FCC nixes TETRA use on 800 MHz, 700 MHz public-safety bands
What is in this article?
FCC nixes TETRA use on 800 MHz, 700 MHz public-safety bands
Two high-profile system that appear to be impacted by the FCC order are the New Jersey Transit’s existing 800 MHz TETRA system—built by PowerTrunk—and a 700 MHz network for Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City. PowerTrunk won the MTA contract by bidding a TETRA system, but that award has been protested by Motorola Solutions.
Harris filed the petition with the FCC seeking a ruling on the matter, and the company issued the following statement from Dennis Martinez, CTO for Harris Public Safety and Professional Communications.
“The FCC’s decision on this matter delivers an important victory for public safety, and Harris applauds the Commission for taking swift action that will both protect public-safety communications from interference and promote interoperability,” according to the statement from Martinez. “Upon observing the imminent risks posed by low-power TETRA technology in the NPSPAC band that would have subjected public safety communications to interference, Harris Corporation brought its challenge to the commission.
“Harris engineers argued a strong case based on highly-technical and practical merits and are pleased that the commission has sided with public safety.”
In addition to the TETRA finding, the FCC order mandates that public-safety radios must have analog-FM functionality to operate on mutual-aid and interoperability channels.
FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly was the only commissioner to provide a written statement about the proceeding, noting that he agrees with most of the ruling but does not support the analog-FM aspect of it.
“I largely oppose any type of technology mandate,” O’Rielly said in his statement. “Today’s item requires that all public-safety radios operating on the 800 MHz, VHF and UHF mutual aid and interoperability bands must have analog FM capability. While I understand the pursuit of interoperability on interoperability channels, industry—despite not having a technology requirement—has adopted FM analog as the de facto standard in these bands.
“Therefore, this requirement seems unnecessary. In fact, what happened here is the preferable approach—industry determined the best means to produce interoperability. Once a technology is set in regulatory stone, innovation and investment may be deterred or, if a better technology is or becomes available, it could take years to update our rules to reflect such advancements. And, frankly, it seems ridiculous in today’s digital world to be requiring that devices have less-efficient, analog technology.”
Score for the good guys!
Score for the good guys! Finally the FCC does the right thing
Tetra needs linear modulation
Tetra needs linear modulation which is not easy now, but may be possible with technology improvements.
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??
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.