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Q: 4.9 GHz Broadband Technoloyg for Public Safety Communications ( Answered,   2 Comments )
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Subject: 4.9 GHz Broadband Technoloyg for Public Safety Communications
Category: Computers > Wireless and Mobile
Asked by: mdoble-ga
List Price: $200.00
Posted: 13 Apr 2004 04:45 PDT
Expires: 13 May 2004 04:45 PDT
Question ID: 329402
I want a list of several (>15) Web sites that provide the following
information on the new 4.9 GHz broadband Technology (Tweaked 802.11)
for Public Safety.

?Information/status about manufactures that are in the early stage of
developing products for this 4.9 GHz technology.

?White papers describing applications for 4.9 GHz Broadband technology.

?Discussions of the current status of rules and specifications.

Description of 4.9 GHz technology:

The FCC has allocated a significant amount of spectrum at 4.9 GHz for
just this type of implementation. There are public safety groups
working closely with the manufacturing community, federal interests,
and standards bodies to create a ?tweaked? 802.11 series standard that
includes all of the functionality of Wi-Fi, but operating at a
frequency that is exclusive to public safety.

The potentials are enormous. Public safety technology usually takes a
back seat to the exploding commercial market in the wireless world.
This translates to significant cost to public safety because public
safety can not provide a market nearly as large as the commercial
market. In this case, public safety can take advantage of the
development in the commercial market and with very little alteration,
make it work in our own field.

For those of us in the public safety environment, all of those high
tech applications you have heard of and perhaps wished for and have
actually seen in the commercial world, may now be within grasp. Not
only technically, but also financially.

The following WEB site has a lot of information on 4.9 GHz.  I looking
for additional information not on this web site.

http://www.publicsafetycommunications.org/Wi-Fi.php

Request for Question Clarification by jbf777-ga on 13 Apr 2004 16:41 PDT
Hello -

Two clarification requests:

?Information/status about manufactures that are in the early stage of
developing products for this 4.9 GHz technology.

   Can these be products just released?


?White papers describing applications for 4.9 GHz Broadband technology.

   White papers only, or other articles as well?


Thanks,

jbf

Clarification of Question by mdoble-ga on 13 Apr 2004 18:37 PDT
Information/Status on 4.9GHz products can be on products just
released.  I'm looking for any 4.9GHz product information in all
stages of development through release.

I not just looking for White papers only,  I want any information
available on 4.9GHz technology and status (ie: White papers, articles,
applications, associations, vendors, power point presentations, etc.) 
Take a look at the following URL for a good example of the type of
information I'm looking for.
http://www.publicsafetycommunications.org/Wi-Fi.php

FYI: I need this information posted by Wednesday.

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 13 Apr 2004 20:20 PDT
Hello mdoble-ga,

I've been working on your question for a while now, and have compiled
a good deal of raw material.

Ordinarily, I'd like to take my good, sweet time in arranging it,
sorting, weeding things out, and getting some additional stuff, but I
see you've posted a no-later-than-Wednesday deadline.

Is this an absolute need?  The earliest I could post an answer would
be Wednesday evening (Washington DC time).  Would that be too late?

If that's OK, let me know, and I'll continue working to pull the
information together.  But if that's too late, then let me know as
well, so I can turn over the question to other researchers, who may be
able to produce an answer on a faster timetable.

Thanks.

pafalafa-ga

Clarification of Question by mdoble-ga on 13 Apr 2004 20:53 PDT
pafalafa-ga

Wednesday night will be ok to post.  I'm in CA so I will still have
some daylight hours left to work on my project and I been know to work
to 4:00am anyway.  I trying to complete a project by Thursday, but I
will be able to add updates to my project this weekend.  Please post
as soon as you can.  Also please post any additional information after
your first post, that you may come up with.  I'm also going to post
another question tonight, looking for Wi-Fi application for pharmacies
located in prisons.

Thanks for your help,

mdoble-ga

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 14 Apr 2004 04:24 PDT
mdoble-ga,

Thanks for geting back to me.  I'm going to do something here I've
never done before...a raw data-dump!  THIS IS NOT MY ANSWER.  I will
still post a formal answer this evening that is cleaned up, organized,
and contains additional information.

But I wanted you to have what I've gotten thus far.  That way, you
won't be held up with your work, and you can also (if so moved) get
back to me with feedback on what's most/least useful to you.

So, without further ado, here 'tis in very rough draft format:

==========


I've found a number of articles and papers on emerging strategies and
technologies that are attempting to capitalize on the 4.9 GHz standard
for public safety communications.  I've included excerpts or summaries
of the articles below.  Unfortunately, I cannot reproduce them in full
due to copyright restrictions.

