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URGENT: Prompt Input on FCC Proposal Needed
CSAA needs prompt input from its members using central station alarm UHF radio frequencies, to help shape an FCC proposal to require the use of more efficient radios.

02/28/01

Background

In 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted regulations that will ultimately split each existing radio channel into four channels.

The rules adopted by the FCC envisioned that most people would transition to the 12.5 kHz bandwidth channels from the current 25 kHz bandwidth channels, and later transition to the 6.25 kHz bandwidth channels, as such equipment became available.

Rather than requiring licensees and new applicants to meet the narrower bandwidth channeling by specific target dates, the FCC decided to encourage the transition to narrowband operations by requiring that new radio equipment submitted to the FCC for certification on or after February 14, 1997 must be capable of operation within a bandwidth of 12.5 kHz, and equipment submitted for certification on or after January 1, 2005 must be capable of operation with a bandwidth of 6.25 kHz.

However, the FCC allowed previously-certificated 25 kHz bandwidth equipment to be sold indefinitely, allowing existing licensees of wideband equipment to continue purchasing such equipment to expand their radio systems and to license new systems.

The FCC reasoned that market forces would drive the transition to narrowband operations when it was in the interest of licensees to do so. As channels became increasingly congested or interference increased, licensees would have the incentive to buy more spectrally efficient, i.e. narrowband, equipment. The FCC believed that licensees operating in or near the major metropolitan areas would have the incentive to convert to narrow band equipment sooner because interference in those areas was greater, while licensees operating in remote areas, may be able to delay the conversion to narrow band for many years. In 1998, the American Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) filed a petition with the FCC stating that the transition to narrow band equipment was proceeding too slowly and asking the FCC to establish specific dates by which licensees would have to start using narrow band equipment or lose their primary status. The FCC has agreed that the conversion to narrow band equipment is proceeding too slowly, and has asked the public to comment on whether a mandatory transition date is necessary, and if so, what those dates should be. In order to develop a consensus position for the alarm industry, we would appreciate if the central station industry would provide information below:

Name __________________________________

Company ______________________________

1. Are you still using equipment with 25 kHz bandwidth? YES NO

2. If you are still using equipment with 25 kHz bandwidth, when do you plan to replace this equipment with narrow band equipment?

_________________________________

3. If your equipment operates at less than 25 kHz bandwidth, what is the bandwidth of the equipment you are currently using?

__________________________________

4. Do you support a mandatory transmission to narrowband equipment? YES NO

5. If you support a mandatory transmission to narrowband equipment, by what dates would you require licensees to change to 25 kHz equipment and 6.25 kHz equipment?

___________________________________

Please contact John Prendergast (202/828-5540) or Gene Maliszewskyj (202/828-5536) with your input, or e-mail the information directly to jap@bmjd.com or fax it to (202) 828-5568 by March 2.

Your response by Friday, March 2 would help us respond to the initial comment deadline, but input after that date will be useful as well.

Central Station Alarm Association

440 Maple Avenue East, Suite 201, Vienna, VA 22180

Tel: 703/242-4670

Fax: 703/242-4675

E-mail: communications@csaaul.org