Cost Estimates Updated for 800 MHz Re-Tuning

The group that is managing the FCC-mandated re-tuning of the public safety 800 MHz band has released an updated report setting out how how much it costs typical agencies, hoping that historical figures will help agencies whose re-tuning projects are still pending. The project’s Transition Administrator (TA) has approved 829 re-tuning projects since 2007, part of a plan to reduce interference in the band due to interleaved frequency assignments. The latest report breaks down costs by number of “subscriber units,” or radios, and by number of repeater sites. The cost figures are based on estimates by the license holder being re-tuned, and are analyzed by the TA before approval. The median estimates range from $35,141 for agencies with from one to 500 subscriber units, to $5.5 million for agencies with more than 10,000 units. For agencies with from 1001 to 2000 units, the largest costs are for actual unit reconfiguration, project management, engineering and legal expenses. Download (pdf) the updated report here.