The Commonwealth Interoperability Coordinator's Office (CICO) and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) have established this site to provide information about a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling commonly referred to as "Narrowbanding" that affects many of the radio communications systems operating in Virginia. Specifically, this ruling impacts any system operating in the portion of the radio frequency spectrum bands designated as Very High Frequency (VHF) High Band (150 - 174 MHz) and Ultra High Frequency band (UHF) (450 - 512 MHz). The result of this mandate may require some radio equipment owned by state or local governments to be upgraded or completely replaced.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled in December 2004 that all licensees of VHF High Band and UHF two-way radio systems must meet new narrowband requirements by January 1, 2013. This ruling is intended to provide more radio frequency spectrum to support public safety communication in the future, but requires action now. Anyone operating a communications system in these bands should start by assessing their current systems to determine compatibility for migrating to narrowband operation. Responding on what is found, a plan must then be developed to replace or upgrade equipment, as necessary.
This mandate could have a significant operational and financial impact on state and local government agencies so early planning is essential to determine the extent of the issue for each communications system. The CICO and VITA have developed the video below to give an overview of the narrowband requirements. They are also available to assist state and local government agencies with the assessment and planning process. To request assistance, please feel free to contact one of the following resources:
Recently held narrowbanding clinics: Abingdon, April 19-20; Eastern Shore Area, June 1-2; Peninsula Area, Aug. 2, 4 and 5
<![CDATA[The Narrowband movie cannot be displayed in your browser.]]> Narrowband: Are You Ready?
Download transcript of the Narrowband video.
Most current public safety radio systems are wideband systems using 25 kHz-wide channels and are mandated to operate as narrowband 12.5 KHz systems by January 1, 2013.
After January 1, 2011, the FCC will not accept applications for new wideband VHF or UHF communications systems.
After January 1, 2011, the FCC will not grant any modifications to existing licensees who intend to expand to existing wideband VHF High Band or UHF.
The FCC will prohibit the manufacture or importation of new equipment that operates on 25 kHz channels. This will reduce the availability of new equipment for legacy radio systems and will affect how agencies maintain and upgrade older systems.
Helpful Links for the FCC Narrowbanding Mandates of 2011 & 2013
Commonwealth of Virginia
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
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