Title 47

SECTION 90.531

90.531 Band plan.

§ 90.531 Band plan.

This section sets forth the band plan for the 758-775 MHz and 788-805 MHz public safety bands.

(a) Base and mobile use. The 763-775 MHz band may be used for base, mobile or fixed (repeater) transmissions. The 793-805 MHz band may be used only for mobile or fixed (control) transmissions.

(b) Narrowband segments. There are two band segments that are designated for use with narrowband emissions. Each of these narrowband segments is divided into 960 channels having a channel size of 6.25 kHz as follows:

Frequency range Channel Nos.
769-775 MHz 1-960
799-805 MHz 961-1920

(1) Narrowband interoperability channels. The following narrowband channels are designated for nationwide interoperability licensing and use: 23, 24, 39, 40, 63, 64, 79, 80, 103, 104, 119, 120,143, 144, 159, 160, 183, 184, 199, 200, 223, 224, 239, 240, 263, 264, 279, 280, 303, 304, 319, 320, 641, 642, 657, 658, 681, 682, 697, 698, 721, 722, 737, 738, 761, 762, 777, 778, 801, 802, 817, 818, 841, 842, 857, 858, 881, 882, 897, 898, 921, 922, 937, 938, 983, 984, 999, 1000, 1023, 1024, 1039, 1040, 1063, 1064, 1079, 1080, 1103, 1104, 1119, 1120, 1143, 1144, 1159, 1160, 1183, 1184, 1199, 1200, 1223, 1224, 1239, 1240, 1263, 1264, 1279, 1280, 1601, 1602, 1617, 1618, 1641, 1642, 1657, 1658, 1681, 1682, 1697, 1698, 1721, 1722, 1737, 1738, 1761, 1762, 1777, 1778, 1801, 1802, 1817, 1818, 1841, 1842, 1857, 1858, 1881, 1882, 1897, 1898.

(i) Narrowband data Interoperability channels. The following channel pairs are reserved nationwide for data transmission on a primary basis: 279/1239, 280/1240, 921/1881, and 922/1882. Voice operations are permitted on these channels on a secondary basis.

(ii) Narrowband calling Interoperability channels. The following channel pairs are dedicated nationwide for the express purpose of Interoperability calling only: 39/999, 40/1000, 681/1641, and 682/1642. They may not be used primarily for routine, day-to-day communications. Encryption is prohibited on the designated calling channels.

(iii) Narrowband trunking Interoperability channels. The following Interoperability channel pairs may be used in trunked mode on a secondary basis to conventional Interoperability operations: 23/983, 24/984, 103/1063, 104/1064, 183/1143, 184/1144, 263/1223, 264/1224, 657/1617, 658/1618, 737/1697, 738/1698, 817/1777, 818/1778, 897/1857, 898/1858. For every ten general use channels trunked at a station, entities may obtain a license to operate in the trunked mode on two of the above contiguous Interoperability channel pairs. The maximum number of Interoperability channel pairs that can be trunked at any one location is eight.

(2) Narrowband General Use Reserve channels. The following narrowband channels are designated for General Use subject to Commission approved regional planning committee regional plans and technical rules applicable to General Use channels: 37, 38, 61, 62, 77, 78, 117, 118, 141, 142, 157, 158, 197, 198, 221, 222, 237, 238, 277, 278, 301, 302, 317, 318, 643, 644, 683, 684, 699, 700, 723, 724, 763, 764, 779, 780, 803, 804, 843, 844, 859, 860, 883, 884, 923, 924, 939, 940, 997, 998, 1021, 1022, 1037, 1038, 1077, 1078, 1101, 1102, 1117, 1118, 1157, 1158, 1181, 1182, 1197, 1198, 1237, 1238, 1261, 1262, 1277, 1278, 1603, 1604, 1643, 1644, 1659, 1660, 1683, 1684, 1723, 1724, 1739, 1740, 1763, 1764, 1803, 1804, 1819, 1820, 1843, 1844, 1883, 1884, 1899, 1900.

(i) T-Band Relocation. The narrowband channels established in paragraph (b)(2) are designated for priority access by public safety incumbents relocating from the 470-512 MHz band in the urban areas specified in §§ 90.303 and 90.305 of the Commission's rules provided that such incumbent commits to return to the Commission an equal amount of T-Band spectrum and obtains concurrence from the relevant regional planning committee(s). Public safety T-Band incumbents shall enjoy priority access for a five year period starting from the date the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau releases a public notice announcing the availability of Reserve Channels for licensing.

(ii) Deployable Trunked Systems. Outside the urban areas specified in §§ 90.303 and 90.305 of the Commission's rules, the 700 MHz Regional Planning Committees may designate no more than eight 12.5 kilohertz channel pairs for temporary deployable mobile trunked infrastructure (F2BT) that could be transported into an incident area to assist with emergency response and recovery.

