Bucks County Commissioners James F. Cawley, Esq., Chairman Charles H. Martin, Vice Chairman

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


• 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



• 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



Kimball Findings


b


• 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


Narrowbanding Findings


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


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


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


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


NarrowbandingUHF “MED” System

• Used to Communicate With Hospitals

• Must Be Narrowbanded

• Replace 12 of 15 Base Stations

• Retune And Reprogram User Radios


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


Findings Beyond Narrowbanding

• System Issues Beyond Narrowbanding– Coverage– Capacity– Migration Path

• Spectrum Availability• FCC Licensing• Antenna Towers, Sites and Shelters


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


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


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


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


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


Recommendations

UHF “MED” System• Replace Base Stations as Needed• Reprogram End User Equipment


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


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


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



Review recommendations?

Questions?

Discussion?


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


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



Additional Questions?

Further Discussion?


Documents

Bucks County Commissioners James F. Cawley, Esq., Chairman Charles H. Martin, Vice Chairman