Subject: [NEXTEL-1] ROBERT LEGRANDE,DEPUTY CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER,DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA GOVERNMENT Interoperability Between Public Safety Communications Systems

From: NEXTEL-1
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 00:16:42 -0400

Witness Testimony
Mr. Robert Legrande

Deputy Chief Technology Officer, Office of the Chief Technology
Officer

District of Columbia

Protecting Homeland Security: A Status Report on Interoperability
Between Public Safety Communications Systems
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
June 23, 2004
1:30 PM

STATEMENT OF ROBERT LEGRANDE,
DEPUTY CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER,
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA GOVERNMENT
BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND THE INTERNET,
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE,
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ON PROTECTING HOMELAND SECURITY:  A STATUS REPORT ON
INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS
SYSTEMS
June 23, 2004

Introduction

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee.  My name
is Robert LeGrande.  I am a Deputy Chief Technology Officer in the
Office the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), the central information
technology and telecommunications agency of the District of Columbia
government.  I am responsible for wireless communications infrastructure
for the District government, and a representative of the Spectrum
Coalition for Public Safety.  I will describe for you how the District
now has a state-of-the-art public safety voice network, complete with
local, regional, and federal, interoperability and where we came from to
get to this state.  I will also describe the Spectrum Coalition for
Public Safety’s efforts to secure additional 700 MHz spectrum which will
enable Public Safety to build and deploy Broadband Wireless Networks
throughout the U.S.  To reach this level of interoperability, we had to
take several steps.  First, we had to upgrade the coverage and capacity
of our pre-existing non-interoperable local networks.  Next, we had to
unify these separate networks.  Finally, we had to create
interoperability between our intra-District public safety communications
systems and other first responders in the region.  We reached these
goals by completing two major projects in September 2003 and March of
this year.  We have now embarked on the next step in fully loaded public
safety communications capabilities: creating the high-speed broadband
wireless data communications urgently needed by first responders
throughout the nation.  (Please see Attachment I, Public Safety Wireless
Voice and Data Communications, for a graphic representation of these
initiatives.)  I will describe each of these efforts in grater detail,
focusing particularly on the interoperability challenges we faced and
the solutions we developed.

Public Safety Voice Communications in the District of Columbia
pre-September 2003

Before September 2003, the District’s public safety radio communications
infrastructure included two networks: a four-site Motorola SmartZone™
system operating at 800 MHz for Fire and Emergency Management Services
(FEMS) and Emergency Management Agency (EMA) personnel, and a seven-site
conventional analog system operating at 460 MHz for the Metropolitan
Police Department (MPD).  Both networks had major deficiencies.  The
FEMS network had insufficient in-building radio coverage in the core
areas of the city -- limitations compounded by the complex architecture
of buildings in Washington, DC.  (Despite these in-building coverage
limitations, however, the network compared favorably with other major
city networks in on-street coverage and quality.)  There was no coverage
in underground subway tunnels.  The police network provided reasonable
coverage throughout the city, but it was antiquated, failing, and in
critical need of replacement.  The network was over 30 years old, spare
parts were no longer available from the original manufacturers, and some
of them were no longer in business.  Both networks suffered from
capacity limitations.  The FEMS-EMA 800 MHz network provided 16-radio
channels, while the MPD UHF network had only 13 conventional channels
and regularly experienced channel congestion intervals during the
busiest hours.  Our infrastructure had little to no interoperability
within the District, due to the technical and operational disparity
between the two networks, including frequency band and radio technology.

Public Safety Radio Communications Upgrade
To solve these problems, a team of Motorola and District of Columbia
engineers worked for six months to design an optimal unified
communications network that would address the interlocking deficiencies
of coverage, capacity, and interoperability in Washington, DC.

Coverage Analysis and Design

City management set an aggressive coverage goal of providing 100%
communications within the District while minimizing the need for
radio-to-radio communications (talk-around).  We met this challenge in
two projects, an above-ground project completed in September 2003, and
an underground project completed in March 2004.

