Bucks County Commissioners
James F. Cawley, Esq., ChairmanCharles H. Martin, Vice ChairmanDiane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW
David M. Sanko, Chief Operating Officer
James F. Cawley, Esq., Chairman
Charles H. Martin, Vice-Chairman
Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW
BOARD OF BUCKS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Charles H. Martin, Chairman
James F. Cawley, Esq., Vice-Chairman
Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW
BOARD OF BUCKS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Seminar for Bucks County
Public Safety Officials
Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding
• Project Direction & Goals– Address Mandated Narrowbanding Impact– Address System Capacity– Investigate Spectrum Availability– Provide Options For Growth
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding
• Kimball Tasking– Determine Narrowbanding Feasibility– Assess the Current Systems– Assess Spectrum Availability– Review FCC Licensing– Determine Needs for Narrowbanding– Determine Alternatives To Narrowbanding– Review Three Options– Provide Recommendations & Budget
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding
• Methodology– Interviews and Focus Groups
• Users, Technical Staff, Dispatchers, Management– Tower Site Inspections & Evaluations– System Statistics Review and Analysis– FCC Licensing Database Review– Preliminary Spectrum Search
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding
Kimball Findings
Public Safety Officials Seminar
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Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding
• End User Feedback– Voice System Coverage Could Be Better– Need Better In-Building Coverage– Some System Busies– Paging Takes Too Long– Need Better Mobile Data System– Want Vehicle Location System
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Narrowbanding Findings
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Narrowbanding Background• Mandated By FCC• Began In 1993 As Spectrum “Refarming”• First FCC Rulings In 1998• Increases Available Spectrum• Reduces Bandwidth Of The Radio Signal• Must Complete By 12/31/2012• Applies To All Bucks County Radio Systems
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Beginning Narrowbanding Narrowband channels not usable until wideband users convert.
Kimball Technology
460.000 460.025 460.500
20 KHz Bandwidth
20KHz Bandwidth
20KHz Bandwidth
460.0125 460.0375
ANALOGNARROWBAND
12.5KHz Channel Spacing
Wide Band
Wide Band
Wide Band
11KHz Bandwidth
ANALOGNARROWBAND
After all convert to Narrowband
Kimball Technology
460.000 460.025 460.050 460.0125 460.0375
12.5KHz Channel Spacing
11 KHz Bandwidth
ANALOGNARROWBAND
This represents analog voice with a 11KHz necessary bandwidth
ANALOGNARROWBAND
ANALOGNARROWBAND
ANALOGNARROWBAND
ANALOGNARROWBAND
P25 at UHF
Kimball Technology
460.025 460.500 460.0125 460.0375
12.5KHz
Channel
Spacing
8.1KHz Bandwidt
h
DIGITALNARROWBAND
P25 Phase1 with C4FM Modulation only requires 8.1KHz Necessary Bandwidth
DIGITALNARROWBAND
DIGITALNARROWBAND
DIGITALNARROWBAND
DIGITALNARROWBAND
Narrowbanding
• Bucks County Systems Impacted– UHF Trunked Public Safety System– UHF Mobile Data System (Data-TAC)– UHF MED Channels– VHF Paging/Alerting System
Public Safety Officials Seminar
NarrowbandingUHF Trunked Public Safety System• Complete Replacement Is Required
– “Wide Pulse” SmartZone Trunking System– Cannot Be Narrowbanded.– Obsolete Infrastructure
• 6809 System Controllers Are Obsolete And No Longer Supported By Motorola.
• MTC3600 (6809 Replacement) Controllers Are No Longer Available For System Upgrades
– 85% Of User Radios At End Of Support – 12/31/2011– Only Option Is Upgrade To Project 25 System
Public Safety Officials Seminar
NarrowbandingData-TAC Mobile Data System
• System Is Narrowband Compliant– No Narrowbanding Action Required
• Very Slow < 9.6 Kbps Typical Throughput– Text Data Only– No Video– No Advanced Applications– No Internet Access
• No Longer Supported By Motorola• Users Migrating To Commercial Services
Public Safety Officials Seminar
NarrowbandingUHF “MED” System
• Used to Communicate With Hospitals
• Must Be Narrowbanded
• Replace 12 of 15 Base Stations
• Retune And Reprogram User Radios
Public Safety Officials Seminar
NarrowbandingVHF Paging/Alerting System
• Must Be Narrowbanded
– Nine Paging Transmitters Narrowband Capable But Not Simulcast Or Alphanumeric Capable.