Where I can, I've included direct links to on-line materials. However,
several of the articles cited are from off-line databases, so I could
not include links for these.  However, many libraries can assist you
in accessing the articles yourself, if you want to see them in their
entirety.

If anything here is unclear -- or if you need additional information
-- please let me know before rating this answer.  Just post a Request
for Clarification, and I'll be happy to assist you further.

pafalafa-ga

==========

Betting on IP 

1 April 2004
Mobile Radio Technology
35
Volume 22; Number 4

In the public-safety arena, communications decisions traditionally
require tough choices: analog or digital; VHF or 800 MHz; voice or
data; and Vendor A or Vendor B, to name a few. The best decisions
often are reached after a healthy dose of compromise. Meanwhile, poor
decisions have resulted in networks that quickly became obsolete and
required replacement, costing millions of dollars.

M/A-COM hopes to change this anxiety-filled exercise with VIDA, the
company's latest offering that is designed to replace the ?or? portion
of these choices with ?and.? Unveiled during last month's IWCE show in
Las Vegas, VIDA ? voice, interoperability, data and access ? features
an IP backbone that allows communications between disparate legacy
networks while providing a clean migration path to the voice and data
offerings of the future, according to John Vaughan, M/A-COM's vice
president and general manager....

...M/A-COM customers are not limited to accessing high-speed data via
the voice network. They also can access data via solutions such as
Wi-Fi, 4.9 GHz or mesh networks, thanks to the heart of the M/A-COM
system: an IP backbone that includes internetworking and application
server layers (see diagram) designed specifically for public safety.

This infrastructure ? available separately via an offering known as
NetworkFirst ? lets M/A-COM offer customers unprecedented voice
interoperability. Because even analog signals are transformed to
digital packets, they can be routed anywhere.

==========

You can read more about  M/A-COM at their website:

http://www.macom-wireless.com/news/pressdetail.asp?id=65

which discusses the application of VIDA to public safety
communications, but does not specifically reference 4.9 GHz
capabilities.

==========

http://iwce-mrt.com/ar/radio_panel_ghz_band/
Panel: 4.9 GHz band promising, challenging

IWCE/MRT, Mar 30 2004
Proper engineering standards and area coordination are needed to make
4.9 GHz spectrum dedicated to public safety beneficial to first
responders wanting high-speed data access at affordable prices,
according to a panel convened at last week's IWCE 2004 in Las Vegas.

Currently, the Federal Communications Commission is considering
engineering standards for the emission mask. Public-safety leaders are
hopeful the standards are aligned with the standards for the 500 MHz
of 5 GHz unlicensed airwaves available to all consumers, because this
would let them leverage equipment advances in affordable 802.11a and
802.11j technologies...?Failure to do that could create a niche market
and correspondingly high equipment prices,? ...

One of the challenges associated with the 4.9 GHz band is that it can
be used by all licensed public-safety entities in a region, which
means there are possibilities for interference if the groups don?t
work together, said Steve Devine, patrol frequency coordinator for the
Missouri State Highway Patrol. But a coordinated effort--as well as
the ability to use the 5 GHz spectrum during high-traffic
periods--should provide the kind of performance that will be a boon to
public safety, he said.

==========




http://iwce-mrt.com/ar/radio_ghz_networks_secure/

4.9 GHz Networks More Secure, But a Long Way Off


Mobile Radio Technology, Jan 1, 2004 

 
 

The public-safety community faces a dilemma: Does it make widespread
Wi-Fi deployments in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band today despite the
security risks or wait for a better solution?


But the effort may be thwarted, because the FCC adopted emission mask
standards that are incompatible with emission standards established by
the 802.11 community. The National Public Safety Telecommunications
Council (NPSTC) and various public-safety agencies are urging the FCC
to adopt a scaled orthogonal frequency division multiplex-based
emission mask that would ensure Cisco and other 802.11 vendors also
would build to the 4.9 GHz band.

?Cisco will not build to this band if the FCC doesn't come up with an
emission mask that is 802.11 compliant,? said Steven Devine, who
chairs the NPSTC's 4.9 GHz Task Force. ?There are manufacturers that
want to build equipment for the 4.9 GHz band.?


==========

[This is a very good, very current white paper.  But bear in mind that
it is also pushing one particular technology, so take it with
appropriate grains of salt]

http://www.troposnetworks.com/pdf/Spectrum_Whitepaper.pdf

Broadband Public Safety Data Networks
in the 4.9 GHz Band:
Potential, Pitfalls & Alternatives
A Technology Whitepaper

March, 2004

The Potential of the 4.9 GHz Band for Public Safety

Public safety agencies have high hopes for data communications systems
in the 4.9 GHz
band. The broadband wireless data communications capabilities of Wi-Fi have great
attraction to public safety. As the Association of Public-Safety
Communications Offi cials
(APCO) notes, ?Several agencies around the country are already implementing [Wi-Fi]
?hotspots? to create mobile environment networks to service MDT
(Mobile Data Terminal)
operations providing the work force with connectivity that previously
was limited to the
offi ce. Such things as mug shots and video to and from the vehicle
become possible.?4
Other agencies, such as the San Mateo (California) Police Department
(SMPD) have gone
farther, blanketing their entire downtown area with Wi-Fi coverage...


