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Critical Infrastructure


FCC nixes TETRA use on 800 MHz, 700 MHz public-safety bands

  • Written by Donny Jackson
  • 26th April 2016
TETRA systems will not be permitted to operate on National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) frequencies in the 800 MHz and 700 MHz bands, according to an FCC order that cites potential interference if TETRA was deployed on these airwaves.

What is in this article?

  • FCC nixes TETRA use on 800 MHz, 700 MHz public-safety bands
  • FCC nixes TETRA use on 800 MHz, 700 MHz public-safety bands

FCC nixes TETRA use on 800 MHz, 700 MHz public-safety bands

TETRA systems will not be permitted to operate on National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) frequencies in the 800 MHz and 700 MHz bands, according to an FCC order released yesterday that cites potential interference if TETRA was deployed on these airwaves.

“In this Report and Order, we adopt rules that guard against interference to critical public safety communications in the 800 MHz National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) Federal Communications Commission FCC 16-48 2 band1 (806-809/851-854 MHz) by confirming the emission mask applicable to digital transmissions in the NPSPAC band,” the FCC order states.

“In so doing, we lessen the possibility that first responders will encounter harmful interference in the NPSPAC band and provide certainty to manufacturers concerning the capabilities required of radios used for interoperable communications.”

Although the FCC order focuses primarily on 800 MHz public-safety spectrum, a footnote in the order also addresses the public-safety 700 MHz narrowband airwaves.

“The Commission also declined to permit TETRA on the narrowband portion of the 700 MHz public safety band, noting that TETRA does not conform to the interoperability standard for the 700 MHz narrowband public safety band interoperability channels,” the FCC order states.

TETRA is the dominant public-safety LMR technology in many parts of the world, including Europe. But Project 25 (P25) as the primary interoperable standard in the United States and conforms to Emission Mask H to limit adjacent-channel interference.

The FCC has allowed TETRA to be deployed in the U.S. on spectrum that is not dedicated for public-safety use, but there has been some debate in recent years whether TETRA could be deployed on public-safety spectrum.

TETRA manufacturer PowerTrunk—now owned by the Sepura Group—has been the biggest proponent of TETRA being allowed for use on public-safety narrowband spectrum. PowerTrunk’s low-power TETRA technology conforms only to Emission Mask B, which was allowed by FCC rule for analog transmitters equipped with an audio low-pass filter.

Although the FCC acknowledged that its previous rulings had created some ambiguity in the industry about what technologies are allowed on public-safety spectrum, yesterday’s order is designed to close this “loophole” and bring greater certainty to the market, the order states.

PowerTrunk stated in FCC filings that the TETRA emission mask would create a greater potential for interference with surrounding systems, but the company asserted that regional planning committees (RPCs) could address this. In addition, the company claimed that TETRA’s greater spectral efficiency in delivering data would offset any interference disadvantages.

But the FCC disagreed with the PowerTrunk argument, claiming that other LMR technologies offer similar data throughput without the interference risk of low-power TETRA.

“It is inescapable that PowerTrunk’s equipment—which conforms only to Emission Mask B—has a greater potential for adjacent-channel interference than equipment that conforms to Emission Mask H and analog signals subject to audio low-pass filtering,” the FCC order states. “Therefore, to accommodate a low-power TETRA system such as PowerTrunk’s, the RPCs would be required to increase geographic separation, thereby limiting the use of available spectrum in the NPSPAC band, which already is congested in large metropolitan areas.”

1 | 2 |
FCC nixes TETRA use on 800 MHz, 700 MHz public-safety bands
Tags: Harris Motorola Solutions PowerTrunk Regulation Spectrum/Frequency Coordination TETRA Transportation Critical Infrastructure FCC Land Mobile Radio News Policy Public Safety Regional Coordination News

8 comments

  1. Avatar Anonymousradiousers 26th April 2016 @ 10:11 pm
    Reply

    Score for the good guys!
    Score for the good guys! Finally the FCC does the right thing

  2. Avatar harryh 27th April 2016 @ 4:14 am
    Reply

    Tetra needs linear modulation
    Tetra needs linear modulation which is not easy now, but may be possible with technology improvements.

