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APPENDIX D SPECTRUM USE IN THE FIXED AND MOBILE SERVICES This section summarizes the Federal spectrum use of the various bands between 75-1400 MHz frequency range allocated for Federal Government fixed and mobile services. Frequency bands that serve a major common function are grouped together for convenience of discussion. The information is based jointly on data provided by the Federal agencies and the data records contained in the NTIA Government Master File (GMF) of frequency assignments. While some information is presented in terms of the number of Federal frequency assignments, it should be noted that the number of actual radio equipment will exceed, and sometimes far exceed, the number of assignments in a band, since one frequency assignment may represent many radio equipment. The Federal assignment data used in the spectrum use assessment are current as of October 1993. 118-137 MHz BAND Internationally and nationally, the 117.975-137 MHz frequency range is allocated to the aeronautical mobile service on a primary basis. Nationally, the 121.9375-123.0875 MHz, 128.8125-132.0125 MHz and a portion of the 136-137 MHz frequency bands, which represent a total bandwidth of 4.85 MHz, are exclusively allocated for use by the non-Federal, and the remaining portion of the overall band is shared by the Federal Government and non-Federal entities on a co-equal basis. The entire band has a total bandwidth of 19.025 MHz and 13.675 MHz of bandwidth is designated for shared use; no portion of this band is allocated exclusively for Federal Government use. Aeronautical mobile service spectrum requirements are accommodated mostly in the HF (3-23 MHz) and VHF (117.975-137 MHz) portion of the radio spectrum. The VHF band provides the primary communications mode for Air Traffic Service (ATS) and Aeronautical Operational Control (AOC) safety communications for all areas of the world where radio line-of-sight services can be established. In the United States, this band is used by Federal Aviation Administration to provide ATS safety communications and by users such as, the airlines, business aviation, and general aviation to provide AOC safety communications. Each communications frequency is re-used as often as possible (due to the fixed number of available frequencies) so that continuous coverage can be established to support air traffic control systems. The FAA maintains an extensive network of over 3,050 VHF radio stations giving reliable coverage over the most areas of the United States. 138-150.8, 162.0125-174, 220-222 AND 406.1-420 MHz BANDS Federal Government land mobile communication requirements are accommodated in segments of the following bands which are allocated to the fixed and mobile services for non-tactical use: 138-144, 148-149.9, 150.05-150.8, 162.0125-174, 220-222, and 406.1-420 MHz. Federal Government agencies use the fixed and mobile radio systems that operate in these bands to accomplish a variety of missions that serve the public. The approximately 80,000 frequency assignments throughout these bands represent over one million Federally-owned radios. Since the dominant bands used by the Federal agencies for land mobile operations are the 162.0125-174 MHz and 406.1-420 MHz bands, the list of major users presented in Table D-1 only accounts for these two bands. The "Others" category includes Federal agencies with 20 or less assignments. Federal mobile radio systems use a wide range of equipment types in a variety of geographic environments for voice and data communications. Common types of equipment include base and repeater stations, mobile stations, and hand-held portable stations. In nearly all cases, this equipment is the same type of off-the-shelf equipment used by local and state public safety agencies. Mission requirements often lead to worldwide and nationwide, as well as local service areas that range in natural character from remote to urban. Federal Government missions are mandated by Congress and the President, and generally have no counterparts outside the Federal Government. The closest are the state and local governments with similar missions that own and operate their own systems. The major differences lie in two areas: (1) the national security operations and wide area safety services of the Federal Government, and (2) the geographic areas of communication coverage required. *************************************************************************** Table D-1. Major Federal Users of the 162.0125-174 MHz and 406.1-420 MHz Bands. Total Number of Assignments Federal Agency 162.0125-174 MHz 406.1-420 MHz -------------- ---------------- ------------- Agriculture 9,154 1,555 Air Force 1,645 1,935 Army 3,351 2,243 Commerce 2,300 1,379 Coast Guard 917 308 Energy 2,420 1,816 Environmental Protection Agency 124 See "Others" Federal Aviation Administration 4,024 1,336 Federal Communications Commission 114 0 Federal Emergency Management Agency 25 26 Federal Reserve System 22 96 Government Services Administration 73 496 Health and Human Services 285 120 Interior 7,929 1,253 International Boundary Water Commission 55 See "Others" Justice 17,204 4,358 Labor 52 48 Navy 396 872 National Aeronautics and Space Adm. 215 191 Nuclear Regulatory Commission 215 See "Others" National Science Foundation 59 See "Others" State 53 58 Smithsonian Institution 22 See "Others" Treasury 5,090 1,906 Transportation 238 35 Tennessee Valley Authority 467 285 United States Information