz Rebanding March 30, 2010 Abstract: The NLECTC Communications Technologies Center of Excellence (CoE) will host a webinar on the 800 MHz transition affecting many public safety agencies on Tuesday, March 30, 2010, at 1:30 p.m. EDT. CoE Program Manager Ed Vea will be joined by Center Director Rick Mulvihill, 800 MHz Transition Administrator David Buchanan and Robert Rhoads from the Department of Homeland Security s Office of Emergency Communications to present information on the state of the transition to the reconfigured 800 MHz band. Learn the facts about re-banding, how it may affect your agency and receive an update on the progress of re-banding the public safety 800 MHz band. Join the CoE to learn about important topics that affect the way public safety communicates. The NLECTC Communications Technologies CoE hosts a series of webinars, occurring approximately every eight weeks. You can register for the 800 MHz transition webinar by clicking this link:https://www.livemeeting.com/lrs/8001859620/registration.aspx?pagen ame=cdvrvgnsrb25qghzhttps://www.livemeeting.com/lrs/8001859620/regis tration.aspx?pagename=cdvrvgnsrb25qghz Start Recording on Site Slide 1 showing Intro (Rick) Welcome to the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, Communications Technologies Center of Excellence webinar series. Slide 2 showing
My name is Rick Mulvihill and I am the director of the center, who, along with Ed Vea, one of our program managers and David Buchanan representing the Transition Administrator and Robert Rhodes representing the DHS Office of Emergency Communications, will be your presenters today. Today s webinar is the 5th in a series of webinars that will be presented by the NLECTC Communications Technologies Center of Excellence. If you have a question during the presentation or at the end, please use the Q&A tab at the top of your screen and submit your question, we will attempt to answer your questions at the end of the presentation. We will not, however, be able to entertain questions regarding any matter that is in mediation. A handout is available on the site. If you look on the right side of the top tool bar you will see an icon that looks like a couple sheets of paper located to the two icons to the left of the word feedback. You can download a copy there. A recording of this presentation as well as speaker notes will be available by this Friday on our JustNet site which is available at www.commtechcoe.org under the services tab. This address will be displayed at the end of the presentation. The topic of today s webinar will be 800 MHz Transition. Slide 3 showing The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, Communications Technologies Center of Excellence is a project supported by an award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice.
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in the presentation are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice. I now will turn our presentation over to Ed Vea. Slide 4 showing Thanks Rick Presentation of Webinar This Webinar is intended to offer the practitioner community the opportunity to get up to date on the status of the 800 MHz transition otherwise known as Rebanding. We begin with a background of what the Rebanding is, why it was undertook, when it will be accomplished, and what are the benefits / results to be realized at 800 MHz and in combination with 700 MHz Narrow band channels. As mentioned we are pleased to be joined by an influential contributor to this endeavor, David Buchannan, David Buchanan is the retired Network Services Supervisor for the County of San Bernardino, California. In his role as Network Services Supervisor, Mr. Buchanan was responsible for management and future upgrades of an 800 MHz integrated trunked/conventional radio system. This system supports over 15000 units, serving 150 different agencies and departments in the 20,000 square mile county. Mr. Buchanan is a life member of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International (APCO) and is Chairman of NPSTC s (National Public Safety Telecommunications Council) Spectrum Management Committee. He also serves as the Southern California Local Frequency Advisor for APCO. Mr. Buchanan is the Chairperson of
the Southern California Region 5, 700 MHz Planning Committee. Mr. Buchanan served as President of the California Public Safety Radio Association for 2002. We will begin by directing a number of questions to David Slide 5 showing Ed: David, what led to the need for rebanding? What type of problems did PS experience? David: Over the past several years, public safety radio systems have increasingly been experiencing equipment interference problems and communication dead zones as a result of technically incompatible low site commercial wireless systems operating in the same or adjacent spectrum bands. Ed: Indeed Nextel s network was cobbled together in the 90 s from Private Two Way Radio companies operating LMR. They then turned those networks into something resembling Cellular networks and PS started experiencing intermittent problems. So how was this addressed by the FCC? David: The 800 MHz Reconfiguration Program is part of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) plan to promote safety and protect the lives of first responders and other emergency personnel by addressing the harmful interference to public safety communication systems operating in the 800 MHz band. To oversee the administrative & financial aspects of the reconfiguration program, the FCC appointed the Transition Administrator or TA for short.
