Last week APCO took part in international 5G standards meetings held by 3GPP in Prague, Czech Republic to develop technical specifications for the 4.9 GHz spectrum band, an important step towards bringing 5G services to the public safety community in the U.S.
Participants approved a new project (a “Work Item”) to specify how 5G can operate in the 4.9 GHz band, which is dedicated to public safety. The effort will address key technical details, such as establishing the band’s channel bandwidths and subcarrier spacing, identifying new nr band numbering, and defining the band’s RF channel performance characteristics. The effort will also identify the technical parameters necessary for 5G use and what is needed to coordinate and protect co-channel and adjacent users of the band from harmful interference.
The FCC has developed rules that will assign a 4.9 GHz nationwide overlay license to a Band Manager to improve public safety’s use and access to the 4.9 GHz band. The Band Manager will then be authorized to enter into a sharing agreement with the FirstNet Authority to promote 5G use of the band within the FirstNet network while concurrently coordinating new use of the band with incumbent 4.9 GHz licensees.
APCO continues to work within 3GPP and alongside public safety and industry to ensure public safety users’ increased access to this important public safety spectrum. Representing public safety in this important international standards body is a priority to APCO in its continued support of public safety communications.
