1. Report and Order Impact on 700 MHz Frequencies: NPSTC Regional Planning Committee Session, Atlanta GA November 12, 2007 ________
Sean O’Hara and Margaret Daly
NPSTC Support Office
Syracuse Research Corporation, Systems Technology Center

2. The FCC Order: Changes in the Band Plan
As you all know by now, the FCC has made some substantial changes to the 700 MHz band plan.
NB and BB now in contiguous blocks, with most NB falling on TV channels 64/69, and most BB falling on 63/68
Everything is now offset, so 1 MHz of both the transmit and receive side spectrum hangs over onto TV channels 62 and 67 respectively
The pictures on the next pages show the new plan, and the shift of the narrowband channels

3. The FCC Order: Changes in the Band Plan
Joint Nationwide BB Network

4. The FCC Order: Changes in the Band Plan

5. What Effect Does This Have on the Pool Allotments?
The Pool allotments are utilized by the majority of the RPCs
Combiner and separation constraints are now violated for many counties
643 Counties, or about one out of every five counties
Adjacent channel separation constraints are now violated for many counties
286 Counties, or about one out of every nine counties
These problems are not due to the pool allotments themselves, they are due to shifting within the Order
Even RPC’s not using the pool allotments will have these issues

6. Changes in the Band Plan: Core Issue
All frequencies on either side of this line were separated by at least 3 MHz before. That separation can now be as low as 6.25 kHz
Assignments made within this 500-kHz wide zone can now be closer than normally allowed.

7. Areas Affected by the New Band Plan

8. What will be Done with the Pool?
It has been decided by the RPCs that the pool should be repacked according to the new FCC plan
These issues will then be resolved during the re-pack
Trying to fix these issues piecemeal would very difficult
Especially the interregional coordination
Fixing everything together will allow the regions to move together, and eliminate delays due to individual concurrences.
This time it will also be possible give each individual region a better pack based upon their local needs and plans for the spectrum
NRPC / Texas Sheriffs will be sending out information forms/spreadsheet
Expect that State spectrum pool will be generated as well

9. What Will be Different with This Pack?
Soften the constraints with as much user input as we can get
Give the individual RPCs, Counties, and Municipalities exactly what they want/need with respect to:
Combiner Spacing
Channel Width
Internal Reuse,
Simulcast Effects, etc
Continue to take advantage of better code/algorithms and hardware
Genetic algorithm techniques already on line, and much more powerful than previous techniques
High power computing capabilities are available (see next slides)
If possible, take into account Mexican and Canadian border sharing arrangements.
These factors will offer even better packing efficiency
OTHER IDEAS?

10. Example: High Performance Computing
SRC STC Comms Group HPC Cluster
10 processing servers
And adding ten more…
Dual quad-core Xeon 2.66 GHz processors in each server
80 total cores
2 servers with 32 GB of RAM, 8 with 16 GB
192 GB total processing RAM
12 Terabyte Storage
Effective storage space is 9.5 TB after RAID 5 losses
Heterogeneous multi-boot
Linux/Windows

11. Example: High Performance Computing
Current uses
SAR image formation
High fidelity simulation and modeling
Detailed EM modeling
Spectrum engineering and system optimization
64-bit architecture
32-bit Array size
elements
64-bit array size
elements
1 - Desktop
1 Dwell in ~ 7 Minutes (7 minutes/Dwell)
Multi-Node Computing
*Slightly under utilized the HPC systems, all blades not used.
48 Dwells in ~ 7 Minutes (8.75 second/Dwell)*

12. Expected Format of Pool Results
CSV Data File:
Comma-separated-data that can be uploaded into CAPRAD by TEQ. This format is identical to how the initial allotments were delivered.
Google Earth Overlays:
Overlays of service and interference polygons will be provided for all the county-like entities as either a single consolidated file, or as individual kml files.
Overlays of service and interference polygons will also be provided for all the frequencies assigned, as either a single consolidated file, or as individual kml files.
HTML Results Tree:
An integrated and fully inter-hyperlinked html code tree will be provided, with text, tables, and graphics.
The basic elements will fall into two classes: frequencies, and County entities.
For each class, detailed documentation of the final results will be created. For the many large scale spectrum optimization problems that SRC has completed, this format has represented the easiest and most intuitive way to view the complex and inter-related results.

13. International Issues Can provide an update on Canadian Issues
Someone else may provide insight on the Mexican areas
Was able to clarify some issues raised last meeting that arose with Industry Canada at the September Radio Advisory Board of Canada (RABC) meetings in Toronto
More bad news

14. Current US/Canadian LoU
The current US/Canadian LoU from 2005 provides a very detailed description of
Channel locations
Emission limits
Primary and Secondary utilization of 700 MHz in the border areas
Rules for TV and LMR protection
The recent FCC order in that it conflicts with the LoU in many areas
Frequency availability
Channel widths
FCC and IC seem to agree that the Order cannot be implemented in the border areas until a new LoU or other arrangement) can be negotiated
IC will not do a new LoU without their version of several rounds of public notice; between 1 ½ and 2 ½ years
Late September’s meetings were the first that had this item on the agenda between the FCC and IC

15. The LoU: Sharing Zone 1, Sector 2 (NYS Area)
TV: 63/68
TV: 64/69

16. The LoU: Sharing Zone 1, Sector 2 (NYS Area)
Narrowband Designated In Border Area
Narrowband Designated Spectrum

17. The LoU: Sharing Zone 1, Sector 2 (NYS Area)
Wideband Designated In Border Area
TV: 63/68
TV: 64/69
Wideband Designated Spectrum

18. The LoU: Sharing Zone 1, Sector 2 (NYS Area)
TV: 63/68
TV: 64/69
Broadband Designated Spectrum

19. The LoU: Sharing Zone 1, Sector 2 (NYS Area)
Available Before Late 2011
LoU:
Narrowband Designated In Border Area
New Narrowband In FCC Order
TV: 63/68
TV: 64/69

20. The LoU: Sharing Zone 1, Sector 2 (NYS Area)
Available Before Late 2011
New Broadband In FCC Order
LoU: Wideband Designated In Border Area
TV: 63/68
TV: 64/69

21. What’s Ahead
Before signing a new LoU, Canada will need to work through several rounds of Gazette Notices to understand the needs/desires of Canadian public safety
Already moving on this; continue to work with CTIG, RABC, etc.
A new LoU needs to be developed ASAP
Canada is still not clear on direction they want to go with this
Border area narrowband and broadband in limbo
The FCC/State Department and Canada/IC need to find a way to work within the exiting LoU somehow in the meantime if we can actually follow the new order.
Having flexibility to deploy NB on WB allocations will help the narrowband deployment issues in the border areas
The deployment of BB in the border areas will involve both flexibility to deploy BB on NB, and the use of secondary spectrum of some new kind of co-primary agreement put in place.