Our above-ground coverage analysis revealed that it was impractical to
cover the interiors of all buildings using traditional radio sites.
Instead, the analysis yielded a strategy to cover the majority (85%) of
exterior and interior locations by expanding antenna sites from four to
10 and explore alternatives for covering the remaining areas.  These
alternatives were in –building distributed antenna systems and
in-vehicle repeater systems.  Our team quickly discovered that
in-building systems were extremely expensive, created noise in the
system that would degrade overall coverage, and could easily fail during
fires or terrorist attacks.  Vehicular repeater systems presented none
of these problems, although they could not provide the same transparency
as in-building systems, because they require first responders to change
channels on their radios from the city-wide network to the vehicular
repeater frequency.  The city piloted a half-dozen vehicular repeater
systems and found that single or multiple units could solve coverage
problems in the densest of District buildings.  Ultimately, the District
implemented vehicular repeater systems in 63 fire suppression vehicles
to ensure that a VRS would be available wherever needed to enhance
in-building communications.

The subway tunnel system presented a more daunting challenge.  The
coverage gaps in tunnels were far too great to be addressed by VRS
systems.  However, sufficient resources existed underground to support a
distributed antenna system.  Therefore, the District, in partnership
with The Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) chose an
underground distributed antenna system at 800 MHz and permitted the MPD
to share WMATA’s 490 MHz radio network that provides underground
coverage.  Key advantages of this system were the scope of coverage and
transparency.  Nearly 100% of all public underground areas were covered
by the underground project completion date in March 2004,-- there
remains one lone corridor with fair voice quality will soon be upgraded
to excellent voice quality.

Together, our above-ground and underground coverage solutions deliver
nearly 100% coverage with only very limited need for radio-to-radio
communication and provide District of Columbia first responders with
citywide clear voice communication.

Interoperability and Capacity Analysis and Design

In addition to providing our first responders with the best possible
radio coverage, we needed to deliver the best interoperability and
capacity solution – the ability for District first responders to
communicate within their agencies and among the maximum number of
external agencies whenever necessary.  Most of the District’s
surrounding counties use Motorola SmartZone™ technology[1] at 800 MHz.
As discussed above, before the upgrade, the District had a seven site
conventional analog system operating at 460 MHz for MPD and a four site
Motorola SmartZone™ system operating at 800 MHz for FEMS and other
District agencies.  The District owned over 1,000 800 MHz radios
compatible with the Motorola SmartZone™ system, nearly 2,000 portable
460 MHz radios with SmartZone™ capabilities and over 1,000 mobile 460
MHz radios capable of communicating on a SmartZone network.  These same
radios could be upgraded to support the public safety Project 25 radio
standard, but not while maintaining important features and allowing
dual-mode operations with SmartZone™ systems.  Further, the surrounding
municipalities operated mobile and portable radios that were programmed
and configured to support SmartZone™ networks, but not Project 25
networks.

It is important to note that these radios operate in a single band.  The
460 MHz radios operate in the 450 – 512 MHz range and the 800 MHz radios
operate in the 806-824 MHz range.  Therefore, a 460 MHz radio can not
communicate directly on our neighboring county networks operating in the
806-824 MHz range.  To alleviate this problem, the District aggressively
sought to migrate MPD to 800 MHz.  The team calculated a net requirement
of 27-35 trunked voice channels at 800 MHz to satisfy aggregate demand
for all District of Columbia public safety personnel.  The District had
16 channels at 800 MHz and 13 channels at 460 MHz at the start of the
analysis.

We considered several options for the migration:
·Implement additional 800 MHz frequencies,
·Use the public safety 700 MHz spectrum (24 MHz) and operate a
700/800 MHz network,
·Split the 16 existing 25 kHz channels to create up to 32 channels, and
·Create a dual-band 460/800 MHz network.

I’ll review each option briefly.

Implement Additional 800 MHz Frequencies

To satisfy the aggregate demand, the District would need an additional
12 frequencies in the 800 Mhz band.  Unfortunately, given the presence
of our neighboring jurisdictions and Nextel in this band, we could not
identify enough 800 MHz channels to meet our needs.  We approached
Nextel and engaged vendors to investigate short-spacing channels, both
without success.  Therefore, we had to discard this option.