Agency See "Others" 71 United State Postal Service 804 896 Veterans Administration 793 343 "Others" 120 513 *************************************************************************** Federal Government radio systems support agency mission requirements in the following broad categories: law enforcement, transportation, natural resources, emergency and disaster services, utilities, medical, and administrative. Federal Government radio systems are usually multi-purpose systems; e.g., law enforcement, natural resource, medical, administration, and utility functions may be supported on the same radio system, thus increasing their spectrum efficiency. Federal Government land mobile requirements for each of the above categories are described in the following subsections. Law Enforcement Federal law enforcement radiocommunications requirements include everything from hand-held portable communications between internal security posts to nationwide/worldwide airborne communications for drug interdiction and protection of the President. Federal law enforcement radiocommunications must be immediate; delay is not acceptable. Effective and reliable radiocommunications are required for safety-of-life and property protection of Federal building complexes, Federal lands, military bases, and other types of installations. A major use of dedicated radiocommunications is the security of current and former Presidents and family members, as well as the Vice President and family, and other distinguished persons including foreign heads of state. Operations requiring high priority communications include movement of protected individuals, in response to violent crimes (bank robbery or kidnapping), undercover surveillance, and arrests. Cases involving counterintelligence, personal crimes, organized crimes, drug interdiction, fugitives, hostage situations, terrorism, smuggling, guns and explosives, counterfeiting, fraud, forgery and tax evasion also require immediate communications. Additionally, portable radios and body transmitters are used inside prisons for prisoner control activities, and by special agents to support investigative functions, and in personnel and property security operations. Most Federal law enforcement agencies have area offices that are responsible for activities throughout a geographic region. Repeaters and radio links are installed to obtain the necessary radiocommunications coverage within that region. Repeater systems are installed throughout urban areas in these regions to permit necessary portable radiocommunications. Transportable equipment is provided to respond to impromptu travel requirements in support of personnel protection or pursuit of criminal cases, special cases, or other major crises such as Waco, Texas, and the bombing of the New York City World Trade Center in early 1993. Federal law enforcement systems require communications with privacy. The monitoring of clear voice communications by the general public, the news media, foreign intelligence agents, and criminals has disrupted investigations and caused life-threatening situations for law enforcement personnel and innocent victims. Digital encryption, spread spectrum and other techniques are now utilized to assure transmissions are not compromised. Installation of radio systems that provide complete coverage of the United States is not spectrum-efficient. However, the mandated missions of Federal law enforcement agencies require the capability to deploy and install both permanent and temporary facilities when and wherever needed, not only nationwide but worldwide. This is accomplished through agency-dedicated means, including full and complete control of installations, operations, and maintenance by the various elements of the law enforcement community. Transportation Federal activities in aviation, maritime, highways, and railroads have a heavy investment in both fixed and land mobile operations. Aviation-sector land mobile applications include maintenance, safety, and inspection using portable and mobile radios, and repeaters and base station facilities; remote maintenance monitoring equipment; remote control of robot devices at supply depots; airport runway light control systems and windshear alert systems. These systems are installed in airports and airway facilities for management and coordination activities. The systems use both voice and data to: automate equipment monitoring; perform safety-of-life, anti-terrorist, and air security functions; integrate air traffic control communications within the centers and control towers; and conduct various airport and airfield communications as necessary, tailored to the needs of each airport/airway location. Federal maritime management coordination, safety, and law enforcement activities also use radios operating in Federal land mobile bands. These activities require nationwide implementation, although many operations are concentrated in seaports, docks, and waterways of the nation's coastal areas, major rivers, and the Great Lakes region. Federal surface transportation operations provide a variety of management and oversight support to coordinate activities at various highway and rail sites. Many of these functions are mandated by law and nationwide in scope. Natural Resources The Federal Government manages its natural resource programs using radiocommunications to accomplish Congressionally-mandated missions. Fixed stations, mobiles, handheld portables, and transportable repeaters and base