Slide 6 showing We should point out that Sprint Nextel is responsible for funding rebanding In fact: Sprint Nextel funds Rebanding In a 2004 order, the FCC said Nextel needed to pay the total costs of rebanding or $2.8 billion whichever was higher Sprint has spent $1.8 billion to date Sprint Nextel plans on spending between $3.2 billion and $3.6 billion in total costs What Sprint Nextel Got Contiguous and additional spectrum at 800 MHz 10 MHz of 1.9 GHz spectrum for clearing 30 MHz spectrum in the Broadcast Auxiliary Service BAS band by moving the band at Sprints expense Slide 7 showing Spectrum Re allocation Ed : So David the solution was to reallocate the 800 MHz band? What did that entail exactly? David The 800 MHz Band was reconfigured & reallocated licensees to separate generally incompatible high site public safety systems and low site technologies ESMR systems. The public safety allocations will now be at the lower end of the band and EMSR will be located at the high end of the band. Under the old plan, the PS PSWAC band was located from at the High end between 821/824 and 866/869 MHz. Under the new band plan the PS PSWAC band will relocate to the low end located between 806/809 and 851 to 854 MHz. Of course the licensees currently located in 851 to 854 MHz need to move and they will move up in the band to spectrum Sprint/Nextel makes available. After that move (which is nearly complete in non-border areas) the PSWAC PS systems can move down. There is also
an expansion and guard bands created in the middle of the total band. PS users have the option to move out of that spectrum to lower channels from 854 to 859 MHz. Slide 8 showing The implementation Solution regional prioritization plan (RPP) David The TA adopted a Regional Prioritization Plan covering 55 Public Safety regions, which provides for four reconfiguration Waves, each of which will have two Stages. Waves 1 2 and 3 are far along in the process of reconfiguring. Wave 4 in the Canadian Border regions is now in the planning stages. Wave 4 in the Regions bordering Mexico are waiting on a band plan to be finalized with Mexico before they can start the reconfiguration process. Slide 9 showing Ed: Tell us, who exactly is the TA? David: The 800 MHz Transition Administrator, LLC (TA) was established by the Federal Communications Commission to facilitate a smooth transition to the new 800 MHz band plan. The TA consists of Deloitte Consulting L.L.P., Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P., and Baseline Telecom, Inc Ed: And what are its duties? David Establishes reconfiguration guidelines & relocation schedules Oversees administrative & financial aspects of reconfiguration Specifies replacement spectrum for relocating licensees
Monitors & facilitates issue resolution related to the relocation process Reviews & approves Planning Funding Agreements Reviews & approves Frequency Reconfiguration Agreements Reports reconfiguration process to the FCC Communicates & educates licensees & stakeholders on reconfiguration processes The TA acts as a neutral party between license holders and Sprint Nextel. It is solely responsible to the FCC to facilitate 800 MHz band reconfiguration in an expeditious, cost effective manner with minimal disruption to stakeholders. Slide 10 showing Ed: There are three Phases to the rebanding process? Is that right? David, Yes First there is the Planning and Negotiation Phase: The activities required for Planning and Negotiation include: Submit Request for Planning Funding, If Necessary Negotiate Planning Funding Agreement with Sprint Nextel, If Necessary Document Subscriber Equipment and Infrastructure Inventories Define Interoperability Environment Evaluate Proposed New Frequencies Prepare Cost Estimate Negotiate Frequency Reconfiguration Agreement with Sprint Nextel Participate in Mediation to Resolve Disputes, If Necessary
Then the Reconfiguration and Implementation Phase: The Reconfiguration Implementation Phase generally consists of the following activities: Implementation Planning Sessions Schedule management across interdependent licensees within and across regions File FCC Applications for License Modifications FCC Grants License Modifications Replace or Retune/Reprogram Subscriber Equipment Sprint Nextel Clears Frequencies Reconfigure Infrastructure System Cutover Complete Acceptance Testing (if required) And Finally and very important The Closing Phase includes the following activities: Complete FCC Surrender Applications and Other Filings Licensee and Sprint Nextel Complete True Up Licensee and Sprint Nextel Certify Completion Licensee signs Closing Documents and returns to SN and the TA TA Approves Final Closing Documents Slide 11 showing Ed, So David what is the current status as of this year? In 97% of the Non border 1 to 120 channels reconfiguration is complete and those channels are being cleared for PS licensees to move down begin operations as the new NPSPAC band.
