Bucks County Commissioners James F. Cawley, Esq., Chairman Charles H. Martin, Vice Chairman Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW David M. Sanko, Chief Operating Officer James F. Cawley, Esq., Chairman Charles H. Martin, Vice-Chairman Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW BOARD OF BUCKS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Charles H. Martin, Chairman James F. Cawley, Esq., Vice-Chairman Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW BOARD OF BUCKS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Seminar for Bucks County Public Safety Officials

Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding Project Direction & Goals –Address Mandated Narrowbanding Impact –Address System Capacity –Investigate Spectrum Availability –Provide Options For Growth Public Safety Officials Seminar

Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding Kimball Tasking –Determine Narrowbanding Feasibility –Assess the Current Systems –Assess Spectrum Availability –Review FCC Licensing –Determine Needs for Narrowbanding –Determine Alternatives To Narrowbanding –Review Three Options –Provide Recommendations & Budget Public Safety Officials Seminar

Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding Methodology –Interviews and Focus Groups Users, Technical Staff, Dispatchers, Management –Tower Site Inspections & Evaluations –System Statistics Review and Analysis –FCC Licensing Database Review –Preliminary Spectrum Search Public Safety Officials Seminar

Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding Kimball Findings Public Safety Officials Seminar

b Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding End User Feedback –Voice System Coverage Could Be Better –Need Better In-Building Coverage –Some System Busies –Paging Takes Too Long –Need Better Mobile Data System –Want Vehicle Location System Public Safety Officials Seminar

Narrowbanding Findings Public Safety Officials Seminar

Narrowbanding Background Mandated By FCC Began In 1993 As Spectrum “Refarming” First FCC Rulings In 1998 Increases Available Spectrum Reduces Bandwidth Of The Radio Signal Must Complete By 12/31/2012 Applies To All Bucks County Radio Systems Public Safety Officials Seminar

Beginning Narrowbanding Narrowband channels not usable until wideband users convert. Kimball Technology KHz Bandwidth ANALOG NARROWBAND 12.5KHz Channel Spacing Wide Band 11KHz Bandwidth ANALOG NARROWBAND

After all convert to Narrowband Kimball Technology KHz Channel Spacing 11 KHz Bandwidth ANALOG NARROWBAND This represents analog voice with a 11KHz necessary bandwidth ANALOG NARROWBAND ANALOG NARROWBAND ANALOG NARROWBAND ANALOG NARROWBAND

P25 at UHF Kimball Technology KHz Channel Spacing 8.1KHz Bandwidth DIGITAL NARROWBAND P25 Phase1 with C4FM Modulation only requires 8.1KHz Necessary Bandwidth DIGITAL NARROWBAND DIGITAL NARROWBAND DIGITAL NARROWBAND DIGITAL NARROWBAND

Narrowbanding Bucks County Systems Impacted –UHF Trunked Public Safety System –UHF Mobile Data System (Data-TAC) –UHF MED Channels –VHF Paging/Alerting System Public Safety Officials Seminar

Narrowbanding UHF Trunked Public Safety System Complete Replacement Is Required –“Wide Pulse” SmartZone Trunking System –Cannot Be Narrowbanded. –Obsolete Infrastructure 6809 System Controllers Are Obsolete And No Longer Supported By Motorola. MTC3600 (6809 Replacement) Controllers Are No Longer Available For System Upgrades –85% Of User Radios At End Of Support – 12/31/2011 –Only Option Is Upgrade To Project 25 System Public Safety Officials Seminar

Narrowbanding Data-TAC Mobile Data System System Is Narrowband Compliant –No Narrowbanding Action Required Very Slow < 9.6 Kbps Typical Throughput –Text Data Only –No Video –No Advanced Applications –No Internet Access No Longer Supported By Motorola Users Migrating To Commercial Services Public Safety Officials Seminar

Narrowbanding UHF “MED” System Used to Communicate With Hospitals Must Be Narrowbanded Replace 12 of 15 Base Stations Retune And Reprogram User Radios Public Safety Officials Seminar

Narrowbanding VHF Paging/Alerting System Must Be Narrowbanded –Nine Paging Transmitters Narrowband Capable But Not Simulcast Or Alphanumeric Capable. –1800 Pagers Recently Replaced With Narrowband –Replace Remaining Wideband Pagers And Receivers Public Safety Officials Seminar

Findings Beyond Narrowbanding System Issues Beyond Narrowbanding –Coverage –Capacity –Migration Path Spectrum Availability FCC Licensing Antenna Towers, Sites and Shelters Public Safety Officials Seminar

