4.9 GHz Safety Band Licensing and Permits

Applications
#1

I was wondering if anyone had some experience working with towns to use the 4.9 GHz band. Maybe correct me if I am wrong, maybe give me some pointers on getting towns interested in this.

So most of our local townships have never even heard about 4.9 GHz and I have begun working with one to get permission for us to use it in their area. The process is a bit more involved then I first or second thought.

Here is what I have found

  • You get written permission to use 4.9 GHz from the local Safety Coordinator.
  • You apply for a license from the FCC to use the frequency.
  • When you have permission you then need to mark out where your fixed sites will be and other paperwork about such sites.

At certain points I have been confused and it seems like some people are saying that the town/safety coordinator is supposed to posses the license themselves and then give permission. Has anyone done this before and can explain away my confusion?

#2

Unfortunately I haven’t had to do any 4.9 stuff yet. Wish I could help you out :frowning:

#3

There’s an FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making in action right now - go to ECFS on the FCC site and search for 4.9 GHz. Good Luck!

#4

I saw that, it would be nice if they changed the rules to let WISPs to use the band because almost no one is using 4.9 and its very valuable for us who are using 4.9 ready equipment already, but proposed rule making means to me that “sometime in the next 5 years it is changing”, not telling me how to get it done today.

#5

We use 4.9Ghz all the time for our Public safety Customers, The FCC Process is fairly simple however the end agency / Township does have to be the registered owner of the License and setup the FCC Account, you as the integrator/installer cannot own it on their behalf (Although you can do the paperwork for them).

If you need help please reach out.

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#6

So I have a fire department that wants a PTMP setup between buildings, does the town’s safety coordinator need to be the name on the license or the fire department people?

Also, we run the town’s security cam’s and an interconnect for their maintenance, my understanding is that the security cameras can be run over the 4.9, but stuff that doesn’t have safety uses, like town maintenance traffic, or is there some flexibility?

#7

William

Since the fire dept is a “public safety” agency in their own right they can directly apply to fcc for the 47 cfr part 90 (https://www.fcc.gov/49-ghz-public-safety-spectrum) license.

I would however run it past the towns safety co-ordinator or even better the person who manages both the police and fire vhf radios for the town as they probably already manage some fcc licenses.

Either way you are perfectly fine running the towns cctv video and any other management traffic related to that over these links.

The license is free to the agency and can be granted for up to 10 years.

If you need more help feel free to ask.

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#8

Do the license holders have to own the equipment or just the license?

Thanks a lot! There is not much clear info out there and one vendor said that we could use 4.9 for our broadband customers! Thank you so much for the clarification. I have been hoping to move all these town/fire links out of the 5 GHz band so we can get a bit more “elbow” room, but there is so much disinformation that this process just made me want to give it up.

Thanks again for the help. If you are ever in Northern Colorado shoot me a message, I owe you a drink.

#9

There is no mandate for the physical ownership of the equipment however if you are using the licensed 4.9 ghz frequency under a license that has been issued then the license holder is the responsible party as far as the fcc is concerned. If they cause interference or operate outside of the licensed areas then they are the ones who will be contacted not you as the vendor.

Hope this helped.

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