  3. Avatar RFandy 27th April 2016 @ 2:33 pm
    Reply

    Interesting how nobody
    Interesting how nobody actually asked NJ TRANSIT if this ruling has any impact on its existing TETRA network. Notwithstanding that TETRA is a proven, mission-critical technology used world-wide, with superior voice quality and data capability compared with other LMR technologies – and TETRA operators pay $600 for a portable radio with more capability than other radios that cost $3000 – the recent FCC ruling has zero impact on NJ TRANSIT’s TETRA network. They don’t operate their network in NPSPAC band. While the ruling is disappointing, as I’m sure NJ TRANSIT would’ve liked to have had the option to operate on NPSPAC band – with TETRA radios that also WILL work in analog FM mode on interop channels – they will manage fine without the NPSPAC band. It’s too bad that the FCC didn’t side with the Region 8 RPC who agreed that there would not be a problem coordinating and integrating 20K0 “TETRA-like” technology in NPSPAC. Question to “Anonymousradiousers”: Who are the good guys and why are agencies who want to deploy the best possible technology, in terms of meeting business requirements and cost/benefit to taxpayers, not the good guys??

  4. Avatar Anonymous 123 27th April 2016 @ 5:52 pm
    Reply

    This ruling is a huge mistake
    This ruling is a huge mistake that will cost public safety agencies hundreds of millions of dollars purchasing, maintaining and replacing high cost subscriber units for the life of their radio systems. Tetra is the de-facto global public safety standard for a reason, greater functionality and lower cost. Better frequency coordination is the solution to any perceived interference issue.

  5. Avatar CanYouHearMeNow 27th April 2016 @ 8:49 pm
    Reply

    Ironic how Nextel was able
    Ironic how Nextel was able cause harmful interference to co-channel users on 800MHz for years, then got the FCC to buy their CONcensus plan to refarm the entire band, only to shut down their iDEN network and replace it with LTE.

    Yet TETRA is a problem. Funny how things work in this country. Those have all the gold, make the rules.

    The orders are coming into Schaumburg for new P25 subs at $4-6K a pop while counties and cities raise taxes and cut services to pay for it. Sad. Really sad.

  6. Avatar RFandy 28th April 2016 @ 2:11 pm
    Reply

    To take “CanYouHearMeNow’s”
    To take “CanYouHearMeNow’s” comment about rebanding and LTE a bit further, Harris, NPSTC, and others behind this unfortunate ruling ought to be much more concerned about how interference from CDMA/UMTS/LTE operator(s) in the E-SMR band is truly harming public safety operations in NPSPAC. TETRA or TETRA “Lite” is the least of the problems (other than being a commercial threat to vendors of other technology). At least TETRA could’ve been controlled/coordinated through a well-established process that has now been eroded.

  7. Avatar 485EIS 29th April 2016 @ 3:38 pm
    Reply

    TETRA is the predominant
    TETRA is the predominant public safety radio standard globally, and in Europe. Europe is much more densely populated than the U.S., yet they do not have an interference issue. Regional Planning Committee 8, which represents the most densely populated area in the U.S., has stated that there would not be a problem coordinating and integrating 20K0 “TETRA-like” technology in NPSPAC.
    Are the laws of physics different in the U.S. than the rest of the world? I don’t think so. Yet, the FCC chooses to side with large U.S. land mobile radio manufacturers, forcing cash strapped U.S. public safety agencies to continue to pay exorbitant prices for P25 radio systems, and subscriber units in particular. Whose side are they on?

  8. Avatar RFandy 29th April 2016 @ 4:20 pm
    Reply

    There’s a clear bias against
    There’s a clear bias against TETRA technology in his article. First, the headline does not represent the nature of the FCC ruling whatsoever. It is sensationalized against TETRA. TETRA was already prohibited from NPSPAC in the original report and order issued a few years ago. Further, the headline suggests that TETRA has been banned from public safety bands. There is no truth to that as well. TETRA is permitted now, as it was years ago, on public safety pool channels in the interleaved band between 854-860 MHz. This new order has no impact on that at all. It is also completely irresponsible of the editorial staff to suggest there is impact to NJ TRANSITs system or to the planned MTA system. That statement is not based in fact and only serves to spread disinformation about the status and future of those networks. The FCC ruling that this article referred to only addresses what emission masks apply to digital technology used for equipment certification for use in NPSPAC band. It codifies that H-Mask must be used, not B-Mask. The result of that is TETRA compatible technology (not ETSI TETRA) will not be able to utilize NPSPAC channels. The ruling further makes it clear that radios in NPSPAC shall be able to operate using conventional FM on national interoperability channels. That’s what the ruling was about. Let’s tell it like it is and leave the bias by the wayside.

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