UPDATED STORY New York City reports continuing 800 MHz interference
In a document filed a few days ago with APCO’s 800 MHz interference database, New York City’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications described interference to radio communications conducted by the city’s Office of Emergency Management and New York City Housing Authority. The two agencies use an 800 MHz analog trunked radio system provided by DoITT.
On July 3, both agencies deployed their command buses to the 49th precinct on Eastchester Road in the Bronx in response to a power outage.
“Upon arrival, both agencies experienced ‘out of range’ signals and very poor communications with their portable radios. A Nextel site was located directly across from the 49th precinct,” the report reads.
“DoITT staff tested the location with handheld portables and identified the source of interference to be Nextel. In addition, another location was identified on East Tremont Ave. between Barcley Ave and the Hutch Parkway. It is apparent that both Netxel sites are powered higher than normal and utilize extreme downtilt antennae,” said DoITT in its report.
The report indicated that Nextel had been notified, and that the interference remained unresolved.
Update Aug. 28
On Aug. 26, the associate commissioner for wireless technology at DoITT, Steven Harte, said that Nextel had notified him that the company had made power level and filter adjustments to antenna sites involved in the interference. He said that his department had not yet verified whether the changes eliminated the interference, and that tests intended to do just that are scheduled for the week of Sept. 1.