...While the FCC did not mandate the use of Wi-Fi protocols in
the spectrum (and, in fact, they pointedly declined to mandate any
access standards7), it is
widely believed that the equipment used in the 4.9 GHz band will use a
slightly modifi ed
version of 802.11a. APCO states, ?There are public safety groups
working closely with
the manufacturing community, federal interests, and standards bodies
to create a ?tweaked?
802.11 series standard that includes all of the functionality of
Wi-Fi, but operating at a
frequency that is exclusive to public safety.?...

-----

Pitfalls

While the combination of 802.11a?s theoretical maximum bandwidth of 54 Mbps with
a frequency band that suffers little interference sounds ideal,
regulatory and practical
considerations will impede adoption of modifi ed 802.11a products in
the 4.9 GHz band.
A primary concern is that the emissions mask specifi ed by the FCC,
which defi nes how
much radio power can be transmitted at what frequency, is narrower
than the emissions
mask defi ned by 802.11a/j. As a result, commercial, off-the-shelf
(COTS) 802.11a products
cannot simply be downbanded to run in the 4.9 GHz band. External fi ltering must be
added, requiring costly and time-consuming circuit board level changes
that are custom to
public safety. These emissions mask rules threaten to derail public
safety agencies? ability
to reap the benefi ts of the billions of dollars in research and
development that vendors
have invested in 802.11 and to leverage the huge commercial market for
802.11 products.

...Another serious concern is the suitability of the 4.9 GHz band for
outdoor operation.
The applications that public safety agencies intend to run in the 4.9
GHz band, including
?on-scene wireless networks for streaming video, rapid Internet and
database access,
and transfers of large fi les such as maps, building layouts, medical
fi les, and missing
person images,?10 must run outdoors to be useful. In spite of being
licensed spectrum and,
therefore, being relatively free from interference, the 4.9 GHz band
is far from ideal for
outdoor operation when compared to the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band used by 802.11b.

-----


Tomorrow?s Possibility: Hybrid 802.11a/b/g plus 4.9 GHz Band Systems

The cellular mesh technology used in Tropos Networks products is
spectrum independent.
As a result it can be used in various frequency bands: 2.4 GHz
(802.11b and 802.11g), 5
GHz (802.11a) as well as 4.9 GHz.

In the future, when 4.9 GHz technology is commercially available,
Tropos Networks plans
to make available products that use this frequency band...

==========

[An overview of the potential of wi-fi in the public safety arena,
from the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials,
International

http://www.apcointl.org/frequency/4-9GHz/WiFiPS.htm


Wi-Fi with a PS Twist sounds like a new drink and in some ways it can
be very intoxicating.  There is no lack of acronyms in the
communications business, but few of them have hit the industry with as
much potential impact as Wi-Fi.  Yet many may not be aware of what
Wi-Fi is or how it is already impacting Public Safety...

...What if public safety could get the same functionality as Wi-Fi,
but put it in a band of spectrum that is exclusive to public safety? 
Sounds great and that is exactly what is happening right now.  The FCC
has allocated a significant amount of spectrum at 4.9 GHz for just
this type of implementation.  There are public safety groups working
closely with the manufacturing community, federal interests, and
standards bodies to create a ?tweaked? 802.11 series standard that
includes all of the functionality of Wi-Fi, but operating at a
frequency that is exclusive to public safety. ..The potentials are
enormous.  Public safety technology usually takes a back seat to the
exploding commercial market in the wireless world.  This translates to
significant cost to public safety because public safety can not
provide a market nearly as large as the commercial market.  In this
case, public safety can take advantage of the development in the
commercial market and with very little alteration, make it work in our
own field.

==========


This article from Mobile Radio Technology is a recent discussion of
hurdles to adoption of public safety wireless, and mentions some of
the key players in both standards as well as technology.

http://iwce-mrt.com/ar/radio_ghz_networks_secure/

4.9 GHz Networks More Secure, But a Long Way Off

Mobile Radio Technology, Jan 1, 2004 


The public-safety community faces a dilemma: Does it make widespread
Wi-Fi deployments in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band today despite the
security risks or wait for a better solution?...


