THE EFFECT OF NEW FCC REGULATIONS ON FIRE COMMUNICATIONS
BY STEVE ADLER
The Communications Act of 1934 established the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Reviewed here are the FCC actions that have affected the fire service with particular focus on the rapidly changing events of the past two years.
Communications in the fire service have come a long way from ringing the bell in the city center square. Wireless communications have positively influenced all forms of communications pertaining to fire suppression–from a citizen`s call for service to the call up of firefighters, dispatch of firefighters, coordination of on-scene firefighting, and coordination of command. There are many new wireless ways to summon firefighters for rescue and fire suppression. One-way radio, for call out and administrative paging, as well as two-way radio, for dispatch and fire combat, have been a continuing and growing part of fire communications.
Wireless communications are indispensable to fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), and rescue and disaster operations and also plays a role in fire prevention and fire inspection while maintaining the effective response to calls for service.
The demand for wireless communications capability has increased as the number of citizens to be served has grown and the demand for services has increased. This growth has resulted in increased responsibilities and calls for the sharing of resources and the more efficient use of existing human and capital assets. In addition, the availability of radio spectrum has become limited.
FCC SPECTRUM DECISIONS
The FCC has addressed this growing need for wireless communications capability. One of its early regulatory actions was channel splitting, today called “refarming.” The FCC also provided some new usable spectrum.
Following is a brief chronology of FCC regulatory events that have had an impact on the fire service:
1956–The number of channels in the same spectrum space was doubled. In the late 1950s, Land Mobile Radio Spectrum channel bandwidths were halved. This action led to the 30-kHz bandwidth channels in the 150-MHz region. Later 25 kHz was used in the UHF bands.
1971–UHF TV sharing was adopted (FCC Docket 18261).
1981–800/900-MHz channels were made available (FCC Docket 18262).
1988–More 800 MHz channels were made available (Docket 87-112).
1992–The FCC opened the refarming proceeding (Docket 92-235).
1995 (June 15)–Rule changes gave users flexibility in moving to more spectrally efficient systems and manufacturers an incentive to develop and market more spectrally efficient equipment and systems.1
1996 (September 11)–The Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC) published its final report, which stated the following:
–More public safety spectrum is required.
Immediately, 2.5 MHz of spectrum should be identified for interoperability (the ability to communicate between two or more different devices to interact with one another and to exchange information according to a prescribed method to achieve predictable results) from new or existing allocations.
In the short term (within five years), approximately 25 MHz of new Public Safety allocations are needed. The present shortages can be addressed by making part of the spectrum presently used for television broadcast channels 60-69 available as soon as possible.
Over the next 15 years, as much as an additional 70 MHz of spectrum will be required to satisfy the mobile communication needs of the Public Safety community.
–Improved interoperability is required. Present limitations can be eased by establishing bands of frequencies for interoperability purposes, encouraging the development and use of shared systems and building gateways between technically incompatible systems.
On December 30, 1996, the FCC published its “Memorandum of Opinion and Order on `Refarming`” (PR Docket 92-235), which noted the following:
These present FCC rules do not require users to replace existing systems.
For manufacturers, the new radio equipment type acceptance dates are
–February 14, 1997. New type accepted equipment must be capable of operating on channels of 12.5 kHz or less.
–January 1, 2005. New type accepted equipment must be capable of operating on channels of 6.25 kHz or less.
These most recent FCC rules have no mandate that would urge manufacturers or users to change what they are doing today.
PUBLIC SAFETY SPECTRUM
The total available spectrum for wireless services today is 750 MHz. Fifty-three percent is presently allocated for non-Federal applications; 26 percent for Broadcast and Shared Land Mobile Systems; 10 percent for private systems such as Public Safety and Industrial; and less than four percent for local government, including Public Safety. Public Safety has 315 channels at 25-50 MHz, 242 channels at 150-174 MHz, 10 channels at 220-222 MHz, 150 channels at 450-512 MHz, and 300 channels at 806-824 MHz, for a total of 1,017 channels or 26.98 MHz.
NON-FEDERAL U.S. SPECTRUM
A majority of Public Safety is licensed today in the 692 channels in the VHF HI band and UHF bands. Three hundred ninety-two of those channels are presently being affected by the recent FCC refarming rules. A majority of the Fire Service systems operate in these channels.
FCC “NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE MAKING”
Let`s now look at what`s happening in the quest for Public Safety spectrum relief. The PSWAC has made several recommendations, as noted earlier, and the FCC introduced a “companion” Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), which treats the PSWAC report as comments. The following items are from the NPRM (FCC Docket 96-86):
FCC Statement of Objectives: This notice was to
–Develop data for determining the spectrum needs of public safety agencies,
–Decide how best to meet these needs, and
–Facilitate a transition to a communications environment with the following:
higher-quality transmission;
emerging technologies; and
broader services, including interoperability.