stations make up these radio systems. These operations are spread throughout the United States and Possessions, in suburban, urban and rural sometimes remote and almost inaccessible areas. Some systems encompass only a few buildings in a city or a small wildlife refuge. Others encompass large geographical areas, such as, the national forests, Indian reservations, and national parks; multiple counties or states, such as the Tennessee Valley Authority; or are nationwide in nature. These systems provide for the safety of the public and Federal Government personnel; monitoring and distribution of water; management of timber growth and harvest; protection, operation, and management of our national parks, national forests, range and grass lands, wildlife refuges; protection and management of wildlife and fisheries; recreation; surveying and mapping; protection of Native Americans and protection and management of their lands; forestry and range management; and assessment of mineral deposits. Wildlife monitoring and tracking to protect endangered and threatened species and to control animal damage are performed in these bands with transmitters as small as dimes or as large as softballs. Emergency situations such as fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc., place great demands on the existing communication systems each year and routinely require the use of emergency backup systems. These emergencies sometimes require a tenfold expansion of communications facilities in a matter of hours. This separate function is described in greater depth in the next section. Emergency and Disaster Services The Federal Government provides an array of emergency and disaster response communications capabilities to protect the American public and resources from natural disasters and technological hazards. This involves a wide range of missions including prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. These services involve virtually every department and agency of the Federal government. Where safety of life and property is at risk, communication systems that can operate reliably even when normal systems are disrupted are essential. Spectrum-dependent emergency radio systems are the only systems capable of providing the essential levels of reliability, mobility, and flexibility during crises. A significant number of the Federal Government emergency and disaster response communications systems interface with state and local governments as well as with national volunteer organizations such as the Red Cross, amateur radio operators and similar groups. An important consideration in managing these emergency assets is the need to conduct periodic exercises to ensure they work when required. Many specialized emergency requirements have unique spectrum-dependent needs that must also be satisfied by the nationwide dedication of radio spectrum for that purpose. As an example, Federal, state, and local government search and rescue teams deploying to the site of a national emergency or disaster need reliable communications to locate victims in collapsed buildings, administer medical and lifesaving treatment and relocate them to safety or medical facilities. Providing the communications needed during major natural and technological emergencies requires a significant quantity of readily deployable land mobile radiocommunications. Major natural disasters occur on a continuing basis. Major disasters, such as Hurricanes Andrew and Hugo, the San Francisco earthquake, and the recent floods in the Mississippi Valley have required the deployment of thousands of radios. These have been Federal Government-owned land mobile radios used to effectively coordinate and provide emergency management during the readiness, response and recovery phases of major natural and manmade disasters. Land mobile radios are critical for providing the needed level of flexibility and survivability required. Dedicated, reliable non-blocked resources are required to support these time-sensitive, high demand operations to improve rapid response, to minimize interference, and to safeguard emergency response personnel and the delivery of life saving services to the general public. Utilities Federal Government utility operations which provide essential services to both Federal Government and non-Federal users are also supported in these bands. These operations include generation of electric power at fossil, hydro, and nuclear power plants; the distribution of electrical energy and the maintenance of distribution lines; and the distribution of potable and agricultural waters and the maintenance of these systems. The distribution of electrical energy from the generating plants to the load centers and the interconnection of bulk electrical power supply systems for reliability and adequacy has required the development of complex, supportive radio systems. Communications must be of the highest level of reliability, economically and technically feasible, and must be instantly available for the successful operation of these electrical power systems. Radiocommunications systems are also vital to the operation and maintenance of water distribution and sewage systems on military bases, water distribution systems encompassing aqueducts and canals in arid areas, and dams for the control of flooding. Radio systems provide for collection of water flow and salinity data and control of irrigation ditch gates and pumping stations for the management of vast water distribution systems and