...The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) and
various public-safety agencies are urging the FCC to adopt a scaled
orthogonal frequency division multiplex-based emission mask that would
ensure Cisco and other 802.11 vendors also would build to the 4.9 GHz
band.

..."Cisco will not build to this band if the FCC doesn't come up with
an emission mask that is 802.11 compliant," said Steven Devine, who
chairs the NPSTC's 4.9 GHz Task Force. "There are manufacturers that
want to build equipment for the 4.9 GHz band."

...Japan already supports Wi-Fi in the 4.9 GHz band, while chipsets
are plentiful from global commercial vendors for the 802.11a standard
and HiperLAN standard at 5 GHz, which also can be used in the 4.9 GHz
band.

==========

Here is a link to the FCC's most recent status report and policy
findings on public safety wireless:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-99A1.pdf

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER AND THIRD REPORT AND ORDER
Adopted: April 23, 2003

In this Memorandum Opinion and Order and Third Report and Order (MO&O & Third
R&O), we establish licensing and service rules for the 4940-4990 MHz
band (4.9 GHz band).
By this action, we seek to promote effective public safety
communications and innovation
in wireless broadband services in support of public safety. The rules
we adopt herein represent another
step in the Commissions ongoing efforts to develop a regulatory
framework in which to meet the current
and future public safety communications needs. For example, the rules
for the 4.9 GHz band that we
adopt today are intended to accommodate a variety of new broadband
applications such as high-speed
digital technologies and wireless local area networks for incident
scene management, dispatch operations
and vehicular operations. Todays action also fosters interoperability
by providing a regulatory
framework in which traditional public safety entities can pursue
strategic partnerships with both
traditional public safety entities, such as the Federal Government,
and non-traditional public safety
entities, such as utilities and commercial entities, in support of
their missions regarding homeland security
and protection of life and property...

We envision that the 4.9 GHz band will be able to accommodate a
variety of broadband
applications, including technologies and operations requiring varying
bandwidths and operations that are
both temporary and permanent in nature. Consequently, in this MO&O &
Third R&O, we endeavor to
provide 4.9 GHz band licensees with the maximum operational
flexibility practicable and to encourage
effective and efficient utilization of the spectrum...

The major decisions we reach are as follows:

--We limit eligibility for licensing in the 4.9 GHz band to those
entities providing "public
safety services" wherein public safety services are defined as services:

(A) the sole or principal purpose of which is to protect the safety of life,
health, or property;

(B) that are provided
(i) by State or local government entities; or
(ii) by nongovernmental organizations that are authorized by a
government entity whose primary mission is the provision of
such services; and

(C) that are not made commercially available to the public by the provider.

--We permit broadband mobile operations, fixed hotspot use, and
temporary fixed links
on a primary basis in the band. Furthermore, we allow fixed
point-to-point operations
on a secondary basis.

--We establish a "jurisdictional" geographical licensing approach for
operations in the
band, whereby licensees will be authorized to operate in those
geographic areas over
which they have jurisdiction and will be required to cooperate in use
of the spectrum.

===========

Here's an example of local/regional government planning efforts in
anticipation of the arrival of 4.9 GHz spectrum technologies:

http://www.rgn6rpc.org/4940main.htm

Public Safety Region 6 (Northern California)

Regional Planning Committee
 
4940 - 4990 MHz Spectrum Planning 

Bill DeCamp
State of Calif., DGS
Telecommunications Div.
601 Sequoia Pacific Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95814-0282
+ 916.657.9205 Voice
+ 916.657.9231 FAX  

Note the link to the public meeting that was held in 2003:
http://www.rgn6rpc.org/library/First_4940.pdf

==========

Motorola makes brief mention of adopting their technologies to the 4.9
Ghz public safety spectrum:


http://www.motorola.com/mediacenter/news/detail/0,,3149_2582_23,00.html
4.9 Licensed WLAN 
WLAN technology has increased in popularity for providing broadband
data access in localized areas. However, much of existing technology
operates on unlicensed spectrum resulting in potentially high levels
of interference and security risk. The FCCs recent adoption of rules
for 4.9 GHz band service represents a critical step in fulfilling the
public safety communitys need for mission-critical radio spectrum.

A planned addition to Motorolas Mission Critical IP platform, 4.9 GHz
Mission Critical WLAN solutions will enable users to access an
Intranet or the Internet in mobile offices, as well as real-time
streaming video. Broadband solutions will also provide agencies with
secure interoperable communications for managing incident and disaster
scenes on dedicated, licensed channels.

