Industry Canada adopting new band plan for 700 MHz

Industry Canada has kicked off a consultation to harmonize with the United States' critical narrowband communications spectrum in the 700 MHz band for public safety agencies. Harmonizing would cover the spectrum used to carry analog TV stations 64 and 69, complementing spectrum used for analog TV channels 63 and 68 already designated for public safety.Doug Sward, Industry's director of terrestrial engineering, says the consultation involves a number of points, but harmonization with the US and clarifying the rules for existing licensees are critical. Synchronizing Canada's rules with the US means public safety agencies can take advantage of economies of scale and interoperability. As well, he adds, since this spectrum was opened up for licensing in 2006 it's important that users know what the transition rules will be. "It's essential that this band plan matter be resolved as soon as possible," Sward tells Report on Wireless. The consultation comes about six months after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) changed its 700 MHz band plan to accommodate a requirement for broadband public safety systems. As a result of these changes, Canada's 700 MHz band plan "is now completely out of alignment with the United States," states the department's consultation paper. The transition to a new band plan isn't without its hitches. According to Industry, there are seven over-the-air TV stations that currently use channels 64 and 69. These stations would be allowed to continue operating for now, with a proviso that they vacate the band by 2011 when analog TV is shut off."What we're suggesting in the paper is that in areas where we do have television on air that we retain the old band plan until such time that television , through the DTV migration, vacate those channels," Sward says. "In areas that are not encumbered by TV, the department is proposing that public safety system could immediately go to the new plan." The band plan proposal also shouldn't be taken lightly as it involves a full range of narrowband communications on which public safety agencies rely. "It's a fairly significant band plan in that it offers not only just narrowband channels for voice communications, but mutual aid channels and special low-power channels. So, it does really cover the full range of applications in the narrowband area that the public safety are looking for," explains Sward. Industry Canada is currently only looking into narrowband communications, and despite the FCC's decision last August to address broadband communications requirements for public safety, the department isn't rushing on the broadband front. Sward says a consultation regarding broadband public safety could be issued at some point this year, but couldn't be more specific. It stands to reason though that only six months after the FCC changes its 700 MHz band plan for public safety, Industry Canada will soon move on the broadband front as well.

Industry Canada adopting new band plan for 700 MHz

News | 02/04/2008 7:32 pm EST

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