the maintenance of these systems. Dam safety data is transmitted to central processing points to provide early warning of potential dangers and scheduling of maintenance. Day-to-day operations of these systems with limited field personnel resources provide for efficient and timely response to changing customer requirements. The criticality coupled with the remote areas encompassed by many of these systems have generally precluded the availability of cost effective support from commercial communications providers. Medical The Federal Government provides essential land mobile radiocommunications for medical facilities. Reliable radiocommunications are required to provide life-or-death medical care along with the daily operations of a medical center. Radio paging communications are essential to obtain doctors and nurses during emergency situations. Two-way radiocommunications are required to interact with local governments to provide security, fire protection and maintenance. Reliable radiocommunications are required for local, Federal Government, civilian, and military medical facilities to interact with each other to provide essential emergency medical care. Administrative Administrative communications is the descriptive term for various support type communications used for administrative management of personnel or material required in performing Federal Government missions. All Federal Government agencies employ some type of administrative land mobile communications systems within their respective departments. Examples of these support communication systems include base stations for VIP management and control of operations and test-range safety, wireless microphones, maintenance communications, motorpool, building guards, and paging. These systems use fixed and transportable base stations and repeaters, mobiles and handheld portables. Fixed Uses The Federal Government fixed uses in these bands include the collection of seismic, meteorological, and hydrologic data for the forecast of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes; identification of potential fire danger areas; and prediction of availability of water for agricultural and public use. These data are provided to state and local officials for planning and emergency operation purposes. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio, which provides the public with up-to-date weather information, also operates in the 162-174 MHz band. 216-220 MHz BAND The 216-220 MHz band is allocated to the Federal Government and non-Federal for the maritime mobile service on a shared, primary, co-equal basis. Fixed and aeronautical mobile services are also shared by the Federal Government and non-Federal on a secondary basis. Federal Government radiolocation is also permitted in the band on a secondary basis, but limited to the military services. Non-Federal government land mobile operations are also permitted in the band on a secondary basis. In the 216-220 MHz band, there is a total of 1160 assignments, approximately 40% of which are for Federal Government operations. Table D-2 shows the major Federal users of the band. Any agency with less than 10 assignments is not included. The Departments of Energy and Interior are the major Federal users, primarily for telemetry systems in the fixed and mobile services for low power seismology operations. These systems are deployed throughout the United States. *************************************************************************** TABLE D-2. Major Federal Users of the 216-220 MHz Band. Freq. Band Federal Government Agencies/Total Number of Assignments (MHz) Air Force Army Energy Interior Navy NASA Others ---------- --------- ---- ------ -------- ---- ---- ------ 216-220 21 12 301 101 12 11 19 ************************************************************************** 225-400 MHz BAND The 225-400 MHz band consists of several band segments. The 225-328.6 MHz and 335.4-399.9 MHz are allocated to the Federal Government for fixed and mobile services on a primary basis. Some portions of these segments are also allocated for military mobile-satellite use. The segments 328.6-335.4 MHz and 399.9-400 MHz are allocated to the Federal Government and non-Federal on a shared, primary basis for aeronautical radionavigation and radionavigation- satellite services, respectively. Discussions on the latter two services were presented in Section 2 under the radionavigation category. There are more than 23,000 frequency assignments currently authorized in the 225-328.6 MHz and 335.4-399.9 MHz segments of the band. Seventy-five percent of the total assignments belong to the DoD, as can be seen in Table D-3. In the Table, the "Others" category includes those agencies with 20 or less assignments. The FAA, with 23% of the total assignments, is the other major user of these portions of the 225-400 MHz band. Seventy percent of the military use are for air-ground-air, air traffic control, shipboard line-of- sight, and tactical and strategic forces satellite communications. The FAA's assignments are in direct support to the military air traffic control. The 225-400 MHz band is the single most critical spectrum resource for the military tactical forces, both nationally and within NATO. The DoD operates approximately 75,000 radio equipments supporting its operational requirements in the band. Extensive peacetime training and alert exercises are conducted by the military to maintain their combat readiness. The band is standardized with