Frequency Coordination

An AASHTO service for all Public safety

Public Safety Radio

• First Responders (Police, Fire and EMS)

• Highway Maintenance

• Traffic Control

• Advisories

• Data

• New services (VII, DSRC, ITS)

The Role of the Coordinator

The FCC defines frequency coordination as:

“The process of obtaining a frequency that will most effectively meet the applicant’s needs while minimizing interference to licensees already operating in the band”

Many states have only ONE coordinator

AASHTO Services

• AASHTO can coordinate all Public Safety frequencies: Relieving the local coordinator’s burden Rapidly process applications leading to faster

licensing Competitive Pricing

AASHTO is the Public Safety Frequency Coordinator for the State of California

Special Committee on Wireless Technology

• Purpose Support Frequency Coordination Needs Input to FCC Rules and Regulations

• SCOWT conferences provide: Training

New Techniques and TechnologiesNew FCC Rules and Regulations

Mentoring Support

Contact

Bill Brownlow, AASHTO Telecommunications Manager

202-624-5817

wbrownlow@aashto.org

Frequency Coordination

RadioSoft’s full-time staff of RF Engineers and Coordinators

• Deliver complex radio system engineering and design solutions

Other Options

• Cellular Telephone / Nextel / Pager Only in highly populated areas Easily overloaded in an emergency Inflexible design

• Email – Blackberry Same limitations as Cellular Unsafe to operate while driving

Commercial vs. Public Safety

• Public Safety Systems cover a geographical area regardless of population

• Commercial networks allocated by population rather than area

• Systems overload / shut down in emergencies

• One-to-One not One-to-Many design• No control

New Services

• VII – Vehicle to Infrastructure Integration• DSRCS – Dedicated Short-Range

Communications Service• 75 MHz reclaimed from Federal use

1 Control Channel 2 10 MHz Public Safety only channels “Communications involving the safety of life have

access priority over all other DSRC communications.”

DSRC Issues

• State and Local Governments may have a non-exclusive license for all DSRCS frequencies based on geo-political boundaries (State, County, City)

• All other eligible applicants are issued licenses based on their proposed area of operations which may include nationwide.

DSRC Issues (2)

Command and Control

• No frequencies assigned for commands No spectrum assigned for talking to RSUs

• No frequencies assigned for reporting No assigned spectrum for the RSUs to talk

back to Central Operations

The Spectrum Conundrum

• Virtually ALL Public Safety Communications is in 4 Bands

• 700 – 869 MHz Band

• 450 – 512 MHz UHF Band

• 150 – 170 MHz VHF Band 70% of all Licensed Stations are in this Band

• 30 – 50 MHz Low Band