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Border Regions - Canada
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U.S. - Canada Border Region
Latest News
The TA has updated its Request for Planning Funding (RFPF) Form and webpage to include guidance and submission deadlines for Canadian border region licensees.
As the TA continues to work on determining the new frequency assignments for the Canadian border regions, licensees who require funding for planning activities should complete and submit a Request for Planning Funding Form as soon as possible, but no later than October 14, 2008. It is not necessary to know your replacement frequencies before you prepare an RFPF.
Public safety licensees affected by reconfiguration in the Canadian border regions should have received a questionnaire via email from the TA requesting their assistance in gathering information necessary for frequency planning and identification of appropriate replacement frequencies for their radio system. If you have not already done so, please complete and submit this questionnaire to the TA as soon as possible. If you have any questions specific to the questionnaire, you may email them to CanadaQuestions@800TA.org.
For all other questions, contact comments@800TA.org. You are encouraged to inform the TA as soon as an issue or challenge is identified that may prevent successful planning, negotiations, or reconfiguration implementation.
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Overview
On May 9, 2008, the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) released a Second Report and Order that establishes a reconfigured 800 MHz band plan in the U.S.-Canada border regions. It provides for a 30-month transition period, which begins on October 11, 2008, for the rebanding in those border regions, including expedited timelines for planning, negotiations, and mediation. The planning and negotiation phase is expected to last approximately seven to eight months, leaving 22 to 23 months for the reconfiguration implementation phase.
Who Needs to Reconfigure? To Where?
Many 800 MHz systems in the U.S.-Canada border regions will be required to relocate to new frequencies as part of the transition from the current band plan to the new band plan. For a description of the
general guidelines about where licensees will relocate to and for more detailed information on the specific band plans for the eight geographic regions along the U.S.-Canada border, you may review the
FCC's Second Report and Order, specifically, paragraphs 7 and 43 through 45 and Appendices C-1 through C-4.
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Map of the U.S. - Canada Border Region
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Figure 1:
U.S. - Canada Border Region
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Frequency Proposal Reports and Frequency Planning
Licensees in the Canadian border regions and licensees adjacent to the border regions that have not previously received replacement frequencies can expect to receive in the coming months a Frequency Proposal Report
(FPR) from the TA that will identify their frequencies designated for reconfiguration and detail their proposed replacement frequencies.
For public safety licensees in the most densely populated regions, the determination of replacement frequencies in the Canadian border regions will be a complex process. To identify the most appropriate
replacement frequencies, the TA will coordinate information gathering and planning with the NPSPAC Regional Planning Committees, public safety licensees, and Sprint Nextel.
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Non-Frequency Dependent Activities Fact Sheet
A Frequency Proposal Report (FPR) is a report provided by the 800 MHz Transition Administrator, LLC (TA) that identifies a licensee's frequencies designated for reconfiguration and contains proposed replacement frequencies
and other information to assist licensees in the 800 MHz band reconfiguration process. This fact sheet provides guidance on non-frequency dependent activities that Canadian border licensees, particularly Public Safety licensees,
can commence prior to receiving their FPR from the TA.
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How Should I Prepare for Reconfiguration?
Licensees in the Canadian border regions are encouraged to proceed with planning activities to the extent that they are not frequency-dependent and would not result in unnecessary duplication of costs. In general, the TA will approve reasonable and prudent expenses associated with such activities for reimbursement; however, any costs must be negotiated with and approved by Sprint Nextel as part of either a Planning Funding Agreement or a Frequency Reconfiguration Agreement and approved by the TA.
Licensees can initiate certain activities prior to the receipt of a Frequency Proposal Report and are encouraged to consider the following activities:
- Submit a Point of Contact (POC) Form, which is available on the TA's website here, to the TA to ensure that the TA has the correct address for mailing frequency proposals and other communications to you.
- Identify vendors and/or consultants that can assist you with reconfiguration.
- Review and update your license information in the FCC's Universal Licensing System (ULS) database, particularly contact information, to ensure that it is correct and up-to-date.
- Consider what type of planning activities you will need to perform. If you will need funding for your planning activities, you should prepare a Request for Planning Funding (RFPF) and submit it by Tuesday, October 14, 2008, even if you have not yet received a Frequency Proposal Report. Additional information about
RFPFs is provided below. In general, the vast majority of licensees that have requested planning funding have been public safety licensees, although any licensee subject to reconfiguration may submit an RFPF.