Use the Public Safety 700 MHz spectrum (24 MHz) and Operate a

700/800 MHz Network

The additional channels in the 24 MHz of radio spectrum in the 700 MHz
band presented some compelling opportunities.  First, there were
cost-effective multi-band radios on the market that could operate in
both 700 and 800 MHz[2].  Second, there was considerable capacity in
that band.  Third, the technology used in the 700 MHz band, Project 25,
was in the process of standardization, and therefore, presented an
opportunity for expanded vendors and products.  However, given the
majority of users and systems operating SmartZone systems, our network
needed to provide SmartZone service to agencies supporting District
first responders within the city.  Unfortunately, no integrated,
dual-mode (P25 and SmartZone) network existed.
Moreover, the availability of the 700 MHz band was limited by the
presence of TV broadcasters in our region.  Therefore, we had to
conclude that this option not feasible and halted efforts to build a
Project 25-compatible network.
Split Existing 800 MHz Channels to Create up to 32 Total Channels

To implement this solution, a vendor would have to enable the use of
adjacent channels at 12.5 kHz (instead of the existing 25 kHz) without
interfering among the channels.  Given the preponderance of SmartZone™
systems in the region, we first explored creating a SmartZone system
that could utilize the half-spaced channels.  Unfortunately, this option
proved infeasible because the SmartZone system could not tune to those
interspaced frequencies.

Create a Dual-Band 460/800 MHz Network

The dual band option would provide city-wide service from all sites at
both bands and integrate them at a central hub.  Analysis revealed that
this option was not only feasible, but highly advantageous.  It relied
on existing frequencies licensed to the District of Columbia, and
therefore presented limited risk of interference and licensing issues
with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Motorola’s existing
SmartZone architecture could create a zone at 460 MHz and 800 MHz.  This
solution could incorporate all of the existing 800 MHz radios and over
half of the MPD radios.  It also allowed adjacent agencies using 800 MHz
radios to communicate with MPD radios at 460 MHz through the central
hub.  Further, by incorporating trunked radio technology, this solution
delivered the maximum number of individual communications paths for
simultaneous incidents.  For example, this solution allows our first
responders to communicate with Prince George’s County Police while
simultaneously maintaining a separate communications channel with United
States Park Police but not consume resources when those channels were
not needed.  In addition, because WMATA uses a Motorola SmartZone
network operating at 490 MHz, MPD could gain direct interoperability
with WMATA and MPD will gain coverage within the tunnel system in July
2004.  The dual-band option could also support a total of 27 trunked
voice channels, providing adequate capacity for the first time.

The main disadvantage of this option was lack of interoperability for
MPD officers operating outside the coverage area of our District of
Columbia 460 MHz network.  However, the disadvantage proves relatively
insignificant.  MPD officers travel outside our coverage area
infrequently, as most mutual support situations (e.g., July 4th,
Presidential Inaugurations, marches, and demonstrations) bring officers
from neighboring municipalities into the District.
Upgrade Implementation

We implemented the coverage, interoperability, and capacity solutions
I’ve just described on a fast track (April 2002-March 2004, less than
two years from conception to completion) and at a relatively reasonable
total cost of $42 million ($36 million in federal emergency preparedness
funds, $2.5 million in grants, and $3.45 million in District funds).
The results, as I’ve indicated, were overwhelmingly successful:  we now
have a full-coverage, 27 trunked voice channels, regionally
interoperable system providing clear voice communication, encryption,
and other digital features for all our first responders.

Of course, we faced numerous challenges along the way. We overcame these
challenges through clear, unified direction and support from our Mayor,
City Council, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, Chiefs of Police and FEMS,
Chief Technology Officer, and police and fire unions. In addition, we
were fortunate in having strong, knowledgeable, and driven corporate
partners, Motorola, Inc. and Televate, LLC.

Radio Interoperability within the National Capital Region/Council
of Governments

The National Capital Region (NCR) consists of in two states (Virginia
and Maryland) and the District of Columbia.  Voice radio
interoperability for public safety entities in this region is
essential.  Equally essential for the District is interoperable
communications with multiple critical federal agencies including the
FBI, Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF),
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the State Department, and
others.  There are also over 40 federal law enforcement agencies
operating in the city, including Capital Police, Park Police, Mint
Police and many others, with whom MPD dispatch and police officers must
have direct communications.  Finally, it is important that the District
maintain communications within the WMATA subway tunnels and directly
with police and airport authorities at the Reagan National

Airport.

