By January 1st, 2013 all licensees between 150 MHz - 512 MHz must be operating at a bandwidth not to exceed 12.5 KHz. The Mandate is not new, in fact the process began back in 1991.
By 1996 the FCC had required that all equipment manufacturers produce new radios that were narrowband capable. By 2003 the Commission had imposed deadlines for the new narrowband migration. Essentially all non-public safety entities by January 1st 2013, and all public safety entities by January 1st 2018. In 2004 the FCC accelerated the push for public safety to comply with the narrowbanding deadline. Making it the same as non-public safety entities (January 1st, 2013).
From what we have been hearing the evidence would suggest that the FCC is going to be flooded with hundreds of waiver requests, particularly by public safety, asking for an extension of the narrowbanding deadline. Recently Federal Communications Commission sought public comment on more than two dozen that it has already received. With the deadline looming at the end of this year is there a chance the Commission may relax the deadline?A query of the FCC database reveals that nearly 180,000 licenses still need to be converted.
Watch our blog for updates on the FCC and more.
Dave
fccforms.com