For more information on Motorolas Mission Critical IP platform and
applications, visit their booth numbered 923 at the Indiana Convention
Center and RCA Dome or visit Motorolas website at www.motorola.com

==========

http://www.pswn.gov/admin/librarydocs12/4_9_Band_Fact_Sheet.pdf
Public Safetys New Allocation Answering Users Questions on the 4.9 Gigahertz Band

==========

http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/action/108-34.pdf
THE SPECTRUM NEEDS OF OUR
NATIONS FIRST RESPONDERS
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND
THE INTERNET
JUNE 11, 2003
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

==========

http://www.microsemi.com/news/newsitem.asp?ID=412
1/7/2003
Microsemi Introduces First 3-Stage Power Amplifier
For Portable 4-6 GHz Wireless LAN Applications



Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC - news), a leading manufacturer of
power management integrated circuits, announced today that its
Integrated Products group has introduced the LX5506E , its first
three-stage broadband power amplifier for NIC cards and access points
used in wireless local area network (WLAN) systems. Power amplifiers
are critical in determining the range, data rate performance and power
consumption of WLAN systems.

Microsemi targets the new 4-6 GHz amplifier for 802.11a broadband
applications, HyperLAN2 portable applications, the FCC Unlicensed
National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) band, and the 4.9 GHz band
recently introduced for WLAN applications in Japan.


==========

http://www.leearmstrong.com/DSRC%20Home/Standards%20Programs/North%20American/Previous%20Meetings/October%2003/NPSTC%204.9%20GHz/FCC%20Filings/PROXIM%20ON%20PFR%2000-32.pdf

Before the
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Comments of Proxim to the
Petition For Reconsideration of the
National Public Safety Telecommunications Council
Proxim is commenting specifically with
reference to the statement the commission must adopt industry standard
emission masks
from adjacent bands to allow for low cost implementation of equipment
in the 4.9 GHz
band.1 As explained herein, Proxim believes that the FCCs action to require strong
adjacent channel protection for equipment in the 4.9 GHz band was
justifiably taken.
However, Proxim believes that the FCC should amend its rules to accommodate the
desire of the public safety community for the reuse of commercial off-the-shelf
(COTS) equipment.

==========

http://iwce-mrt.com/ar/radio_maxrad_unfurls_new/
MAXRAD unfurls new parabolic line

Mobile Radio Technology, Sep 1, 2003 


Antenna manufacturer MAXRAD Inc. announced the addition of a new
series of parabolic grid antennas to their successful WISPerformance
line of affordable wireless Internet antenna solutions
The new antennas, which begin shipping this month to one of the
world's largest chipset manufacturers, are designed for the 2.4, 5.2
and 5.8 GHz wireless LAN frequencies used extensively throughout the
Americas, Europe and Asia, as well as the newly licensed 4.9 GHz
frequency exclusive to Japan.

==========

http://npstc.du.edu/documents/WT%2000-32%20NPSTC%20Recon%20-%20Appendix%20A.pdf

Syracuse Research Corporation

4.9 GHz Mask Issues

==========

http://www.shorecliffcommunications.com/magazine/news.asp?news=1593

Radio Waves Introduces 4.9 GHz Antenna Series
4/25/2003

Radio Waves Inc. has developed a new line of SP microwave antennas for
the new public safety band of 4940-4990 MHz (4.9 GHz), which was
recently allocated by the Federal Communications Commission.

The new SP microwave dishes are available in all sizes, ranging from
one foot to eight feet in diameter.

==========

http://www.mobilevillage.com/news/2003.08.24/motorola.htm

Motorola's new wireless IP platform targets public safety use

APCO Conference, Indianapolis, August 12, 2003 -- (MobileVillage) --
Motorola (NYSE:MOT) today unveiled Mission Critical IP, which it
claims is the public safety industry's first technology that provides
both Project 25 voice and advanced wireless data communications using
a single platform.

In addition to supporting advanced Project 25 voice capabilities, the
Mission Critical IP platform enables multiple data applications to
operate at varying data rates across both wide and local areas. It
aims to optimize network performance and allows users to move across
the coverage area without interruption to their applications.

Motorola's Mission Critical IP platform accommodates ASTRO Integrated
Voice and Data, as well as High Performance Data solutions. The
company says that new capabilities will continue to be built on the
Mission Critical IP platform including offerings in the 700 MHz
wideband spectrum, as well as the 4.9 GHz frequencies.

==========

RCR Wireless News

April 12, 2004
NYC issues RFP on public-safety system at 4.9 GHz


New York City, still recovering from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and highlighted a disjointed
communications infrastructure that proved grossly inadequate, plans to
upgrade its 911 system and build a cutting-edge public-safety wireless
network in untested frequencies for which federally approved equipment
does not yet exist.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's pursuit of a citywide public-safety wireless
network-representing one of several lucrative tech contracts at a time
when tech capital spending remains tight-could become a model for
other cities. Or it could end up a costly mistake that other mayors
can learn from in trying to bolster homeland security at the local
level.