As illustrated in Attachment II (Regional Public Safety Wireless
Communications Interoperability), establishing voice radio
interoperability with this wide array of agencies, many of which are
operating multiple radio technologies in different regions of the radio
spectrum, including VHF, UHF and 800 MHz, is a major technical,
operational and administrative challenge.  The interoperability cube in
the attachment depicts the levels of interoperability planned by the
region.  The region continues to implement solutions to further enhance
and simplify radio communications.  More funding for technical and
operational standards development and training, along with the
installation of permanent, dedicated “interoperability” managers and
technicians is required to ensure that these solutions remain readily
available on demand in the community.
In order to simplify this complex radio communications effort,
interoperability has been engineered into three levels.
Level One Interoperability: Spare incident radios (radio cache)
operating on common interoperable channels, including mutual aid, are
made available to local and national responders who do not have
programmed UHF and 800 MHz trunked radios or conventional radios on
regional mutual aid channels.  The simplest, but not necessarily the
most effective, means to achieve interoperability is to distribute
on-location radios to incident commanders and responders.  Existing
radio caches and excess spare radio inventories within the District and
NCR/COG are distributed as appropriate.  In response to an identified
shortage of spare radios in the NCR, the federal government provided a
grant in FY 2004 to increase the availability of 800 MHz trunked
radios.  A 1,000 unit COG Radio Cache will be available beginning in
mid-summer of 2004, just weeks away.
Level Two Interoperability:  In order to achieve a higher level of
interoperability within the NCR between separate public safety
portable/mobile radios and telephone system exchanges, regional partners
have implemented a “radio interface module” manufactured by JPS
Communications, the ACU-1000.  With assistance from the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) wireless division, SAFECOM, this technology has
been successfully implemented in most of the jurisdictions and agencies
(local, state and federal) in the region.  The ACU-1000 device provides
communication “patching” between agencies by integrating agency radios
into an interface module.  Radio patching allows dispatchers to manually
facilitate radio communications between users of different technologies
and frequencies.  The District’s ACU-1000 unit encompasses 21 distinct
radios, supporting all local fire and police agencies and critical
federal agencies.

Radio patching through the ACU-1000 or similar devices, while effective
in enhancing interoperability, has various limitations and presents
operational challenges.  Agency radios must be integrated, maintained
and programmed to reflect the latest radio user template.  Since
templates change almost annually for most public safety radio users, it
is difficult to maintain up-to-date radios in the device.  The
technology also entails complicated set-up protocols, requires user
training, and lacks standardized operational procedures.  Because these
devices are not daily equipment, end users can become “rusty” and
function improperly.   Because the networks are not integrated, this is
the only means to connect multiple networks today.
Level Three Interoperability:  The most effective route to
interoperability for co-located work groups is to install directly
compatible, same-technology systems and radios (trunked or
conventional).  Trunked networks, common in the NCR, must be programmed
with common trunked system and radio IDs and interoperable talkgroups.
Most of the fire department users in the region, except for Prince
George’s County in Maryland, have direct access to each other’s 800 MHz
trunked radio networks.  When first responders in the region enter the
city to assist the District’s fire department, they can communicate on
the District’s radio network or vice versa.  All users are operating on
a common radio network using the same radio technology.

The new MPD radio network, while not at 800 MHz where surrounding county
police reside, was designed to be fully compatible with local law
enforcement radio networks through the use of a Motorola SmartZone radio
network switch.  The District is able to provide local law enforcement
users access to the District 800 MHz trunked network, which supports
direct communications with MPD radio users on their UHF network.

An alternative to direct radio network compatibility is to establish
mutual aid channels for non-standard network users with call-in
capability to a dispatch console.  The District has implemented a
conventional VHF channel that facilitates direct access for several
federal agencies to the District’s citywide MPD dispatcher.  A federal
user with this channel programmed into his/her radio can direct call the
MPD dispatcher to request MPD support and/or communication with
individual MPD officers.  The District is now working with SAFECOM to
enhance this mutual aid network, expand the number of usable channels to
three, and extend coverage throughout the NCR.  This approach will
support regional interoperability between the District and federal user
agencies and enhance interoperability among federal agencies and between
federal users and surrounding NCR first responders.   While not a
perfect interoperability solution, the mutual-aid-channel design will
provide near-term mobile communications between responder agencies.

