Televate’s Narrowbanding Assessment is designed to give you the comprehensive tools and information you’ll need to begin narrowbanding your systems and radios.
In a continued effort for spectrum efficiency, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued Part 90 LMR Narrowbanding Mandate in 2004 requiring users in segments of the VHF and UHF spectrum to narrowband their operations by January 1, 2013. With each passing year since, the window of opportunity for wide-band (25 kHz) licensees to become narrowband (12.5 kHz) compliant minimizes and further jeopardizes their continued radio and paging network operations and license status.
Public Safety organizations must begin assessing their radios and radio network’s readiness for narrowband migration and develop and execute a migration plan. This plan must also consider maintaining interoperability with regional partners during and after the migration as well as the impacts narrowbanding will have on current and future radio interoperability. Furthermore, their migration plan must address Public Safety’s requirement to provide mission critical communications capabilities during the transition to narrowband channels.
Televate, LLC understands the technical and administrative implications of the FCC’s narrowbanding mandate on public safety communications. We fully appreciate the financial scope and funding obligations required to comply with the FCC’s narrowbanding mandate. We can assist your organization to minimize costs and maximize the return on your investment, and use this program as an opportunity to enhance radio operations, while pursuing a viable funding strategy. We offer a robust lineup of forward-thinking radio engineers, and consultants with expert skills in public safety communications who can support your narrowbanding initiative, from system assessment to implementation, and help you achieve an advanced, affordable, and sustainable network that satisfies FCC narrowbanding requirements by January 1, 2013.
Televate’s comprehensive LMR System Narrowbanding Program will provide your organization with the following high level services:
Radio network architecture and asset evaluation
Coverage assessment
Migration plan and cost analysis
FCC narrowbanding and licensing guidance
Procurement strategy and proposal assistance
Program and project management
Radio code plug development and radio programming
Based on the depth of our public safety and public service communications experience and capabilities, Televate can provide a technical assessment of your current network systems and licensing structure to prepare and implement a thorough migration plan that will maintain coverage and interoperability and support operations during and after the implementation.
Televate’s LMR System Narrowbanding Assessment services include:
Radio Network Architecture and Asset Assessment
Analyze network and infrastructure inventory and generate a comprehensive report detailing the reprogramming and/or replacement status of each component
Assess the existing radio network architecture and design layout and provide recommendations to enhance as appropriate
Document radio coverage requirements, current radio network operations, neighboring systems and internal recommendations to enhance the network
Coverage Assessment
Determine radio signal environment fade margins and develop a detailed link budget for reliable communications analysis
Detailed propagation study on the pre and post narrowbandied VHF /UHF radio network and calculations of both talk-out and talk-in coverage (mobile and portable radios)
Document the coverage environment of the radio networks and form the baseline for possible radio system redesign to address coverage and performance gaps post narrowbanding
Migration Plan & Cost Analysis
Develop narrowband migration strategy for each impacted radio network component and create a report detailing the step-by-step process to narrowband
Provide narrowband equipment and services procurement strategy
LMR system re-engineering if the impact of narrowbanding results in coverage degradation that can only be resolved with additional radio base stations and/or other enhancement
Develop a comprehensive narrowband program cost projection detailing all radio infrastructure, components and portable and mobile radios impacted by the narrowband program
Provide recommendations regarding grant funding and other funding source considerations
Provide a final report and presentation of our findings and recommendations
FCC Narrowbanding & Licensing Guidance
Review the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) database to capture and assess VHF-UHF licenses
Develop a step-by-step plan required to submit existing license modification and new license applications to the FCC
Present FCC licensing plan
Support application filings
Televate’s Narrowbanding Assessment is designed to give you the comprehensive tools and information you’ll need to begin narrowbanding your systems and radios. However, because the size and scope of narrowbanding projects can be a drain on time, budgets and valuable resources, Televate also offers Procurement Assistance and Project Management services to help you drive your program to completion and full compliance with the FCC’s narrowbanding mandate without straining your team or your budget. These services include:
Procurement Assistance
SOW and proposal development
Proposal analysis/evaluation
Negotiations and contract award support
Project Management
Develop a project master plan and schedule
Present and secure commitments for the master plan from all parties
Manage project contractual and budgetary requirements
Support program internal and external grant funding activities
Design/validate acceptance test plans
Ensure overall program quality and successful completion
Manage infrastructure and radio vendors to achieve best results at the least cost
Coordinate subscriber configuration to be completed within a minimal, non-intrusive timeframe
Pre implementation testing (baseline drive testing)
Infrastructure reconfiguration
Post implementation testing (drive testing)
Monitor system performance
Radio Code Plug Development and Programming
Develop and test radio channel assignment (conventional) and code plug templates (trunked)
Radio programming with new tested template
Ensure interoperability is maintained during reprogramming
Second touch radio programming to remove wideband channels and reconfigure the radio back to normal operations
To find out more about our narrowbanding services and to request a proposal,
please write to sales@televate.com or visit our Contacts page
