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- M M Contract for the County to upgrade the existing 800 MHz system to the new technology of the future, should it decide to do so, at a discount for the equipment. Ericsson also noted that additional vendors have been authorized to manufacture and distribute communications equipment compatible with the °EDACS° technology. ALTERNATIVES AND ANALYSIS: The various alternatives regarding the 800 MHz Communications System have been reviewed and information is provided below for your review and consideration. ALTERNATIVES REGARDING CONSTRUCTION OF AN 800 MHz SYSTEM Alternative No. 1: Do not recommend construction of an 800 MHz Communications System.. The current public safety VHF and UHF communication systems now in use is 1950's vintage technology, except for the existing 800 MHz 5 channel trunking, non-public safety system, used by Indian River County. The FCC has approved its spectrum refarming policy which places public safety entities and other users of channels below 512 MHz in a position of being forced to migrate to narrowband communications equipment over the next several years. Given the fact that a majority of existing communications VHF and UHF equipment is in poor condition, skips and interference are experienced, there are many dead spots where communications cannot be transmitted or received, and concerne about liability, the issue is whether to purchase old technology or advance to a more modern technology wherein interoperability between agencies and efficient use of the spectrum is achieved. Ref arming is going to have a great impact on VHF and UHF communications in the future. We now have 10 conventional channels. If we do not obtain the 800 MHz National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) public safety channels allocated to us in the Region 9 Communications Plan, they will be lost, possibly forever, and the County will not be able to go to a larger channel 800 MHz system in the future. Even if the refarming policy is disregarded, the majority of the existing public safety communications systems currently in place are aged and not sufficient to do the job. They would have to be replaced in the near future. The issue is whether old or new technology will be approved for purchase and do we provide a system allowing inter- agency communications. Alternative No. 2: Recommend construction of an 800 MHz Communications System that includes public safety entities only. This alternative could not be done within budget (10/2), the channels would be insufficient, and it would solve only part of the communications problem for public safety. There would be no interoperability, refarming of the spectrum would continue to affect the coverage of other agencies, and the NPSPAC channels would be lost. The vendor informs staff that the expense to add backbone equipment later to support all users would probably double in cost. In time, other agencies would have to.fund costs associated with a redesign of their communications systems, including infrastructure (towers, transmitters, repeaters) as old radios are replaced with radios that operate with narrowband technology. Alternative No. 3: Recommend construction of an 800 MHz Communications System which includes only the Indian River County administration. This alternative could be done, maybe within budget (10/2), with the deletion of phone interconnect, digital interface, and west tower. It would solve the communications problem for the county administration. However, the law enforcement problem would continue to exist, since they would continue, to operate in the spectrum below 512 MHz on worn out equipment and refarming would impact coverage as new radios utilizing old technology is purchased as replacements. A new system will have to be purchased in the future and the NPSPAC public safety 800 MHz channels will probably not be available in the future. Alternative No. 4: Recommend construction of an 800 MHz Communications System which includes only the Indian River County administration and the Sheriff's Office. This alternative would resolve and the Sheriff's Office, but existing budget "and the 10/2 support this number of users. December 19, 1995 the problems for the administration it could not be done within the channels would be insufficient to The Sheriff's Office would not have 55 Boob 96 w,&849_15