– 1800 Pagers Recently Replaced With Narrowband
– Replace Remaining Wideband Pagers And Receivers
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Findings Beyond Narrowbanding
• System Issues Beyond Narrowbanding– Coverage– Capacity– Migration Path
• Spectrum Availability• FCC Licensing• Antenna Towers, Sites and Shelters
Public Safety Officials Seminar
UHF Trunked System Findings
Current UHF Trunked System Issues• At Capacity - Daily System Busies.• Additional Spectrum Is Needed• 85% Of User Radios At End Of Support 12/2011• 6809 Controllers Are Past End Of Life And Support• MTC3600 Replacement Is No Longer Available• Boston, Hartford & NC DTV Interference Is
Disabling Public Safety Systems In NJ• Co-channel Close Spacing Of 20 & 40 Miles
Causes Interference
Public Safety Officials Seminar
UHF Spectrum Availability
• Findings– No More 500-512 Countywide Spectrum Found– Three Part-22 500 MHz Frequencies May Be
Available On Waivers. – No More 450-470 MHz Countywide Spectrum– Some Local Use Spectrum at Both 450 and 500 MHz
Public Safety Officials Seminar
700 MHz Public Safety Spectrum
700 MHz Spectrum• Virgin Spectrum• 13 Frequency Blocks Allocated to Bucks County
– 26 Narrowband Channels– 52 P-25 Phase 2 Talk Paths Potential
• Region Filing Window opens June 1 for 30 days.• Recommend Bucks Submit Application• Allows Regional Interoperability
– Philadelphia– Montgomery County– Trenton
Public Safety Officials Seminar
RecommendationsPublic Safety Trunked System
• Replace The Existing UHF System With A Project 25 Phase 2 Digital System.
– Increases Capacity– Adds Encryption, AVL & GPS
• Move To 700 Mhz. From UHF– Eliminates Interference– Improves Interoperability
• Replace All End User Equipment With Phase 2 Capable Mobiles & Portables
• Add Tower Sites To Improve Coverage• Add Vehicle Location & Over The Air Programming
Public Safety Officials Seminar
RecommendationsMobile Data
• Decommission The Current Data-TAC System• Install 700 Mhz. LTE Broadband Data System
– Meets National Broadband Licensee Requirements
– Emerging National Commercial Standard (Verizon AT&T)
• Investigate Regional Sharing Of Core Equipment– Cost Sharing– Increased Regional Interoperability
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Recommendations
UHF “MED” System• Replace Base Stations as Needed• Reprogram End User Equipment
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Recommendations
VHF Paging System• Replace Existing Base Stations With Digital
Capable Simulcast Base Stations• Implement Simulcast Operation
– Eliminates Long Paging Times• Replace Remaining Wide Band Pagers And
Station Receivers• Upgrade Zetron Terminals For CAD Interface• Implement POCSAG Digital Alphanumeric Paging
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Estimated CostsReplace UHF Trunked Radio System and User Radios (700 MHz)
List Price = $ 70,608,424Less 20% = $ 56,486,739
Implement 700 MHz LTE Data System Includes 2000 Vehicular Radio Modems = $ 7,769,435
Upgrade Paging System Infrastructure PA State Contract = $ 1,150,000
Replace MED System Base Stations = $ 150,000
Total Estimated Systems Cost = $65,556,174
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Recommendations
Core Control System Sharing• Project 25 Core System• LTE Data Core System• System Capacity Exceeds County Needs• Cost Recovery/Sharing Among Users• Microwave System Already Exists For Interconnection
– 12 County Regional Counterterrorism Task Force• Improves Interoperability
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding
Review recommendations?
Questions?
Discussion?
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Review of Recommendations-1• No viable solution to narrowband current system
– Life-cycle support ending– Would not improve coverage or capacity long-term
• UHF/T-band has limited frequencies & potential interference– Transmit steered UHF can be added as interim solution– If stay in UHF, could stay Phase 1
• License 700 MHz channels @ June 1– 700/800 MHz interoperability– 50+ available Phase 2 talk paths– Minimize ISSI impacts for daily interoperability
• Upgrade to a 700/800 MHz P-25 Phase 2 system now– Replace the XTS 3000 equipment/Gold Elite consoles– Include encryption, AVL & GPS– Add capacity
• Decrease needs for private systems• Allow for municipal government intra-operability• On & off-system tactical channels
– Increase targeted in-building coverage– Increase competition for terminal procurements– Use RFP or negotiation to meet narrowband mandated 2013 deadline
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Review of Recommendations-2• Narrowband the MED system• Move EMA to the trunked system• Replace the VHF paging system
– Use voice/alphanumeric infrastructure– Simulcast coverage & efficiency– Narrowband the VHF paging– Allow users to review/choose platform
• Replace lo-band station alerting with new system management interface• Replace/retire the Data-Tac system
– Use LTE technology @ 700 MHz to ‘match’ commercial broadband– Public safety dedicated architecture– Apply for 700 MHz waiver– Expand users to a maximum of 2100
• Establish system requirements– on-street/in-building coverage requirements– Encryption
• Determine capacity for public safety & local government– Poll local government needs– Catalog public safety ‘private systems’
• Work with SE PA Region for possible ‘core switches’– Trunked radio & LTE
Public Safety Officials Seminar
Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding
Additional Questions?
Further Discussion?
Public Safety Officials Seminar