Designing a public-safety radio system capable of supporting
interoperable communications, high-speed data and video applications
is more than a technological challenge for New York City and other
cities throughout America. There are bureaucratic and financial
hurdles as well, the kind Bloomberg is wrestling with these days...

... Motorola Inc. and the City of Chicago hold experimental FCC
licenses at 4.9 GHz...MeshNetworks Inc., of Maitland, Fla., has an
application for an experimental 4.9 GHz license pending at the FCC.


...Stu Overby, director of global spectrum standards and technology
assets strategy at Motorola, said the fact that 50 megahertz was
dedicated for public safety at 4.9 GHz and that robust reliability is
routinely built into radio systems used by police, firefighters and
medics inherently limits the risk of the new band...In addition,
Overby said commercial unlicensed wireless technology at 5 GHz can be
leveraged to operate in the 4.9 GHz band.

==========
Communications Daily

December 19, 2003

Motorola told the FCC that 4.9 GHz products from Japan couldn't be
used in the U.S. without modifications...

...Motorola told the FCC this week it planned to leverage commercial
off-the-shelf technology for 4.9 GHz and had issued a request for
proposals to 7 802.11a chipset vendors on the compatibility of their
systems with 4.9 GHz rules. Motorola said 4 of the 7 indicated they
could support a tightened emission mask with existing chipsets, with
only software changes required in some cases. Motorola said it tested
commercial off-the-shelf chipsets with an additional external filter
to validate the feasibility of using that technology to meet spectral
mask requirements. As for Japanese 4.9 GHz products, Motorola said
that band was used differently in Japan than in the U.S., including
different channels. It also pointed out that maximum power levels
allowed were 19 dB below U.S. levels.

==========


ECN

November 15, 2003


RF Module Simplifies Design and Saves Space

The Epcos R005 RF module enables simplified designs for 802.11 a/b/g.
It operates in frequency bands from 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz and from 4.9
GHz to 5.9 GHz.

==========

[Just so you can see the overlap between the 4.9GHz public safety
spectrum, and the existing use of 4.9 GHz technologies in Japan...}

ECN

August 1, 2003

Quad-Band Internal Antennas

Ethertronics has announced its quad-band wireless LAN internal
antennas for global applications using the 802.11 a/b/g standards.
These antennas are designed for the 2.4, 5.2 and 5.8 GHz wireless LAN
frequencies used extensively throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia,
as well as the newly licensed 4.9 GHz frequency exclusive to Japan.

www.ethertronics.com

[You can see more about their 4.9 GHz atenna here:   

http://www.ethertronics.com/nav.php?section=3&page=38

==========

Clarification of Question by mdoble-ga on 14 Apr 2004 04:47 PDT
Thanks for geting back to me.  I'm going to do something here I've
never done before...a raw data-dump!  THIS IS NOT MY ANSWER.  I will
still post a formal answer this evening that is cleaned up, organized,
and contains additional information.

But I wanted you to have what I've gotten thus far.  That way, you
won't be held up with your work, and you can also (if so moved) get
back to me with feedback on what's most/least useful to you.

So, without further ado, here 'tis in very rough draft format:

Clarification of Question by mdoble-ga on 14 Apr 2004 05:12 PDT
pafalafa-ga

The rough draft format look great.  I do not need you to clean it up,
or organize it.  I would prefer you spent your time provide additional
information and links on 4.9GHz data.  A lot of the data you provided,
I all ready have, so as much other information you can provide would
be greatfull. Please provide information on where I can get the data
you were unable to provide links for.

Thanks for your help,

mdoble-ga

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 14 Apr 2004 06:15 PDT
You weren't kidding about working in the wee hours of the a.m!!!

I'll continue to compile new sources, and post an answer later today
with more links, and with details about accessing some of the
non-internet materials.

Cheers.

pafalafa-ga
Answer  
Subject: Re: 4.9 GHz Broadband Technoloyg for Public Safety Communications
Answered By: pafalafa-ga on 14 Apr 2004 17:08 PDT
 
Hello again,

Well...I'm happy to report that my initial search appears to have been
quite thorough, so I'm glad to have heard back from you that the
results looked good.

On the flip side, however, there does not appear to be a great deal of
additional information sources I can add.  Most of what I'm coming
across at this point is a basic rehash of the FCC's actions, and the
need for additional clarifications, especially regarding the "masking"
issue.

The basic sense I get is that most technological development is
"holding its breath" right now, awaiting clarification of the policy
questions, and some signs from local governments that they are willing
to commit to 4.9 ghz spectrum for emergency communications.