Attachment III (DC-Regional PS Voice Interoperability Status) presents a
tabular view of current and in progress interoperability within the
NCR.  This summary reflects the work of hundreds of public safety
officials, first responders and technologists, who, with the support of
Congress, dedicate their energy and lives to ensuring reliable and
functional radio communications within the region and beyond.  However,
while our success to date is encouraging, we have more work to do to
achieve simple, on demand regional and federal interoperability within
the region. Public safety radios must be programmed directly to change
talkgroups or frequencies.  Therefore, while an interoperable network
infrastructure exists, a considerable amount of work still remains to
reprogram thousands of radios and train first responders how to use the
new capabilities.  Additionally, as discussed below, the Washington, DC
NRC does not have interoperability with key Department of Defense
agencies that is vital to higher-level emergency response.

Interoperability Between the District and Department of Defense

Agencies

District officials and technologists have recently begun discussions
with various Department of Defense (DoD) agencies to analyze the current
state of interoperability between the parties.  While the investigation
is still in its infancy, hampered by lack of dedicated staff and capital
resources, the results are clear:  interoperability between NCR first
responders and critical DoD agencies is insufficient and must be
increased now to ensure that the affected agencies can meet near-term
emergency communications requirements.  The recommendations agreed upon
between the DoD and NCR include implementing technical and operational
solutions that are available today and expanding and institutionalizing
the dialogue between the affected agencies to ensure that planned radio
network changes and upgrades are regularly addressed and incorporated
into the interoperability operations.  It is important to note, however,
that the District is already providing technical support to the
Washington National Guard and has designed interoperability into a radio
network enhancement that the Guard is now undertaking.

Wireless Broadband Data Needs

The Challenge of High-speed Wireless Data Communication

The District’s current wireless data communications capabilities rely on
commercial cellular offerings at low speed (19.2 kbps).  This speed
provides extremely limited capabilities, largely restricted to text
transmission.  It also places public safety at risk from commercial
networks that are not built to withstand long periods without power
(e.g., hurricanes and winter storms) and lack enough redundancy to
maintain connectivity between transceiver sites and central hubs.
Additionally, the commercial technology upon which the District’s public
safety communications relies will be dismantled in 2005 forcing the
District, and all such users nationally, to migrate to an alternative
wireless transport technology.

Adequate response to emergencies ranging from multiple-alarm building
fires to chemical, biological and other terrorist attacks requires
immediate and rapid communications among multiple first-responders
including fire, police, and emergency medical services.  Currently,
first-responders must rely on voice communications to receive
time-sensitive information about an emergency incident.  Information
often comes too late or is lost altogether. Broadband wireless networks
can dramatically improve public safety communications and operations
nationally by providing full-motion, high-resolution video and other
bandwidth-intensive monitoring tools to multiple first responders.
These tools will allow sharing of time-critical information needed to
respond more effectively to both routine and catastrophic events.

The demand on a wireless broadband network from one user can range from
low-speed web browsing at 50-200 kilobits per second (kbps) to multiple
real-time streaming video images transmitted at 1.2 megabits per second
(Mbps).  The District has demonstrated that its aggregate citywide
demand on a network can exceed 50 Mbps and that usage can be
concentrated in one area to require 10 Mbps per transmission site.
Unfortunately, current public safety spectrum allocations at 700 MHz and
4.9 GHz for wireless data do not meet these needs, as data speeds do not
meet individual and aggregate demand levels, or service is limited
geographically and first responders must travel to hotspots to secure
information – potentially losing critical life-saving time.  Attachment
IV (Public Safety Spectrum Overview 1 and 2) provides an analysis of the
options available to public safety to satisfy high-speed wireless data
needs.

At the root of the problem are radio propagation and channel bandwidth.
The former results in signal degradation as the first responder travels
farther from the transmission site (or when walls or other obstructions
lie between the two endpoints).  The latter results in decreased channel
rates.

