Narrowbanding issue prompts many utilities to rebuild systems

WASHINGTON D.C. - In 2004, the FCC passed mandates requiring narrowbanding of Private Land Mobile Radio (PLMR) frequencies between 150 MHz and 512 MHz to improve overall spectrum efficiency.

The date set for initial migration is January 1, 2011, and then further migration is set to take place by January 1, 2013. Many utilities that have LMR systems on these frequencies must seriously consider the implications of this transition and are looking to make overall improvements to their communications systems given the mandate.

UTC Research, in conjunction with our legal, regulatory and engineering experts, have provided consulting services to members on what the Spectrum equipment and cost implications of an advanced LMR system upgrade to meet FCC narrowbanding requirements.

To benefit its members, as well as other organizations, UTC has created a research report entitled “Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Upgrades: Narrowbanding and Beyond”. The report analyzes the FCC mandate, as well as overall PLMR system information, utility business requirements, and vendor equipment and costs.

The report is aimed at giving those organizations affected by the mandate a methodology to analyze their LMR systems objectively and review upgrade options, taking into account trends and design issues to build the best possible system moving forward.