Communication Newsroom

Federal Communications Commission Which Will Provide Opportunities For Agencies Or Coalitions

Limited interoperability can be achieved today using equipment that receives a radio transmission on one frequency and automatically retransmits it on another frequency. Such equipment can vary in capability and cost, but these systems fall into the general category of crossband repeater systems since they are designed to “repeat” transmissions, often on a different frequency band. Such systems can be deployed without requiring changes to existing radio systems, but can tie up channels which may be scarce, require additional equipment such as radios and antennas, and may be limited by regulatory issues.

There are a number of initiatives to help address these interoperability challenges. Frequencies in the 700 MHz band have been allocated (but are not yet available) for public safety use by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which will provide opportunities for agencies or coalitions of agencies to obtain much-needed frequencies (channels).

Efforts are also underway to define standards that would allow equipment made by different manufacturers to be compatible (open architecture), thereby eliminating the interoperability challenges within a frequency band. But neither additional spectrum nor standards provides a complete solution to the interoperability challenge, since agencies will continue to use radio systems that operate in different frequency bands, based on the frequency bands that best suit their needs. Interoperability challenges extend beyond technical and cost issues. Before agencies acquire interoperability capabilities, up-front planning among participating agencies is critical.

Policies and procedures must be developed to address issues such as who can authorize, and under what circumstances, links among agency radio systems. Multi-agency training exercises are important as well. While technology can meet interoperability requirements, public safety executives must foster collaborative interagency relationships to fully utilize the capability. The National Institute of Justice Office of Science & Technology (OS&T) is working with public safety users, industry, and standards development organizations to identify and develop interoperability standardization. OS&T is also sponsoring development of new technology toimprove the quality and efficiency of equipment that facilitates interoperability.

NIJ has created a project called AGILE (Interoperability Strategies for Public Safety) to pull together all interoperability efforts within OS&T into a comprehensive program to address these issues and communicate findings and developments to the public safety community