You asked about searching for websites and articles on this topic. 
Here are the two key resources I used to track down the results I have
provided:

--the first, of course, is Google.  A Google search on [ "4.9 ghz"
safety ] identified most of the websites and online papers I
referenced.  You might also want to regularly search Google News at:

http://news.google.com/

for the same terms.  This is a good strategy for keeping up-to-date on
the latest news.  You can also set-up an automatic "News Alert" to
have Google News send you an email any time new news articles appear
on your topic.  Just click on the "News Alert" button on the left hand
side of the page...set-up is easy.

--the other invaluable resource is a search of newspapers, industry
newsletters, and tons of other materials at Nexis.com:


http://www.nexis.com/research


They have one of the deepest databases in the business.  Subscriptions
are very expensive, but you may find a library that has free public
access.  Alternatively, you can access the site through the "Not a
subscriber" option (I often use this myself).  Searching for articles
this way is free, but to actually access the text of the article costs
about $3 per article.

Once you click the "not a subscriber" link, and select the "Pay as you
go" option, you can begin searching.  To see actual articles, you'll
have to open an account by following the instructions at Nexis.

There are many search options at Nexis, so you'll have to play around
a bit to get the feel of it.  I searched by selecting "News", then
"General News", then searched on [ 4.9 ghz w/25 safety ] for the past
two years.   This returned 66 articles, the best ones of which I've
excerpted in your answer.

With that as background, here are the rest of the articles that I
think are worth your attention.  I hope they meet your needs.

Before rating this answer, please let me know if you have any
questions, or need more information.  Just post a Request for
Clarification, and I'll be happy to assist you as best I can.

Cheers.

pafalafa-ga

==========






Mobile Radio Technology

March 1, 2004

SDR Forum targets public safety



The Software Defined Radio Forum soon will announce the formation of a
special interest group targeted at the public-safety sector. The SDR
Forum plans to hold SIG-related workshops during this month's IWCE
2004 trade show and conference in Las Vegas March 22-26 and in April
at the Forum's regularly scheduled general meeting to be held in
Germany.

The SIG will be charged with involving vendors and public-safety
organizations in the forum's initiatives to promote development of
software-defined radio technologies, according to Fred Frantz, SDR
Forum member and director of law-enforcement communications for L3
Communications Government Services...

While the U.S. might trail Europe on interoperability, it is well
ahead of the continent when it comes to public-safety broadband. Where
the FCC has set aside 50 MHz of spectrum at 4.9 GHz for such use, no
such spectrum has been allocated in Europe, Frantz said. The SDR Forum
supports Project Mesa, which would create a common broadband standard
for North America and Europe, and it will be up to the SIG to
evangelize across the Atlantic. "It would double the market base,
which would attract more vendors," said Frantz, who predicted movement
would occur on this standard in the next 18 months.

Expanding the marketplace is seen as a key to making widespread
deployment of software-defined radios - currently too bulky and pricey
for public-safety organizations - a reality.

=====

Mobile Radio Technology

March 1, 2004

Public safety rethinks the future

Recent moves by some European public-safety agencies to study
commercial wireless technology as an alternative to the TETRA
terrestrial trunked radio standard is fueling discussion in the U.S.
on whether a future role for such technologies exists.

Specifically, they wonder whether commercial technologies could be
used to ensure that first responders and other public-safety personnel
have access to interoperable communications networks, as well as other
critical features such as high-speed data services...



Public-safety agencies are calling on Congress to allocate the 10 MHz
to public safety and stop the auction of the upper portion of the 700
MHz band to commercial operators. Their vision centers on flash-OFDM
orthogonal frequency division multiplexing or 1X EV-DO deployments
utilizing 1.25 MHz channels to provide services such as video
monitoring and critical data transmission. Recognizing the benefits of
off-the-shelf technology, public-safety organizations already embrace
the use of 802.11 technology in the 4.9 GHz band.

Another problem is that deployment of a network dedicated to
augmenting an existing public-safety network is an expensive
proposition during a time when state and local governments are
struggling just to fund education.

Nevertheless, the District of Columbia last month announced a pilot
high-speed wireless broadband contract for public safety with Motorola
and Flarion Technologies, using Flarion's proprietary Flash-OFDM
technology, which edged out other offerings, including Lucent's
CDMA2000 1X EV-DO service. The district's Office of the Chief
Technology Officer OCTO is deploying the $2.7 million network with the
help of federal grants...

=====


WIRELESS DATA NEWS

July 16, 2003

Existing Products Secure In Homeland Security Market

More Room To Operate
 
       A Federal Communications Commission decision earlier this year (WT Docket
No. 00-32) also bodes well for technology vendors offering wireless data
applications for homeland security. In April, the FCC established licensing and
service rules for the 50 megahertz of spectrum in the 4.9 GHz band (4,940 MHz-
4,990 MHz). The commission made the move to promote public-safety communications
and innovation in wireless broadband services for public safety and homeland
security....

