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What's the deal with... |
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 Narrowband!
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FCC Public Notice
Re: Narrowbanding |
How
To Check Your License (Sample) |
| Understanding
The Pinch! |
Narrowband
Extension or Waiver? |
Downloadable
Forms to Upgrade Your License! |
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Ready
to download and complete Atlas' form package to upgrade your license with the narrowband emission
designator(s)?
Click Here! |
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Narrowband
equipment will be mandatory effective January 1, 2013.
Based on present policies at the FCC, licenses should be upgraded before
January 1, 2013 to reflect the narrowband or narrowband equivalent
emission designator. (I.e. Digital is equivalent to the narrowband
requirement)
Presently, the only way to accomplish this is through modification of the
license to amend the emission designator.
Changing
the emission designator does not change the frequency and modifying your
license does not affect your expiration date.
Dual designators will be acceptable by the FCC, which means a licensee can
modify to add the narrowband designator and still be permitted to retain
the wideband designator on the license.
No other license changes will be required to comply with the
Narrowbanding rule prior to January 1, 2013 as long as both designators
are listed on the license.
This will give licensees authorization to use older wideband radios along
with the newer narrowband radios until January 1, 2013.
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The volume of filing for this Narrowband upgrade is already increasing
well before the January 2013 deadline and is having a significant impact
on Atlas’ processing time for all types of applications.
Processing
time presently averages 60-90 days.
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If you’d like to read detailed information
about the Narrowbanding Migration, by the FCC, click
here to view the FCC Public Notice #DA 09-2589 dated 12/11/2009.
Atlas’ fee for this service depends upon the type of entity and
the number of frequency / station lines involved and range from $295 to
$530 depending on the type of license and the number of frequency /
station lines on the license. These fees are detailed on the Upgrade
Form Package downloadable from this web page. All fees include Frequency
Coordination and basic updating of the
license but do not include any other technical changes.
Fees are subject to change without notice.
As
the rush to file Narrowband upgrades is affecting processing time for all
types of license filings, it is also jamming our phone lines.
We urge you to review the information provided on this page for
answers to your questions.
However, if your questions are not answered here, please
email your question to info@alcds.com.
Please include your name, license Call Sign, and be as specific as
possible with your question.
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Ready
to download and complete Atlas' form package to upgrade your license with the narrowband emission
designator(s)?
Click Here! |
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Modifying
the license is only one step in upgrading to narrowband.
It is also necessary to be sure radios are technically compliant
with the narrowband mandate.
Older equipment may need to be replaced if it cannot be
reconfigured to the 12.5khz bandwidth technology.
Radio users should check with their radio
vendor to determine if their equipment is capable of 12.5khz (narrow)
bandwidth or must be replaced before the January 1, 2013 deadline. |
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Not sure if your license has narrowband or wideband
emission designators?
Maybe our "How to Check Your FCC License" sample below will
help!
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designators? Click
here to go to the FCC's
ULS page! Click on 'Licenses', and enter your call sign.
Once located, click on the call sign, and look for a text link called:
"Reference Copy". You'll be able to view your license and
print an unofficial copy if you'd like! Refer to the sample license
above to determine whether you're set up for narrowband emissions!
Another search option available to you is the FCC's
General Menu Reports. Click
here to use this option.
Click on 'Call Sign', then type your call sign in the box and press
Enter. The search retrieves all matching call signs as clickable
links. Click on the one matching your request and look for a text
link called: "Reference Copy". You'll be able to view your
license and print an unofficial copy if you'd like! Refer to the
sample license above to determine whether you're set up for narrowband
emissions! |
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Ready
to download and complete Atlas' form package to upgrade your license with the narrowband emission
designator(s)?
Click Here!
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| IF your license expiration date occurs prior to January 1,
2013... you have another option!
The narrowband upgrade can be completed at the same time as your
renewal. (Renewal fee depends upon
license type.)
Regardless of what solicitors may tell you, a renewal can only be filed
with the FCC within 90 days prior to license expiration.
If your license expires on, or past, January 1, 2013, we recommend you
file your upgrade now.
Email info@alcds.com if you have
questions about combining your narrowband upgrade with your renewal.
Please include your name, license Call Sign, and be as specific as
possible with your question. |
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The volume of filing for this Narrowband upgrade is already increasing
well before the January 2013 deadline and is having a significant impact
on Atlas’ processing time for all types of applications.
We
strongly recommend acting now to avoid the inevitable log jam as the
deadline approaches.
Bookmark
this page if you plan to return at a later date and/or monitor the processing
time for upgrade applications. |
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Narrowband equipment will be mandatory effective
January 1, 2013. Atlas can make it right on paper.
Your radio equipment must be operating as Narrowband
only by January 1, 2013!
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Ready
to download and complete Atlas' form package to upgrade your license with the narrowband emission
designator(s)?
Click Here! |
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| Understanding The Pinch! |
As the FCC's
deadline approaches, the volume of work to be completed PRIOR to the
deadline increases. Therefore, the time will come when we will no
longer be able to accept Narrowband upgrades because there will not be
enough time to process and file them prior to the deadline. This is
the primary reason we encourage all our customers to file as soon as
possible. The "last date to accept" is very unpredictable
at this time.
Better safe than sorry... better sooner than later! |
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January 1, 2013 |
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Today... |
The Pinch Date ??? |
Estimated
Atlas cut-off... September 2012 |
FCC Deadline! |
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Appearing on Radio Resource Magazine’s
web site: http://radioresourcemag.com/newsArticle.cfm?news_id=6625
*Even though this article
relates more directly to those in Public Safety, it contains valuable
information applying to all licensees.
FCC: Don’t Expect Narrowbanding
Extension, Waivers (1/31/11)
Most VHF and UHF licensees haven’t yet narrowbanded their systems, and
VHF and UHF licensees need to focus on the mandate now to complete it in
time, said FCC officials who spoke during a workshop last week. Licensees
shouldn’t expect a blanket extension or individual waivers.
James Barnett Jr., chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland
Security Bureau (PSHSB) said that according to the FCC’s licensing
records, most public-safety LMR systems still haven’t migrated to
narrowband operation. The deadline for public-safety and
business/industrial licensees in the VHF and UHF spectrum to migrate to
12.5-kilohertz channels is Jan. 1, 2013.
“Do not expect the commission to extend the January 2013
deadline,” said Barnett. “The deadline has been in place for years
and has consistently been supported by the public-safety community. Timely
completion of narrowbanding is important to improve the quality of
public-safety radio service, ensure interoperability and free up
additional spectrum capacity.”
Waivers aren’t guaranteed either, said officials during the
workshop. “Licensees facing unique circumstances may request waivers,
but waiver requests must meet a high standard and are not routinely
granted,” said Roberto Mussenden, PSHSB policy division. “Licensees
concerned about meeting the deadline should focus on planning and
preparation. Informal contact with the bureau is encouraged prior to any
filing.”
After Jan. 1, 2013, FCC interference rules will not protect
noncompliant wideband systems from harmful interference,
Mussenden said during the workshop. Systems that fail to narrowband by the
deadline could create interference or interoperability problems for
systems that have narrowbanded.
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