(iii) General Use. Outside the urban areas specified in §§ 90.303 and 90.305 of the Commission's rules, the 700 MHz Regional Planning Committees may designate sixteen to twenty four 12.5 kilohertz channel pairs for General Use, including low power vehicular mobile repeaters (MO3).

(3) Narrowband low power channels subject to regional planning. The following narrowband channels are designated for low power use for on-scene incident response purposes using mobiles and portables subject to Commission-approved regional planning committee regional plans. Transmitter power must not exceed 2 watts (ERP): Channels 1-8 paired with Channels 961-968, and Channels 949-958 paired with Channels 1909-1918.

(4) Narrowband low power itinerant channels. The following narrowband channels are designated for low power use for on-scene incident response purposes using mobiles and portables. These channels are licensed nationwide for itinerant operation. Transmitter power must not exceed 2 watts (ERP): Channels 9-12 paired with Channels 969-972 and Channels 959-960 paired with Channels 1919-1920.

(5) Narrowband state channels. The following narrowband channels are designated for direct licensing to each state (including U.S. territories, districts, and possessions): 25-36, 65-76, 105-116, 145-156, 185-196, 225-236, 265-276, 305-316, 645-656, 685-696, 725-736, 765-776, 805-816, 845-856, 885-896, 925-936, 985-996, 1025-1036, 1065-1076, 1105-1116, 1145-1156, 1185-1196, 1225-1236, 1265-1276, 1605-1616, 1645-1656, 1685-1696, 1725-1736, 1765-1776, 1805-1816, 1845-1856, 1885-1896. Voice operations on these channels are subject to compliance with the spectrum usage efficiency requirements set forth in § 90.535(d).

(6) Narrowband general use channels. All narrowband channels established in this paragraph (b), other than those listed in paragraphs (b)(1), (b)(4), (b)(5), and (b)(7) of this section are reserved to public safety eligibles subject to Commission approved regional planning committee regional plans. Voice operations on these channels are subject to compliance with the spectrum usage efficiency requirements set forth in § 90.535(d).

(7) Air-ground channels. The following channels are reserved for air-ground communications to be used by low-altitude aircraft and ground based stations: 21/981, 22/982, 101/1061, 102/1062, 181/1141, 182/1142, 261/1221, 262/1222, 659/1619, 660/1620, 739/1699, 740/1700, 819/1779, 820/1780, 899/1859, and 900/1860.

(i) Airborne use of these channels is limited to aircraft flying at or below 457 meters (1500 feet) above ground level.

(ii) Aircraft are limited to 2 watts effective radiated power (ERP) when transmitting while airborne on these channels.

(iii) Aircraft may transmit on either the mobile or base transmit side of the channel pair.

(iv) States are responsible for the administration of these channels.

(c) [Reserved]

(d) Combining channels. Except as noted in this section, at the discretion of the appropriate regional planning committee, contiguous channels may be used in combination in order to accommodate requirements for larger bandwidth emissions, in accordance with this paragraph. Interoperability channels may not be combined with channels in another group except for channels for secondary trunking channels.

(1) Narrowband. Subject to compliance with the spectrum usage efficiency requirements set forth in § 90.535, two or four contiguous narrowband (6.25 kHz) channels may be used in combination as 12.5 kHz or 25 kHz channels, respectively. The lower (in frequency) channel for two channel combinations must be an odd (i.e., 1, 3, 5 * * *) numbered channel. The lowest (in frequency) channel for four channel combinations must be a channel whose number is equal to 1 + (4xn), where n = any integer between 0 and 479, inclusive (e.g., channel number 1, 5, * * * 1917). Channel combinations are designated by the lowest and highest channel numbers separated by a hyphen, e.g., “1-2” for a two channel combination and “1-4” for a four channel combination.

(2) [Reserved]

(e) Channel pairing. In general, channels must be planned and assigned in base/mobile pairs that are separated by 30 MHz. However, until December 31, 2006, channels other than those listed in paragraphs (b)(1) and (c)(1), may be planned and assigned in base/mobile pairs having a different separation, where necessary because 30 MHz base/mobile pairing is precluded by the presence of one or more co-channel or adjacent channel TV/DTV broadcast stations.

(f) Internal guard band. The internal guard band (768-769/798-799 MHz) is reserved.

(g) Broadband. The 758-768 MHz and 788-798 MHz bands are allocated for broadband communications.

[63 FR 58651, Nov. 2, 1998, as amended at 65 FR 66654, Nov. 7, 2000; 66 FR 10635, 10636, Feb. 16, 2001; 67 FR 61005, Sept. 27, 2002; 67 FR 76700, Dec. 13, 2002; 72 FR 48860, Aug. 24, 2007; 77 FR 62463, Oct. 15, 2012; 79 FR 71325, Dec. 2, 2014]