U.S. military allies in Europe and elsewhere for interoperability during combined actions and is extensively used for a wide variety of functions, including forward area tactical radio relay, airborne, land-based and satellite communications. *************************************************************************** TABLE D-3. Major Users of the 225-400 MHz Band. Total Number of Assignments Federal Agencies 225-328.6 (MHz) 335.4-399.9 (MHz) ---------------- --------------- ----------------- Air Force 4,555 2,076 Army 2,532 1,424 Coast Guard 134 176 Energy 75 20 Federal Aviation Adm. 3,537 1,860 Navy 5,153 1,603 NASA 35 25 Others 46 3 *************************************************************************** The FAA uses the band for the control of DoD aircraft within the National Airspace because very few military aircraft have VHF aeronautical band radios. The Coast Guard also uses this band on all its aircraft to support air-ground- air communications. On every flight, these aircraft actively use and depend upon channels provided especially in the 380-399.9 MHz portion of the band. An estimated 45,000 flights per year is made for missions including search and rescue operations, drug interdiction and other law enforcement, marine environmental protection, International Ice Patrol, alien interdiction, National defense, and support of other Federal Government agencies. 932-935 MHz and 941-944 MHz BANDS Both bands are allocated to the Federal Government and non-Federal for the fixed service on a shared primary basis. In addition, Government off-shore radiolocation operation is permitted on a non-interference basis and limited to the military services. The 932-935 MHz and 941-944 MHz bands are two of the few bands supporting fixed low-capacity communication links. Spectrum use for every agency is similar in both the 932-935 MHz and 941-944 MHz bands. Usually, a transmit frequency in one band has a corresponding receive frequency in the other band or a paired channel. The main users of the bands are listed in Table D-4. As shown, FAA and Agriculture are the dominant users with an approximate combined 76% of the total assignments in both bands. The other significant users are Energy and Interior. The "Others" category includes those agencies with 10 or less assignments. FAA uses these bands for low density communications links (voice and/or data). The majority of their assignments are authorized for the Low Density Radio Communication Link (LDRCL) system, which are deployed across the United States, in support of the National Airspace System. Agriculture's assignments, however, are concentrated on the West Coast and in the North-central States. These assignments are in support of their point-to-point, microwave backbone communications systems. The DOE also operates microwave systems specially in remote areas of the United States where their operation is not accessible by telephone. For example, in the control of operation, maintenance, management and distribution of electric power. In addition, DOE employs telemetering fixed systems for weather data transfer. These bands also support DOE's emergency functions. The Interior's backbone microwave systems are directly in support of law enforcement activities and for their dispatch systems for resource management and fire suppression. *************************************************************************** TABLE D-4. Major Users of the 932-935 MHz and 941-944 MHz Bands. Total Number of Assignments Federal Agencies 932-935 MHz 941-944 MHz ---------------- ----------- ----------- Agriculture 158 153 Coast Guard 11 11 Energy 52 48 Federal Aviation Administration 302 305 Interior 44 45 Navy 14 15 Treasury 15 15 Others 10 8 *************************************************************************** 1350-1400 MHz BAND This band is allocated exclusively to the Federal Government for fixed, mobile, and radiolocation services on a primary basis. Federal Government operations in these services are limited to the military forces, although FAA has few assignments for surveillance radars needed for air traffic control. In addition, the discrete frequency at 1381.05 MHz is allocated to the fixed and mobile-satellite services for space-to-Earth relay of nuclear burst data. The 1350-1400 MHz band is primarily used by the Army for tactical training. For example, out of the approximately 690 assignments, about 508 assignments (74%) belong to the Army in support of tactical radio relay systems. The Air Force also has assignments for tactical radio relay systems but, the major Air Force system in this band is the Range Applications Joint Program Office (RAJPO) data link. This system, which cost about $100 million and also operates in the 1429-1435 MHz band, provides real-time GPS data to designated military test ranges. RAJPO is currently the only known system to fully support advanced space weapons systems development like the Strategic Defense Initiative. Other major systems supported by RAJPO are advance fighter technology integration, all stealth developments, advanced tactical aircraft, AEGIS, and sonar and antisubmarine warfare. The RAJPO has a tuning range capability between 1350- 1450 MHz. This system will be deployed at all major military test ranges and provide, in conjunction with the Global Positioning System, high accuracy position location, target tracking and other uses.
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These pages created by Jim Fordyce. © 2005 Jim Fordyce
