From Targeted News Service
Original publication date: Jan. 14

Washington, D.C. — The Federal Communications Commission issued the following public notice:

The Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) today released the agenda for a workshop on VHF/UHF narrowbanding to assist licensees in completing the transition to narrowband radio communications by January 1, 2013. The workshop will be held on Wednesday, January 26, 2011, from 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in the Commission Meeting Room (TW-C305).

The Commission’s rules have set January 1, 2013 as the deadline for all VHF and UHF Public Safety and Industrial/Business land mobile radio (LMR) systems in the 150-174 MHz and 421-512 MHz bands to migrate from 25 kHz channel bandwidth to 12.5 kHz or narrower technology. Timely completion of narrowbanding will ensure more efficient use of spectrum, relieve congestion, and result in increased channel availability for LMR systems.

The workshop will provide Public Safety licensees with information regarding the narrowbanding transition path, and will include input from federal agencies, equipment manufacturers, and public safety organizations to help ensure timely compliance with the deadline.

The workshop will be open to the public; however, admittance will be limited to the seating available. Individuals interested in attending this event must pre-register on-line at http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/event-registration.html, where they will be asked to provide their name, title, organization affiliation, and contact information. Individuals may also contact Deandrea Wilson at [email protected] or via phone at 202-418-0703 regarding pre-registration. The deadline for pre-registration is Monday, January 24, 2011.

Audio/video coverage of the meeting will be broadcast live with open captioning over the Internet from the FCC’s web page at www.fcc.gov/live. The FCC’s webcast is free to the public. Those who watch the live video stream of the event may email event-related questions to [email protected] Depending on the volume of questions and time constraints, the panel moderators will work to respond to as many questions as possible during the workshop.

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request. Please include a description of the accommodation you will need. Individuals making such requests must include their contact information should FCC staff need to contact them for more information. Requests should be made as early as possible. Please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau: 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY). For additional information about the meeting, please contact Susan McLean at (202) 418-7868 or by email: [email protected]. For information on narrowbanding please visit: www.fcc.gov/narrowbanding.

Agenda

1:00 p.m. — Welcome, James Arden Barnett, Jr., Chief, Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB)

1:10 p.m. — Narrowbanding Presentation: Roberto Mussenden/Tracy Simmons, PSHSB

1:20 p.m. — Mapping presentation: Rich Reed, Office of Emergency Communications (OEC), Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

1:30 p.m. — Panel One: Narrowbanding: Impact on Licensees

This panel will focus on how narrowbanding will affect existing VHF/UHF systems. Panelists will provide input on steps licensees can take to facilitate their narrowbanding transition as well the assistance that manufacturers and industry associations can provide individual licensees. Panelists will also discuss how narrowbanding could impact existing systems and how the narrowbanding process will increase spectrum availability.

Moderator: Roberto Mussenden, Attorney/Advisor, Policy Division, PSHSB

Panelists:

* Barry C. Einsig — Joint Council on Transit Wireless

* Ralph Haller — National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC)

* Chuck Jackson — Vice President, North America, Government and Commercial Markets, Motorola Solutions Inc.

* Jeffrey Johnson- – International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)

* Farokh Latif — Director; Spectrum Management Division; Association of Public Safety Communications Officials–International (APCO)

* Paul Patrick — National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO)

3:00 pm–Break

3:15 p.m. — Panel Two: Narrowbanding Funding and Budgetary Issues

This panel will explore funding and budgetary issues related to compliance with the deadline. Representatives from national and state government agencies, associations and organizations will discuss the budgetary process, funding options, and their impact on the upcoming deadline.

Moderator: David Furth, Deputy Chief, PSHSB

Panelists:

* Stephen T. Devine — Interoperability Program Manager, Missouri Department of Public Safety

* Timothy Lowenstein — Buffalo County, NE; National Association of Counties (NACo)

* Daniel B. Phythyon — Director; Policy, Planning and Analysis Division; OEC;; DHS

* Christopher Traver — Senior Policy Advisor; Bureau of Justice Assistance; U.S. Department of Justice

4:15 p.m. — Closing Remarks

Contact: Robert Kenny, 202/418-2668, [email protected]

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