...More recently, the FCC created an Office of Homeland Security within its
Enforcement Bureau. The new office will provide consolidated support for the
homeland security and emergency preparedness responsibilities of the commission
and related functions. The unit also will initiate rulemaking proceedings
relating to the Emergency Alert System, and it will oversee operation of the
FCC's 24-hour Communications and Crisis Management Center and its Emergency
Operations Center...

=====


Telecommunications Reports

15 October 2003
Public Safety Group, Industry Find 4.9 GHz Band Consensus 


An umbrella public safety organization says it has reached agreement
with equipment manufacturers on several issues to spur the deployment
of devices in 50 megahertz of 4.9 gigahertz spectrum allocated for
public safety purposes...

 ....The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC)
reported to the FCC Oct. 2 that its discussions with Motorola, Inc.,
and Cisco Systems, Inc., had resulted in consensus on all but one
issue... The parties have agreed on emissions masks for devices that
operate at lower power levels and higher power levels in the
frequencies. They also have agreed to ask the Commission to adopt
mandatory technical standards for the 4.9 GHz band. The standards will
be assembled by the Telecommunications Industry Association, with
Commission adoption expected in 18 months to 24 months...


...The group said public safety and industry representatives had
agreed that the FCC should use the same regional planning rules that
apply in the 700 MHz band, except that 4.9 GHz band licensees will be
permitted to conditionally deploy systems before their regional plans
are approved.

The one remaining issue that the parties are still working to reach
consensus on involves the appropriate power level to trigger one of
the emissions masks...

=====

http://www.pswn.gov/admin/librarydocs12/4_9_Band_Fact_Sheet.doc 

Public Safety?s New Allocation? 
Answering Users? Questions on the 4.9 Gigahertz Band 

What Does This New Allocation Mean for Public Safety Users?

This allocation offers public safety agencies an opportunity to deploy
advanced services unavailable in other bands, such as permanent ?hot
spot? devices in high-use areas or temporary incident command centers
erected at an incident scene.  Particular technologies could include
wireless personal area networks (WPAN), hot spot networks, and
wireless vehicular area networks (WVAN). These devices would
facilitate creation of ad-hoc wireless networks around a person or
vehicle, personal telematics, voice, data, video, image, or biometric
transmissions, and immediate, high-speed access to information...

...What Are the Operational Rules?

The FCC concludes that Part 90 already contains the appropriate rules
to guide fixed and mobile operations in the band.  In addition, the
FCC declines to adopt any standard for broadband technologies.
However, the FCC does adopt Motorola?s sliding scale power limit
proposal for mobile operations that allows 20 dBm (100 mW) for a 1 MHz
signal, up to 33 dBm (2 watts) for a 20 MHz signal with an antenna
gain limit of 9 dBi. The equipment must also comply with the FCC?s
radio frequency radiation exposure evaluation requirements. Existing
emission limits rules for each technology apply. The FCC also imposes
a maximum antenna gain of 26 dBi for point-to-point operations.

...The frequency utilization plan for the band located at 4940?4990
MHz consists of 10, 1-MHz channels and 8, 5-MHz channels that can be
aggregated to a maximum channel width of 20 MHz. The Rules encourage
the Regional Planning Committees (RPC) working on the 700 MHz band to
coordinate the region?s frequency utilization plan.  In an effort to
avoid any interference, licensing of aeronautical use is permitted
only through the FCC waiver process....






=====

Once again, if you need anything else, just holler.
Comments  
Subject: Re: 4.9 GHz Broadband Technoloyg for Public Safety Communications
From: jthinshaw-ga on 22 Aug 2004 07:56 PDT
 
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

                 FIRST 4.9 GHZ PRODUCT AVAILABLE

     LPN Wireless has received FCC Type Approval for its 4.94 - 4.99
GHz point-to-point links.

     The "SafeTLink" product carries 1 to 4 T1 lines -- 1.5 to 6 MBPS
-- full duplex.  The product is certified to the current FCC spectral
mask requirements.  It provides up to +20 dBm/MHz, the maximum
permitted transmitter power.  SafeTLink will provide high-availability
communications links beyond 10 miles with small (1 to 2 foot)
antennas.
   
    Product information is available at

    http://www.lpnwireless.com/safetlink.html

    SafeTLink is available now for public safety communications. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: Re: 4.9 GHz Broadband Technoloyg for Public Safety Communications
From: mdoble-ga on 22 Aug 2004 11:06 PDT
 
jthinshaw-ga 

Thank you for the information.  Please provide the URL of the orginal
LPN Wireless news article.

Mike

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