The propagation characteristics of radio frequency waves at 4.9 GHz and
radio frequency waves at 700 MHz are so different that they result in
extremely high deployment costs and operational costs for 4.9 GHz
systems.  In particular, as the transmitted frequency rises, the RF wave
propagation transmission losses increase, thus reducing the coverage
area of a base station.  Therefore, assuming the deployment of the same
technology, complete coverage of a city like Washington, DC would
require significantly more sites at 4.9 GHz rather than at 700 MHz.

For instance, if we assume free space propagation conditions, all things
besides the frequency considered being equal, the range of a 4.9 GHz
base station would be seven times smaller than the range of a 700 MHz
station[3].  Consequently, to provide citywide coverage would require
almost 50 times the number of antenna sites at 4.9 GHz as at 700 MHz.
The District of Columbia has estimated that about 420 sites would be
needed to provide comprehensive coverage throughout the city at 4.9 GHz
instead of the 10 required at 700 MHz, leading to significant deployment
costs and prohibitive operational costs.
Actually, these comparisons are optimistic, as they are based on a
free-space propagation assumption.  In fact, the reality of the mobile
propagation environment is worse, and actually worsens for higher
frequencies.  As described in a white paper published by TROPOS
networks[4] natural or man-made obstacles generate propagation losses in
addition to the free space propagation loss.  In the referenced paper
the authors compare 2.4 GHz to 4.9 GHz propagation characteristics.
However, for the reasons explained above (propagation performance
worsens as the frequency increases), the numbers in this paper would
have to be considered lower bounds of propagation differences between
700 MHz and 4.9 GHz.

Those significant additional signal losses at the higher frequencies
suggest that 50 to 100 times more sites would be needed for wireless
coverage at 4.9 GHz to match coverage at 700 MHz.  Thus, the 4.9 GHz
spectrum is fundamentally limited in reach and requires numerous
repeaters to reach even marginal distances.  It is actually best suited
to line-of-sight propagation, e.g. rooftop-to-rooftop communications,
mesh-type networks where users can create a daisy chain for end-to-end
communications, or short-distance communications around a fixed location
(hot-spots).

Most public safety wireless data applications are expected to reach or
support first responders wherever they are located in the District,
whether driving car in a park or working in buildings.  The 700 MHz band
is the best-suited spectrum to support those applications.

Channel Bandwidth and Numbers of Channels

The maximum channel bandwidth in the existing 700 MHz allocation to
public safety is 150 kHz.  Technologies such as the standardized TIA-902
Scalable Adaptive Modulation have been tailored to this channel
bandwidth and offer speeds up to 460 kbps.  Unfortunately, this
bandwidth does not support multiple video streams for an individual
user.  Furthermore, the 12 MHz[5] of radio spectrum set aside for
wideband data must be shared among three states and over a dozen public
safety agencies.  Consequently, the District expects no more than three
or four paired channels offering peak citywide throughput of 1.4 to 1.9
Mbps – far less than projected citywide demand and much less than
aggregate demand for one transmission site.
Requirements for Broadband Wireless Data for First Responders

First responders need video, Geographical Information Systems (GIS),
high-resolution still images, and other broadband data wherever their
work takes them.  On the highways, high-resolution images must be
delivered as soon as possible.  At the farthest points of any service
area, first responders need to send and receive video for appropriate
support.  Further, first responders need broadband data delivered deep
inside buildings on portable handheld devices, just as voice signals are
now delivered by our new voice network.  Table-1 below outlines the
multiple requirements for broadband wireless data for first responders:

General Requirements
User Throughput
Designed to 80% load
Downlink (kbps)
1,500
Uplink (kbps)
500
Scalability
High, Minimal coordination burden
when increasing capacity.
Mobility
Vehicular (>80 mph)
Coverage
Wide area (95% of Outdoor Area)
Connectivity
All IP addressable.
Cost
Comparable with existing cellular
solutions.
Terminals
Supports standard device
interfaces and offers low power
consumption and small form factor
options.
Large-Scale Incident Throughput Requirements Aggregate Demand (Entire
District)
Downlink (kbps)
56,100
Uplink (kbps)
20,080
Throughput Concentration
70% of major incident traffic in
20% of the city geography
Per Site Throughput (demand)
10 sites with the above
throughput concentration
Downlink (kbps)
7,860
Uplink (kbps)
2,951
Per Site Throughput (with
margin)
Designed to ~ 80% load
Downlink (kbps)
10,000
Uplink (kbps)
3,700
Net Capacity (Entire District)

