COM 0089.002 2008-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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FCC Refarming and Narrowbanding Rules (150 and 450 MHz) Background In June 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted PR Docket 92-235, known as the "Refarming" plan. The Commission later clarified and adopted additional rules in this Docket in February 1997. The intent of the plan was to increase the number of radio channels available within particulaz radio bands by promoting more spectrally efficient use. Major rule modifications were adopted which govern public and private agencies' use of radio channels in the 150 and 400 MHz bands. To accelerate the Refarming process, the FCC later adopted the Third Memorandum Opinion and Order, Third Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Order in WT Docket 99-87 (December 20, 2004), which set hard dates affecting the importation, manufacture and oneration of equipment affected by the new spectrum efficiency standards. To reiterate the finality of these rulings, the Commission issued a Press Release on Mazch 22, 2007 strongly urging licensees to consider migrating directly to "super-efficient" technologies, rather than first adopting what they considered aninterim-efficiency improvement (e.g., 12.5 kHz) and later migrating to super-efficient technology. There is no date-certain for conversion to super-narrowband at this time. We note that neither ruling applies to the 700 MHz or 800 MHz Public Safety radio bands. However, similar narrowbanding or spectrum efficiency standards do apply in the 700 MHz band. ' To reiterate, while the "street term" for Refarming is "narrowbanding", licensees aze not required to convert to narrowband or super-narrowband channels, per-se. They are required to meet specific channel efficiency standards (voice messages/channels per kHz of spectrum). However, increasing one's efficiency may result in a conversion to narrowband or super-narrowband channel widths, depending on a given manufacturer's technology offering. Thus, some licensees will be permitted to operate wideband technologies after 2013, but only if it provides twice the capacity that it does today.