Operational Issues
Today, most radio communications by public safety agencies are conventional operations involving the transmission of voice and some data. These agencies need access to the full range of available information services. The need for more voice and data capacity is growing. In addition, public safety agencies need the following new service features to fulfill their missions:
Enhanced dispatch,
Transaction processing,
Facsimile,
Snapshot,
Decision support, and
Full motion video.
Interoperability Issues
State and local agencies operate systems in six different radio services on frequencies scattered throughout the VHF, UHF, and 800-MHz bands. These operations are using various technologies, which often are incompatible. Similarly, federal agencies, licensed by NTIA, operate on noncontiguous frequencies scattered throughout the VHF and UHF bands. The present inability of public safety agencies to communicate with each other is one of the most critical deficiencies in today`s public safety communications.
Interoperability Options
The FCC tentatively concluded that additional spectrum in a single band between 30 and 800 MHz should be designated for public safety agencies mutual-aid communications nationwide. The PSWAC has recommended that 2.5 MHz be allocated for interoperability.
To provide for interoperability between public safety agencies, the FCC proposes to adopt rules that will require equipment for public safety use to have a common communications mode and common frequency band.
SPECTRUM ALLOCATION OPTIONS AND SPECTRUM EFFICIENCY
Over the years, the FCC has addressed public safety agencies` need for additional capacity by allocating additional spectrum different bands. As a result, interoperability cannot be readily obtained. The current focus is on 24 MHz of spectrum in the band from 746 MHz to 806 MHz (TV channels 60-69).
The transition will entail (1) greater use of commercial services by public safety entities; (2) more efficient use of existing spectrum; and (3) the provision of additional spectrum for public safety uses.
COMMERCIAL SERVICES
The FCC has suggested that increased use of commercial services can be fostered by rules and licensing procedures structured to provide public safety agencies with incentives to move to commercial offerings.
Somewhat at odds with its commercial service recommendations, the FCC also points out that public safety activities are geared either solely or principally toward the protection of life and property rather than commercial motives, such as maximization of profits. It also noted that communications associated with the performance of public safety activities often require service capabilities that differ from those typically marketed to the general public (e.g., priority access, coverage, and security).
Spectrum efficiency can be increased through greater sharing among users. An alternative for sharing spectrum more efficiently is to use trunking effectively. Certain private land mobile and cellular systems have been using trunking to increase system capacity for many years. The positions of the PSWAC and the FCC give great hope for spectrum relief for Public Safety.
THE FUTURE
What`s on the technology horizon? What will have an impact on fire service communications? Are we dealing only with mission-critical communications? What is changing in wireless standards that will affect the fire service? What should you be doing about communications in the fire service?
Speech Coding Trends
Methods for converting analog information to digital are also improving. Digital voice has been effectively used in telephone systems for more than two decades. New vocoding techniques are now making efficient wireless digital voice systems practical. We can see that the trend toward using less computing power and memory is already evident. Practical wireless digital voice systems are now available.
Modulation Efficiency of Land Mobile Systems
In addition to the exponential trends we see in processing power and speech algorithms, a major shift is occurring in radio modulation techniques. The slope change on the chart on page 116 indicates the transition from primarily analog techniques to digital methods.
WHAT ALL THIS MEANS TO THE FIRE SERVICE
In the PSWAC process, we learned that these trends are technology-independent over time. We also learned that just as newer technology is increasing our ability to do more, it is just keeping pace with the growth of our need to do more! Remember that famous quote “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
Mission-Critical Wireless Communications
With regard to our need for mission-critical wireless communications, today`s technology supports migration from analog to digital and narrowband radio, improved system and access control, mutual-aid interoperability and compatibility, and public safety digital radio standards. We will need newer technology and spectrum for high-speed wireless data for images to full-motion video and high-volume data retrieval to communicate floor plans, fire scene video, and haz-mat information.
ANALOG TO DIGITAL MIGRATION
Compatibility is a critical fire service issue. As we migrate systems from analog to digital, digital standards become very useful in determining an optimum path. In the PSWAC interoperability documentation, this is often referred to as a “common mode of digital communication.”
Mesa and Phoenix
Fire service communication needs are critical components in the Mesa and Phoenix (Arizona) plans for change. The two cities, collectively and individually, decided that the systems they need are best described in the suite of standards known as “APCO 25” (Associated Public-Safety Communications Officials, International), according to Don Pfohl, communications direction, City of Mesa.2 Compatible 800-MHz trunking systems are being planned.
