The FCC Mandatory Narrowbanding deadline is fast approaching and as of January 1, 2013, “any equipment that is not capable of operating on channels of 12.5 kHz or less will need to be replaced.” The FCC added that, “it is likely that those who fail to comply will face serious penalties such as monetary fines or license cancellation.” If you do not currently have a plan or need assistance, please contact us immediately.

What is Narrowbanding?

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Traditional land mobile VHF and UHF bands use a 25 kHz bandwidth (“wide-band”); narrowbanding reduces the channel bandwidth of your radios to 12.5 kHz, with an eventual FCC goal of 6.25 kHz.

This change will create broader spectrum availability with an additional benefit of interference protection. This mandate does pose some challenges, but with proper planning and funding, you will find a seamless transition.

Whom Does This Change Affect?

Note: OmniSite is not a SCADA system and does not utilize VHF or UHF bands, so your OmniSite system is not affected by this requirement.

Most wastewater or water system that utilize a standard SCADA/RTU system through private land mobile radio to monitor remote pump stations should evaluate their current systems.

This mandate especially affects those that utilize monitoring equipment installed before 2011 and have not yet started to upgrade.

Some equipment comes preprogrammed to work on both the 25 kHz and 12.5 kHz channels, but running devices on different channels on the same network may create interference and other communication errors.

If your current radios cannot operate on the 12.5 kHz bandwidth, then you will nned to replace your radios before January 1, 2013 or run the risk of fines or major interference.

Is There an Easy Solution?

OmniSite can help municipal utilities transfer to cellular monitoring devices; our solutions comply with the FCC narrowbanding mandate. A new OmniSite system with an extended warranty costs less than a replacement SCADA/RTU radio.

Not convinced of the cost savings? Download our savings worksheet (xls) to see for yourself. After installation, you will find OmniSite’s ease of use an added benefit to the cost savings over your traditional SCADA system.

Because OmniSite utilizes your local cellular network, you will never have to worry about private land radio bandwidth requirements in the future. You will have a system that will fulfill your technical requirements for years down the road. Additionally, our GuardDog Web Portal comes standard with every OmniSite device.

From the GuardDog interface, you can see all your device alarm notifications for failures and high/low level as well as pump stats for well level, well drawdown, amp draw, on/off cycles, runtime, and more. Take a quick look at our free GuardDog demo to see the software in action.

What Step Should I Take Next?

If you would like to learn more about the OmniSite Cellular Monitoring Solutions, please visit www.OmniSite.com. When you are ready to purchase a unit, find a local representative to assist you or purchase online. Should you have any additional questions please feel free to contact us.