The FCC Narrow Band Mandate is YOUR Business...

The FCC Narrowband Rules, while not new, mandate many changes for which you need to be aware...

Effective January 1, 2011, new applications for operations using 25 kHz channels (wide band), for any system operating in the 150-174 MHz or 421-512 MHz band are Prohibited.

Beginning January 1, 2011, the manufacture and importation of any 150-174 MHz and 421-512 MHz band 25 kHz equipment (including multi-mode equipment that can operate on a 25 kHz bandwidth) is Prohibited.

Beginning January 1, 2013, BOTH Public Safety and non-Public Safety licensees using channels in these bands to deploy technology that achieves the equivalent of one voice path per 12.5 kHz (narrow band) of spectrum.

The FCC mandate requires that all currently deployed 25 KHz "wide-band" only conventional and trunked VHF and UHF two-way hand-held portables, vehicle-mounted mobiles, dispatch stations, telemetry, and any associated 25 KHz conventional base or trunked repeaters or relay stations be replaced with 12.5 KHz "narrow-band" (or equivalent) equipment prior to the 2013 date in order to continue use of your licensed radio frequencies beyond that date.

AND, your FCC license must be modified to certify that changes in the emissions of your system have been made.

 Non-compliance will result in the cancellation of your license by the FCC
Period.

The mandate does not require licensees to

• to change to new frequencies

• to change another band

• move from analog to digital or P25 Systems

• move from conventional to a Trunked Systems

However, in certain situations, these alternatives may be options to fully explore with the assistance of a qualified radio communications professional.

The mandate also does not mean that your radios must be relegated to the junk pile; just those that are non-compliant along with some minor re-programming of others that are.

Most of Niles Radios clients have already begun the "narrow-band" migration process by replacing older "wide-band" only radios with dual-mode radios (those capable of both 25 KHz and 12.5 KHz operation) as they add new radios to their fleets, or, as older radios are lost, damaged, or otherwise removed from service.

This strategy is a practical, cost-effective approach for many, particularly those with large fleets and multiple frequencies, bases and/or repeaters in their system, but there is an important part of the migration that needs to be completed...

...Unless a radio system is initially implemented as a narrow-band compliant system, it is important to realize that many - if not all - of your dual mode replacement radios sold into the system have typically been programmed for "wide-band" operation - not narrowband operation.

This practice was/is done to maintain compatibility with existing "wide-band" Repeaters and Base Stations in those systems, a necessary procedure.

The mixing of "wide-band" and "narrow-band" radios on the same frequency of a system is not recommended due to technical differences in the transmitted and received audio of each that can render most voice, data and paging transmissions between "wide-band" and "narrow-band" radios unintelligible, distorted, or unreliable. Not good when the purpose of a radio system IS accurate and reliable communication!

Hopefully you have been planning for this all along, haven’t you?

Because of the need to address the deferred replacement of system radios, the Bases and Repeaters, they may have been overlooked or even forgotten!

This is almost universally true when it comes to smaller government, and public safety users and volunteer agencies and users who just don't keep up with current FCC Rules and responsibilities, and, who take the use and benefit of their radio systems for granted.

Thus, until your entire radio system - including all the radios, pagers, base stations and repeaters - have been either replaced and/or reprogrammed to operate in the "narrow-band" mode, your radio system is most likely still operating in the "wide-band" mode - which brings us to the next steps that need to be taken in the migration process.

DONT OPERATE MIXED MODE! IT ONLY LEADS TO COMPLAINTS.

So, do you have a plan - and a budget - to address the steps necessary to complete the "narrow-band" migration process and become fully FCC compliant?

These steps include the replacement of all remaining 25 KHz radios still in use, the procurement and installation of "narrow-band" base stations or repeaters if needed, the coordinated re-programming of all radios, base stations and repeaters to "narrow-band" operation, and, the modification of  your radio station license to reflect new emission designators.

You can and should move to Narrowband Operation BEFORE the deadline, and, modifying your license to ADD Narrowband, and make a TIMELY AND COORDINATED MIGRATION!

This is the FCC’s own Economic Stimulus Plan, and typical for Government, they really under estimated the impact to small business, but you need to comply.

SO, users who depend upon their two-way voice and data radio systems are advised to not wait for the last minute to begin the narrow-banding process. Doing so risks not only the use of their current radio frequency and large fines, but the entire return-on-investment is at risk as well.

Pretty scary stuff for an agency or small business that is not paying attention.....
                                                                               ...are you paying attention now??