- If you do not need separate funding for your planning activities, you should include any planning costs as part of your Frequency Reconfiguration Agreement. This is highly recommended if you have less than 500 subscriber units or need less than 30 business
days of resource effort for planning.
- Be proactive! The earlier your organization engages in this process, the more time you will have to work out the specifics of your reconfiguration.
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Requests for Planning Funding
As specified in the FCC's Second Report and Order, Canadian border area licensees that intend to negotiate a Planning Funding Agreement (PFA) with Sprint Nextel should submit a Request for Planning Funding (RFPF) as soon as possible but no later than Tuesday, October 14, 2008. As the TA continues to work on determining the new frequency assignments for the Canadian border regions, licensees who require funding for planning activities should complete and submit an RFPF Form even if they have not yet received an FPR Click here to download the RFPF Form and Instructions.
After you submit an RFPF, you and Sprint Nextel will negotiate a Planning Funding Agreement. If you and Sprint Nextel have not reached an agreement on a PFA by October 14, 2008, you will have an additional 30 days to continue PFA negotiations under the monitoring of a TA mediator. If, at the end of the 30 day period, there is no agreement on a PFA, you and Sprint Nextel will participate in active mediation for 20 days. If you do not reach agreement during the mediation period, the TA will refer any remaining disputed issues to the PSHSB within 10 days of the close of the mediation period. Additional information about the mediation process can be found in the TA's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Plan, which is available here.
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Planning
After the TA approves your PFA, you can perform the following planning activities, even if you have not yet received a Frequency Proposal Report:
- Conduct your subscriber equipment inventory.
- Conduct your infrastructure inventory.
- Conduct non-frequency-specific engineering and implementation planning.
- Define your interoperability environment.
Once you receive your Frequency Proposal Report, you will need to complete your remaining planning activities, such as frequency-dependent tasks, and submit a cost estimate for your reconfiguration implementation activities to Sprint Nextel. You may submit your cost estimate to Sprint Nextel as soon as it is prepared.
Upon TA approval of your PFA, you will have up to 90 to 110 days, depending on the number of subscriber units in your system (see below), to complete your planning activities and submit a cost estimate for the reconfiguration of your system to Sprint Nextel.
- If you have up to 5,000 subscriber units, the period to complete planning and submit a cost estimate is 90 days;
- If you have 5,001-10,000 units, the period is 100 days; and
- If you have more than 10,000 units, the period is 110 days.
However, if you have not received replacement frequencies at the time of the TA's approval of your PFA, the calculation of the planning period will run from the day you receive your new frequency assignments.
If you require additional time to complete planning, you may request an extension from the PSHSB. You must provide the reasons why more time is necessary and demonstrate that you have exercised diligence in the time already allotted. You should file extension requests with the PSHSB at the following email address: PSHSB800@fcc.gov and copy the TA at TAMediation@ssd.com.
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Subscriber Equipment Deployment (SED) Program
If you have completed your inventory, you may want to consider participating in the Subscriber Equipment Deployment (SED) program, which allows you to begin reconfiguration of subscriber units, including obtaining replacement equipment, software upgrade kits, and installation services, before you negotiate a complete FRA. Additional information is available here.
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Frequency Reconfiguration Agreement (FRA) Negotiations
After completing your planning activities and submitting a complete cost estimate to Sprint Nextel, you will have 30 days to negotiate a Frequency Reconfiguration Agreement with Sprint Nextel under the monitoring of a TA mediator. If you are unable to negotiate an FRA within 30 days, you and Sprint
Nextel will participate in active mediation for 20 days. If you do not reach agreement during the mediation period, the TA will refer any remaining disputed issues to the PSHSB within 10 days of the close of the mediation period.
If you are not planning to enter into a Planning Funding Agreement with Sprint Nextel, the TA will announce your FRA negotiation schedule at a later date. You are encouraged to begin planning or preparing a cost estimate for the reconfiguration of your
system to the extent that these activities are not frequency-dependent.
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Frequency Reconfiguration Presentation
The following Adobe .pdf file represents the presentation used by the TA in meetings with licensees in Region 21 (Michigan), Region 33 (Ohio), and Regions 55 and 30 (New York) to discuss frequency reconfiguration and questionnaires for public safety licensees.
Frequency Presentation (MI, OH)
Frequency Presentation (NY)
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