Downlink (kbps)
100,000
Uplink (kbps)
37,000

Table 1:  Summary of Technical Requirements

National Coalition for Public Safety Broadband Spectrum

Recognizing that our wireless high-speed broadband data needs were the
same as those of the rest of the nation, the District of Columbia
founded the Spectrum Coalition for Public Safety (see Attachment V,
Spectrum Coalition Fact Sheet).  Thirty States, counties, cities,
regions and public safety organizations quickly joined the Coalition.
The public safety communications organizations documented their support
in the attached letter (Attachment VI, Public Safety Organization
Support for New Broadband Spectrum Allocation).  The Coalition’s
objectives are to pursue legislation that would require the FCC to
reserve 10 MHz of radio spectrum for wide area public safety broadband
wireless uses; to enable competitive, affordable technologies that meet
first-response requirements; and to facilitate nationwide network
deployment.  We have developed draft legislation (Attachment VII, First
Responders Enhancement Act (FREA)) that calls for the spectrum
allocation changes and have briefed more than 35 House and Senate member
offices on our goals.

Design and Installation of Pilot Network

The urgent needs of first responders in the District of Columbia
required more than pursuing legislation to facilitate network
deployment.  Our need is real and immediate.  With the support of our
public safety, technology, legislative, and executive leaders and our
corporate partners -- Motorola, Inc. and Flarion Technologies, Inc. --
we obtained an experimental license from the FCC and are now installing
the nation’s first high-speed broadband wide-area wireless network for
public safety.  One additional partner, SAIC, is assisting us with
application analysis.  We have one live transceiver site and can
transmit broadband radio signals throughout the Capitol Hill area.  In
late summer of 2004 we will complete installation of all 10 transceiver
sites in the network and will provide broadband radio coverage
throughout the District of Columbia.  We will use the pilot to refine
our system requirements for usability, scalability, reliability, and
security. The applications planned for testing on the network include
remote chemical and biological agent detection, video surveillance;
helicopter video support, bomb squad video support, GIS applications,
and EMS remote doctor support.  This pilot network, with the full 10 MHZ
allocation, will meet the requirements outlined in Table 1.

Conclusion
As the nation’s capital, the District of Columbia faces unique and
unusual public safety communications challenges.  We have met the first
level of these challenges by upgrading our public safety voice network
to one of the best in the nation.  We look forward to complementing that
network with the nation’s first citywide wireless broadband public
safety network, and we hope that our leadership of the Spectrum
Coalition will enable other jurisdictions to have the same public safety
tools in the near future.  We appreciate the support that the Coalition
has received in both the Senate and House of Representatives and look
forward to continuing our dialogue with the nation’s leaders on the
Coalition’s critical objectives.

[1] For purposes of simplicity, we use SmartZone™ generically to
describe both SmartNet™ and SmartZone™ systems.

[2] However, the entire police department would need new 800/700 radios,
and FEMS might need new radios as well (their radios supported only 800
MHz).  The result would be between 5,000 and 7,000 new 800/700 MHz
radios costing $7-13 million more than the cost of upgrades to 460 MHz
radios and new digital-capable 460 MHz radios.
[
3] The free space propagation at 1 km is 89.3 dB at 700 MHz, and 106.2
dB at 4.9 GHz. Those 17 dB propagation difference would result in a
coverage radius ratio of 7 (coverage area ratio of 49), between the two
frequency bands. Therefore obtaining the same services provided by the
10 sites covering the city  at 700 MHz today would require more than 400
sites at 4.9 GHz.

[4] See http://www.troposnetworks.com/pdf/Spectrum_Whitepaper.pdf for
further details.
[5] This represents the paired amount of spectrum for frequency duplexed
operation.  Of this 12 MHz, 5.4 MHz is reserved for future applications
by the FCC.  The total number of 150 kHz paired channels is 40.

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