August 31, 2006
Access by public safety to the 700 MHz band is affected by four factors – FCC’s adoption of the Interoperability standard (which was completed in January, 2001), TV broadcast incumbency (which differs by market), the development of a national 700 MHz plan (finalized at the May 10-11, 2001 NCC Meeting), and the development of each individual 700 MHz regional plan.
Until the Regions have developed their plans and had those plans approved by the FCC, no licenses (other than state-wide licenses on the 2.4 MHz state allocation at 700 MHz) can be granted at 700 MHz. The NCC Implementation Subcommittee Regional Planning documents can be found on the NPSTC website at www.npstc.org/documents/html. Fifty-one of the fifty-five Regions have either held or set the date for their first meeting. Three Regions have selected conveners but not yet set a date for the first planning meeting. Seven 700 MHz Regional Plans have been approved: Region 5 (Southern California) approved April 30, 2004; Missouri (Region 24) approved July 22, 2005; Region 19 (New England) approved on August 29, 2005; Idaho (Region 12) approved on March 14; Minnesota (Region 22); Tennessee (Region 39) and Washington (Region 43) all approved on June 27, 2006. Four 700 MHz Regional Plans are pending at the FCC: Utah (Region 41) filed on February 1, 2006; Arizona (Region 3) filed on March 29, 2006; Michigan (Region 21) filed March 31 and Northern Texas (Region 40) filed on May 8.
Each month, “The Communicator” will list the status of the 700 MHz Regional planning process. If you have any information about 700 MHz RPC planning activities that are not on this list, or have a customer who is interested in getting his or her 700 MHz Region started, please contact the editor – Bette Rinehart at 717-334-0654. Assistance is available for initiation of the Regional Planning process including presentation of an educational piece about the 700 MHz band and details about broadcast incumbency in the Region. The Regions in bold type are new to the report. Regions in italics and highlighted in pink have a Plan pending with the FCC. Regions highlighted in green have Plans approved by the FCC.
Region Status Next Meeting Chair/Convener
1 (Alabama) First Meeting 1/24/02 TBD Eric Linsley, Chair
2 (Alaska) First Meeting 5/22/03 TBD Dean Strid, Chair
3 (Arizona) Plan Submitted to FCC March 29, 2006 Mark Schroeder, Chair
4 (Arkansas) First Meeting 2/24/04 TBD Carl Jacobs, Chair
5 (Southern California) Plan Approved April 30, 2004 Dave Buchanan, Chair
6 (N. California) First Meeting 5/16/02 August 22, 2006 Bill DeCamp, Chair
7 (Colorado) First Meeting 4/20/01 August 23, 2006 Emery Reynolds, Chair
8 (Metro NewYork) First Meeting 1/23/02 August 15, 2006 Peter Meade, Chair
9 (Florida) First Meeting 1/17/01 TBD Ray Carlson, Chair
10 (Georgia) First Meeting 1/24/02 November 14, 2006 Wray Hall, Chair
11 (Hawaii) First Meeting 09/18/02 August 8, 2006 Robert Hlivak, Chair
12 (Idaho) Plan Approved 3/14/06 June 5, 2006 Bart Hamilton, Chair
13 (Illinois) First Meeting 3/4/01 August 8, 2006 Gary Cochran, Chair
14 (Indiana) First Meeting 11/14/01 November 8, 2006 Anthony Stantz, Chair
15 (Iowa) First Meeting 5/29/02 TBD Richard Hester, Chair
16 (Kansas) First Meeting 10/13/02 TBD Edwin Geer, Chair; Randy Moon, Co-Chair
17 (Kentucky) First Meeting 2/15/02 TBD Bob Stevens, Chair
18 (Louisiana) First meeting 8/31/01 TBD William Vincent, Chair
19 (New England) Plan Approved 8/29/2005 September 12, 2006 George Pohorilak, Chair
20 (Maryland) First meeting 6/22/01 August 14, 2006 Ed Ryan, Chair
21 (Michigan) Plan Submitted to FCC March 31, 2006 Joe Turner, Chair
22 (Minnesota) Plan Approved 6/27/06 Steve Pott, Chair
23 (Mississippi) First Meeting 1/09/02 TBD Bill Ford, Chair
24 (Missouri) Plan Approved July 22, 2005 Steven Devine, Chair
25 (Montana) First Meeting 7/17/02 TBD Jerry Dupler, Chair
26 (Nebraska) First Meeting 8/8/02 TBD Mike Jeffries, Chair
27 (Nevada) First Meeting 1/22/03 TBD Mark Pallans, Chair
28 (Eastern PA) First Meeting 6/24/04 August 17, 2006 Richard Reynolds, Chair
29 (New Mexico) First Meeting 3/21/05 TBD Julian Zamora Chair
30 (Eastern NY) First Meeting 12/2/03 September 14, 2006 David Cook, Chair
31 (North Carolina) First Meeting 11/17/03 September 12, 2006 Michael Hodgson ,Chair
32 (North Dakota) Appointed Convener First Meeting TBD Rick Hessinger, (Convnr)
33 (Ohio) First Meeting 2/28/01 TBD Paul Mayer, Chair
34 (Oklahoma) First Meeting 11/19/03 TBD H. Stephen Williamson, Chair
35 (Oregon) First Meeting 1/16/02 TBD David Brooks, Chair
36 (W. PA) Appointed Convener First Meeting TBD Rich Matason, Convener
37 (South Carolina) First Meeting 7/17/02 TBD William Winn, Chair
38 (South Dakota) Appointed Convener First Meeting TBD Todd Dravlund (Conv)
39 (Tennessee) Plan Approved 6/27/06 John Johnson, Chair
40 (Northern Texas) Plan Submitted to FCC May 8, 2006 Dan Scrivner, Chair
41 (Utah) Plan Submitted to FCC February 1, 2006 Steve Proctor, Chair
42 (Virginia) First Meeting 10/2/01 TBD Tom Hanson, Chair
43 (Washington) Plan Approved 6/27/06 July 26, 2006 Jon Wiswell, Chair
44 (West Virginia) First Meeting 6/16/05 TBD David Saffel, Chair
45 (Wisconsin) First Meeting 5/1/03 TBD Russell Schreiner, Chair
46 (Wyoming) First Meeting 2/15/01 November 13, 2006 Mark Joiner, Chair
47 (Puerto Rico) First Meeting 4/ TBD Ferdinand Cedeno (Conv.)
49 (Central Texas) First Meeting 10/29/01 August 17, 2006 Ron Mayworm, Chair
50 (W. Texas) First Meeting 7/15/04 TBD Jack Crandall, Chair
51 (Houston) First Meeting 11/8/00 August 30, 2006 Ron Gillory, Chair
52 (N. Texas) First Meeting 7/30/03 TBD Bob Sanders, Chair
53 (South Texas) First Meeting 12/6/01 TBD Victor Perez, Chair
54 (Chicago) First Meeting 10/00 October 11, 2006 Bill Carter, Chair
55 (New York-Buffalo) First Meeting 5/20/02 August 23, 2006 Louis Oshier, Chair