UHF Trunked System Findings Current UHF Trunked System Issues At Capacity - Daily System Busies. Additional Spectrum Is Needed 85% Of User Radios At End Of Support 12/ Controllers Are Past End Of Life And Support MTC3600 Replacement Is No Longer Available Boston, Hartford & NC DTV Interference Is Disabling Public Safety Systems In NJ Co-channel Close Spacing Of 20 & 40 Miles Causes Interference Public Safety Officials Seminar

UHF Spectrum Availability Findings –No More Countywide Spectrum Found –Three Part MHz Frequencies May Be Available On Waivers. –No More MHz Countywide Spectrum –Some Local Use Spectrum at Both 450 and 500 MHz Public Safety Officials Seminar

700 MHz Public Safety Spectrum 700 MHz Spectrum Virgin Spectrum 13 Frequency Blocks Allocated to Bucks County –26 Narrowband Channels –52 P-25 Phase 2 Talk Paths Potential Region Filing Window opens June 1 for 30 days. Recommend Bucks Submit Application Allows Regional Interoperability –Philadelphia –Montgomery County –Trenton Public Safety Officials Seminar

Recommendations Public Safety Trunked System Replace The Existing UHF System With A Project 25 Phase 2 Digital System. –Increases Capacity –Adds Encryption, AVL & GPS Move To 700 Mhz. From UHF –Eliminates Interference –Improves Interoperability Replace All End User Equipment With Phase 2 Capable Mobiles & Portables Add Tower Sites To Improve Coverage Add Vehicle Location & Over The Air Programming Public Safety Officials Seminar

Recommendations Mobile Data Decommission The Current Data-TAC System Install 700 Mhz. LTE Broadband Data System –Meets National Broadband Licensee Requirements –Emerging National Commercial Standard (Verizon AT&T) Investigate Regional Sharing Of Core Equipment –Cost Sharing –Increased Regional Interoperability Public Safety Officials Seminar

Recommendations UHF “MED” System Replace Base Stations as Needed Reprogram End User Equipment Public Safety Officials Seminar

Recommendations VHF Paging System Replace Existing Base Stations With Digital Capable Simulcast Base Stations Implement Simulcast Operation –Eliminates Long Paging Times Replace Remaining Wide Band Pagers And Station Receivers Upgrade Zetron Terminals For CAD Interface Implement POCSAG Digital Alphanumeric Paging Public Safety Officials Seminar

Estimated Costs Replace UHF Trunked Radio System and User Radios (700 MHz) List Price = $ 70,608,424 Less 20% = $ 56,486,739 Implement 700 MHz LTE Data System Includes 2000 Vehicular Radio Modems = $ 7,769,435 Upgrade Paging System Infrastructure PA State Contract = $ 1,150,000 Replace MED System Base Stations = $ 150,000 Total Estimated Systems Cost = $65,556,174 Public Safety Officials Seminar

Recommendations Core Control System Sharing Project 25 Core System LTE Data Core System System Capacity Exceeds County Needs Cost Recovery/Sharing Among Users Microwave System Already Exists For Interconnection –12 County Regional Counterterrorism Task Force Improves Interoperability Public Safety Officials Seminar

Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding Review recommendations? Questions? Discussion? Public Safety Officials Seminar

Review of Recommendations-1 No viable solution to narrowband current system –Life-cycle support ending –Would not improve coverage or capacity long-term UHF/T-band has limited frequencies & potential interference –Transmit steered UHF can be added as interim solution –If stay in UHF, could stay Phase 1 License 700 MHz June 1 –700/800 MHz interoperability –50+ available Phase 2 talk paths –Minimize ISSI impacts for daily interoperability Upgrade to a 700/800 MHz P-25 Phase 2 system now –Replace the XTS 3000 equipment/Gold Elite consoles –Include encryption, AVL & GPS –Add capacity Decrease needs for private systems Allow for municipal government intra-operability On & off-system tactical channels –Increase targeted in-building coverage –Increase competition for terminal procurements –Use RFP or negotiation to meet narrowband mandated 2013 deadline Public Safety Officials Seminar

Review of Recommendations-2 Narrowband the MED system Move EMA to the trunked system Replace the VHF paging system –Use voice/alphanumeric infrastructure –Simulcast coverage & efficiency –Narrowband the VHF paging –Allow users to review/choose platform Replace lo-band station alerting with new system management interface Replace/retire the Data-Tac system –Use LTE 700 MHz to ‘match’ commercial broadband –Public safety dedicated architecture –Apply for 700 MHz waiver –Expand users to a maximum of 2100 Establish system requirements –on-street/in-building coverage requirements –Encryption Determine capacity for public safety & local government –Poll local government needs –Catalog public safety ‘private systems’ Work with SE PA Region for possible ‘core switches’ –Trunked radio & LTE Public Safety Officials Seminar

Emergency Communications and Narrowbanding Additional Questions? Further Discussion? Public Safety Officials Seminar