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problems. At the same time, other radio users with the County, including County departments <br /> such as Public Works and city radio users, are also likely experiencing congestion now or will be <br /> experiencing congestion in the future. Most of those radio user entities also operate in the high- <br /> band VHF radio area and will need additional frequencies so that more than the nine frequencies <br /> for public safety entities will in fact be needed within Anoka County within about the next five <br /> years. <br /> Agencies that migrate to use of the new Digital Modulation, 800 MHz Minnesota Department of <br /> Transportation (Mn/DOT) Radio System will be turning back frequencies in the VHF band in the <br /> future. Those frequencies will not begin to be turned back until migration to the new Mn/DOT <br /> radio system is completed which will not begin until the beginning of 2003. The policy <br /> established for use of those turned back frequencies states that the agency that will be turning <br /> back a frequency must notify the Metropolitan Radio Board 90 days prior to turning back the <br /> frequency. The Metropolitan Radio Board will then make a decision as to whether or not that <br /> frequency to be turned back is needed for some purpose within the Mn/DOT system. If it is not <br /> needed, the Board will notify the State of Minnesota frequency coordinator that a frequency will <br /> become available. It will then be up to the frequency coordinator to determine who among <br /> various applicants for additional frequencies should receive the turned back frequency. It must <br /> be understood that there are great demands for additional frequencies in the VHF band from <br /> cities and counties located throughout and surrounding the metropolitan region, including <br /> counties in Wisconsin. There are great needs for VHF frequencies in at least 14 counties that are <br /> contiguous to the seven county metropolitan region. As a result, the frequency coordinator will <br /> be forced to ration frequencies that are made available for licensing by applicants from all of <br /> those counties. It is believed that Anoka County might receive no more than one or two of the <br /> frequencies that will be turned back by the agencies that will be migrating to the new system. <br /> Not all of the frequencies currently used by the agencies migrating to use the Mn/DOT radio <br /> system are to be turned back, as many of them will have continuing uses for such things as siren <br /> control and fire service paging. <br /> The other possible way in which Anoka County may be able to obtain additional VHF radio <br /> channels will be through use of very narrowband radio frequencies that are being made available <br /> for licensing by the FCC through its refarming process, the rules for which were published in <br /> September of 1998. It will be necessary that very narrowband frequencies having a bandwidth of <br /> 6.25 kHz be used. Use of the 6.25 kHz bandwidth channels will allow having two frequencies in <br /> the bandwidth currently occupied by one frequency for at least some of the frequencies currently <br /> in use in Anoka County. There will be some restrictions on use of these very narrowband <br /> frequencies in regard to at what site adjacent frequencies will be usable. It is, however, possible <br /> that with one or two additional turn back channels and use of very narrowband radios that nine <br /> additional frequencies for public safety use and some additional frequencies for use by other <br /> government radio users in Anoka County can be obtained within the next five years. There are <br /> no digital modulation radios currently manufactured that operate within 6.25 kHz of bandwidth. <br /> Enhancement of the existing public safety radio systems in Anoka County is not possible if <br /> Ronald Vegemast Engineering, Inc. -23- Report Anoka County <br />