Spectrum Manager role

Describes the role of a spectrum manager within the FSR system.

The Spectrum Manager provides two basic inputs within the process flow:
  • Preliminary Frequency Assignment
  • Final Frequency Assignment

The Preliminary Frequency Assignment is provided immediately after submission of a new customer opportunity as a guide for the RF network design team, so they know what co-channel neighbors may impact or be impacted by the potential new customer network. This assignment should not be misunderstood as a final frequency assignment.

The time between the entering of a customer opportunity and the actual sale can be considerable. As a result, frequency availability and FlexNet neighbor networks may have changed during this time, resulting in the need to make a frequency assignment change.

A Final Frequency Assignment is provided once the customer has committed to purchase a FlexNet system. At this time, a final review of the available spectrum, existing neighbor co-channel customer systems and available interference-free utility-codes and subnet-ids is made. Based on this review, the optimal solution of frequency and utility-code and subnet-id is identified. If possible, the assignment made during the Preliminary Frequency Assignment stage will be kept. If not possible, a new frequency will be identified and the RF team will be notified of this change so they can review and make design changes if necessary.

When performing either a Preliminary Frequency Assignment or a Final Frequency Assignment, a review of the following previously provided inputs is made. If any one of these items in incomplete or missing, the opportunity will be rejected and the proper information requested.
  • Utility Type (Electric, Gas, Water, Lighting, DA, ESM, DR, and so on).
  • Services served by the utility.
  • Reading device type (BTS, HH, VGB, and so on).
  • System Capacity Analyzer results.
  • Country, States and Counties where the system will be operated.
  • Customer Service Territory Boundary (Google Earth polygon in kmz file format).
  • Special Conditions such as a request to be on the same frequency as a neighbor system.

These items are all evaluated when choosing an optimal frequency assignment. Additional items considered in this decision include: proximity to BEA borders, restricted zones or other customer service area boundaries, distance from international borders and so on.

As a result of the assignment process, a frequency or frequencies will be identified along with a list of existing co-channel neighbor customers. Neighbors are defined as any existing customer that has a potential to receive signals from or transmit signals to the new customer service territory at a signal strength that may cause harmful interference.