(Ed Click) 49% of the PS licensees in the non border regions have completed this move. It turns out that the complexity of moving the PS systems is very complex. The large Statewide and large simulcast systems are requiring more time than anticipated. This has extended the project completion timeline beyond the three year timeframe originally established by the FCC. Slide 12 showing Licensing of New NPSPAC Facilities Permanent licensing of new facilities on available channels in the new NPSPAC band (806 809/851 854 MHz) is permitted in nonborder regions Applications require frequency coordination from a public safety frequency coordinator and a letter of concurrence from the 800 MHz Regional Planning Committee Per the FCC s February 10, 2009 Public Notice, until rebanding is complete in a NPSPAC region, applications for new NPSPAC facilities must be submitted to the TA to verify that the requested channels are not required for rebanding purposes. Send draft applications for review to AppReview@800TA.org Licensees should also obtain a letter from Sprint Nextel indicating that Sprint Nextel is aware of the application and it will take appropriate steps to ensure no interference to the new NPSPAC authorization STAs for Pre Reconfiguration Frequencies If a licensee is filing for an STA to authorize the use of prereconfiguration NPSPAC frequencies (821 824 / 866 869 MHz), the STA application is filed directly with the FCC Regional Planning Committee concurrence should be included with STA applications for old NPSPAC channels
The TA does not need to review these STA applications prior to filing; the FCC will contact the TA if necessary. Slide 13 showing Ed: And licensing for the frequencies vacated by Sprint Nextel? Frequencies Vacated by Sprint Nextel in the Interleaved Band The FCC released spectrum vacated by Sprint Nextel in the 854 to 854.5 MHz band in non border areas for licensing by public safety as of January 28, 2009 The vacated channels are exclusively available: To public safety entities for the first 3 years To public safety and critical infrastructure industry entities for the following 2 years The FCC s December 29, 2008 Public Notice (DA 08 2810) describes the application and licensing procedures for these channels Sprint Nextel will make additional interleaved frequencies available for licensing and use in each non border region in stages, based upon when specific thresholds of clearing of channels in the old NPSPAC band are reached in each NPSPAC region The TA is not involved in licensing these vacated channels. Eligible applicants can consult a qualified frequency coordinator or their attorney regarding how to apply for these vacated channels Slide 14 showing The 800 MHz reconfiguration program is unprecedented in scale and complexity. The TA s areas of focus are reflective of the challenges we still face and the strides we are making to complete the program as quickly and effectively as possible.
Challenges In the Public Safety arena: Completion of planning activities and submission of cost estimates Delays associated with contract negotiations between licensees and Sprint Nextel Lengthy contract and contract amendment approval processes for many state and local government agencies Size and complexity of retuning large simulcast and statewide systems Coordination of complex regional interoperability requirements Change notice volume and cycle Resource issues resulting from local budget constraints (layoffs, furloughs) Closing (post implementation) activities Ongoing TA Areas of Focus Proactive coordination with all stakeholders to move the program to completion Concluding remaining contracts Completing Implementation Planning Sessions for remaining non border and CBR regions where necessary Assessing the needs of Border Region Licensees and guiding them through the process Managing the implementation schedule and subscriber activities Addressing Change Notice Impacts on the implementation timeframes Conducting Actual Cost Reconciliation, Closing, and Payment Monitoring Slide 15 showing
Ed: And what should licensees be aware of? The TA recommends Licensees should : Know their rights and obligations Understand the timeline for their system Understand the impact of their reconfiguration on their neighbors/dependent licensees Understand THEIR organization s processes Understand the processes required to complete reconfiguration Contact the TA comments@800ta.org with any questions or concerns Utilize Available Resources Webinars TA Web site (www.800ta.org) Distributed printed materials TA Contact Center Slide 16 showing Contact Information Slide 17 showing (Rick will Click It) (Rick) Thanks David and Ed! This concludes the presentation and we will now answer some of the questions that have been submitted. After Q & A Slide 18 showing (Rick)
I would like to thank everyone for joining us today for are first webinar and invite everyone back to our next webinar