Comprehensive Frequency Coordination Service for Public Safety Operations

1. Frequency Coordination An AASHTO service for all Public safety

2. Public Safety Radio • First Responders (Police, Fire and EMS) • Highway Maintenance • Traffic Control • Advisories • Data • New services (VII, DSRC, ITS)

3. The Role of the Coordinator The FCC defines frequency coordination as: “The process of obtaining a frequency that will most effectively meet the applicant’s needs while minimizing interference to licensees already operating in the band” Many states have only ONE coordinator

4. AASHTO Services • AASHTO can coordinate all Public Safety frequencies: • Relieving the local coordinator’s burden • Rapidly process applications leading to faster licensing • Competitive Pricing • AASHTO is the Public Safety Frequency Coordinator for the State of California

5. Special Committee on Wireless Technology • Purpose • Support Frequency Coordination Needs • Input to FCC Rules and Regulations • SCOWT conferences provide: • Training • New Techniques and Technologies • New FCC Rules and Regulations • Mentoring • Support

6. Contact Bill Brownlow, AASHTO Telecommunications Manager 202-624-5817 wbrownlow@aashto.org

7. Frequency Coordination RadioSoft’s full-time staff of RF Engineers and Coordinators • Deliver complex radio system engineering and design solutions

8. Other Options • Cellular Telephone / Nextel / Pager • Only in highly populated areas • Easily overloaded in an emergency • Inflexible design • Email – Blackberry • Same limitations as Cellular • Unsafe to operate while driving

9. Commercial vs. Public Safety • Public Safety Systems cover a geographical area regardless of population • Commercial networks allocated by population rather than area • Systems overload / shut down in emergencies • One-to-One not One-to-Many design • No control

10. New Services • VII – Vehicle to Infrastructure Integration • DSRCS – Dedicated Short-Range Communications Service • 75 MHz reclaimed from Federal use • 1 Control Channel • 2 10 MHz Public Safety only channels • “Communications involving the safety of life have access priority over all other DSRC communications.”

11. DSRC Issues • State and Local Governments may have a non-exclusive license for all DSRCS frequencies based on geo-political boundaries (State, County, City) • All other eligible applicants are issued licenses based on their proposed area of operations which may include nationwide.

12. DSRC Issues (2) Command and Control • No frequencies assigned for commands • No spectrum assigned for talking to RSUs • No frequencies assigned for reporting • No assigned spectrum for the RSUs to talk back to Central Operations

13. The Spectrum Conundrum • Virtually ALL Public Safety Communications is in 4 Bands • 700 – 869 MHz Band • 450 – 512 MHz UHF Band • 150 – 170 MHz VHF Band • 70% of all Licensed Stations are in this Band • 30 – 50 MHz Low Band