Compatibility is cited as a key issue, since Mesa and Phoenix provide services to multiple fire agencies of Valley Fire Dispatch, which encompasses a wide area. “Our vision is that at some time in the future, there will be Valleywide automatic aid, where the closest fire or EMS resource will be dispatched, regardless of political boundaries,” noted Pfohl. “The two future trunking systems supporting most of the Valley`s Fire Dispatch must be completely compatible in order to give all apparatus full roaming throughout both systems` coverage areas.”
Project 25 Technology Applications
The APCO Project 25 Standard, driven by public safety users, offers standardized voice, data, and encryption services; conventional and trunked systems; local and wide-area coverage; unit-unit, single-site, voting, and simulcast operation; and multiple migration strategies that support current analog capabilities and provide for mutual aid and that are compatible with today`s 25 kHz analog channels, are compliant with today`s 12.5 kHz channels, and will be compatible with tomorrow`s 12.5 kHz analog and the more distant future`s 6.25 channels.
Radio-to-Radio Interface
Radio-to-radio interface is the basic building block for compatible and interoperable digital communications–“the glue that binds.”
Common Air Interface (CAI)
Just as there are definitions for the standard dimensions of fire hoses and nozzles, there are standard definitions for the radio communication parameters. They are contained in the “Common Air Interface (CAI),” which uses the open architecture standard model and defines the following formats:
Digital voice;
Data Format Packet Structure; and
Control Signaling
–signaling “features” (i.e., selective call, unit ID);
–trunking control channel (i.e., channel assignment, call processing);
–encryption algorithm, key information, and synchronization; and
–Project 25 compliant vs. proprietary features.
As a result, the standard can be implemented with today`s technology and without changing the formats migrate to future mobile radio technologies. The standard also provides the flexibility for a manufacturer to offer a compliant interoperable radio with new, unidentified as yet, features without compromising the standard.
Six System Interfaces
The APCO 25 Standard defines not only the radio or Common Air Interface but also five other standard interfaces, as shown on the chart on page 120. Together, they make a complete system standard for public safety digital radio.
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Technology and standards can beneficially work to ease the migration from analog systems to digital. However, regulatory pressures rising from value recognition of spectrum may cause change to occur more rapidly.
In today`s environment, private radio communication systems including public safety systems are at risk. In the past, Public Safety, including the fire service, has been successful in convincing the federal government of the value of the communications that support life- and property-saving efforts. Be heard on these issues. Contact your representatives today to ensure that the fire service`s current and future needs are adequately represented. n
Endnotes
1. The FCC established a narrowband (NB) channel plan based on present channel centers. Channels are now listed every 7.5 kHz in the 150-174 MHz VHF band and every 6.25 kHz in the 421-430, 450-470, and 470-512 MHz UHF bands.
The FCC adopted a transition plan in which users will not be required to replace existing systems; rather the transition to narrowband equipment will be managed by type, accepting only increasingly spectrum-efficient equipment over a 10-year period.
The new-type acceptance rules and dates are
February 14, 1997. New-type accepted equipment must be designed to operate on channels of 12.5 kHz or less or on 25 kHz channels if the narrowband efficiency standard is met (multimode equipment that operates on 25 kHz channels will be allowed if it is also capable of operating on 12.5 kHz and/or narrower channels).
January 1, 2005. New-type accepted equipment must be designed to operate on channels of 6.25 kHz or less or an channels up to 25 kHz if the narrowband efficiency standard is met (multimode equipment that operates on 25 kHz and 12.5 kHz channels will be allowed if it is also capable of operating on 6.25 kHz or narrower channels).
2. APCO Bulletin, August 1996.
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Today`s typical analog system. Most systems use Preamble signaling for control and subaudible signaling for “continuous” control. These techniques introduce a front-end delay on each push-to-talk, and the subaudible control has limited functions.
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Digitized Voice and Embedded Signaling. Looking at a similar diagram of today`s digital system, we can see that voice is processed immediately and control is continuously and transparently embedded in the information flow. This improves both the access time and continuous control.
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Integrated Voice and Data. The digital format permits a much more robust, integrated voice and data capability. Low- and medium-speed data can be much more gracefully merged with voice. High-speed data still require work! Current high-speed data systems rely on dedicated systems and infrastructure.
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STEVE ADLER is manager, Spectrum and Standards, Land Mobile Products Sector, Motorola Inc. in Schaumburg, Illinois. Involved in the design, manufacture, and delivery of communication systems for public safety users throughout his career, he has been involved most recently in the PSWAC, Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee activity, and coordinating Motorola`s participation in the Project 25 Standards for public safety communications. Adler has a BSEE and BSE in mathematics from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and its Vehicular Technology and Computer societies; the Associated Public Safety Communications Officials, International (APCO); and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
