https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
Banking Technology
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Careers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertisers
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Careers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Wireless Networks


Interoperability, change orders slow rebanding efforts

Interoperability, change orders slow rebanding efforts

Officials for two 800 MHz public-safety licensees in Florida expressed frustration with slowdowns in their respective rebanding efforts caused by interoperability agreements and a lengthy change-order process during a panel at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Winter Summit in Orlando last week
  • Written by Urgent Communications Administrator
  • 26th February 2009

Officials for two 800 MHz public-safety licensees in Florida expressed frustration with slowdowns in their respective rebanding efforts caused by interoperability agreements and a lengthy change-order process during a panel at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Winter Summit in Orlando last week.

The panelists represent two very types of licensees. Greg Holcomb is the director of the communications technology/E-911 division of the Department of Public Safety for Lake County, Fla., which currently uses a VHF system for public-safety communications and only uses 800 MHz for mutual-aid communications with nearby agencies. Lesley Lewis is the radio-system manager and dispatch manager for Brevard County, Fla., fire rescue, which has 67 different agencies using an 800 MHz system that includes 60 frequencies that must be rebanded on more than 3000 pieces of subscriber equipment.

With only four channels and 19 subscriber units to deal with, Lake County, Fla., was deemed a “simple” system that would be rebanded for $128,000, according to the rebanding agreement signed in August 2007, Holcomb said. However, the county has yet to make any progress rebanding its infrastructure to date, because taking such action would result in the loss of its mutual-aid communications with neighboring agencies, several of which have not yet negotiated a rebanding deal with Sprint Nextel. In addition, Holcomb said he recently was told that the state mutual-aid channels might not be rebanded until 2010.

“We have a very small system—four channels reliant on completing rebanding—and I’m not seeing that happen until probably the 2010 time frame, which is a hurry-up-and-wait process,” he said. “For 19 units … the process has been as long and as cumbersome as it’s been for the other (larger) agencies.”

Greater public-safety interoperability has been a priority for Congress since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, but such interoperability can make it much more difficult to complete rebanding, said moderator Alan Tilles, who represents numerous public-safety agencies as a partner in the law firm of Shulman Rogers Gandal Pordy & Ecker. This reality is very evident in Florida, where the interoperability system “may be the best I’ve seen in the nation,” Tilles said.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “One of them can’t make a move without the others.”

For Brevard County, the primary frustration has been a change order related to specialized accessory equipment that was not noted in the negotiation process because “there was no place to put them on the form that Sprint Nextel provided to us,” Lewis said.

Brevard County submitted the change-order request more than six months ago but has not received approval, which has left the entity in limbo, Lewis said.

“I’m at the point where we have everything set up to retune the backbone of the system—all the panels are waiting, we have our assigned frequencies and Sprint Nextel has cleared the channels that are assigned to us,” she said. “If we could receive our change order, we’d be done in 30 days or less.”

Given the delay associated with change orders, Lewis advised other rebanding agencies to check that all accessories and other “exotic” items are included in their rebanding agreements. If they’re not, licensees should submit any necessary changes as quickly as possible. Lewis said she is worried that further delay will create complications with natural weather cycles.

“We don’t like to mess with the system during hurricane season, because we are coastal county,” she said. “We did expect to be completed by June [2008]. We thought we were going to be on schedule, but the change-order process simply kicked in. Now, I’m looking at another hurricane season coming up when I’m probably going to be engaged in [rebanding], and I’d prefer not to be.”

From an operational perspective, Lewis said one of the biggest challenges to date has been getting access to radios during the planned time period.

On one occasion, several local police and fire departments arrived for rebanding without the equipment they were supposed to have with them. Agencies also have been know to show up “on a day when we had another agency scheduled and expect to be able to swap out their equipment while we were trying to swap out 500 or 600 pieces of equipment for a larger agency,” she said. “They didn’t stick to the schedule.”

Tags: Interoperability content Policy Public Safety Rebanding Wireless Networks

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Mutualink: Mike Wengrovitz demonstrates functionality of new browser-based interface
  • Speaker outlines steps that help agencies prepare interoperable communications for planned events
  • Top 5 stories: Week of Oct. 31-Nov. 6
  • Top 5 stories: Week of Oct.17-23

Commentary


Help wanted: Working together to harness the power of data for 911

18th January 2019

Change is coming: Location-technology predictions for 2019

19th December 2018

Why every PSAP needs to be vigilant about cybersecurity

2nd November 2018
view all

Events


SATELLITE 2019

6th May 2017 - 9th May 2019

UC Ezines


APCO 2018 Wrap Up

  • 1
16th November 2018
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: FINAL ALERT: Exclusive #IWCE2019 Hotel & Travel Discounts will expire starting TOMORROW, February 22, 2019! Book your Las Veg…

21st February 2019
UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: DID YOU KNOW: #IWCE2019 is once again co-located with the ETA Education Forum, composed of 11 hands-on training classes for E…

21st February 2019
UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: Don't miss #IWCE2019 Session: Connected First Responder – New Tech for Law Enforcement, Fire Personnel, EMS | Speakers includ…

20th February 2019
UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: At #IWCE2019, you won't run out of opportunities to meet face-to-face with our Premier Partners! View floor plan - https://t.…

20th February 2019
UrgentComm

RT @MerrittBaer: iwceexpo.com/iwce19/Public/… See you in a few weeks for @IWCEexpo keynote in Las Vegas. March 6, 2019. #cloudcomputing #infos…

19th February 2019
UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: Do you think it's too late to register for #IWCE2019? Think again! There's still time to make it out to Las Vegas for the p…

19th February 2019
UrgentComm

RT @IWCEexpo: General Session Highlight: "Looking at the Big Picture: How to Realize Synergies from Upcoming Public and Private Broadband I…

18th February 2019
UrgentComm

Safer Buildings Coalition bring Mandalay Bay Shooting Hero Twin Brothers to @IWCEexpo. sbc.memberclicks.net/sbc-program-at…

15th February 2019

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

Urgent Comms

© Urgent Comms 2019. Informa USA, Inc. All rights reserved.

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Cookies Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service

Related Links

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • Microwave/RF
  • T&D World
  • TU-Auto

Follow us

Websites are now required by law to gain your consent before applying cookies. We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Parts of the website may not work as expected without them. By closing or ignoring this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
X