Governmental Projects
Many Tribal, State, County, and City governments are
taking advantage of federal funding to update and expand
their networks for data access and voice transmission across
their jurisdictions. We have worked extensively with
many governments to license projects large and small.
If you are a dealer of microwave equipment that is bidding
on a project, get in touch with us for a quote. You will find use
to be cost-competitive and easy to work with!
Procurement & Purchasing
Many government purchasing departments have their projects
listed online. We would like to be added to your
bidder invitation list. Contact us so that
we can be added to your approved vendors list.
Plan & Spec
Whether you are a vendor or have a job out for bid, send
us a copy of the specifications or notice of the project.
If you are in the Pacific Northwest, we do have access to
some project plans. Just tell us the job name, bid
date, location, and whether it is a public bid or by
invitation, and we will take a look at the plans.
Engineering & Design
We are not a radio dealer, and do not provide equipment.
Even so, members of our design staff have extensive
microwave experience. If you are contemplating a new
system, will be happy to provide guidance. Architects and engineers are welcome to
contact us with questions.
Carriers & Telecoms
While microwave systems are central to telephone companies
and internet providers, many smaller companies do not have
the dedicated resources or personnel to devote to microwave
licensing. RLS is a cost-effective alternative to
doing licensing in-house.
License management is
another value-added option. We work with several
smaller telephone companies in the United States, and can
offer you the same cost savings and service to help your
company stay profitable.
Multiple Address Systems (MAS)
These systems are a sort of cross between
business two-way and
microwave. MAS is used by utilities to monitor and
control a number of remote sites, somewhat like a
large-scale SCADA system. We
have experience with this licensing too.
Satellite
Satellite systems are really just a variation on microwave
systems, albeit with much different licensing requirements.
If you are considering a sat system,
contact us for help.
Issues of Interest
4.9 GHz Point to Point (PTP)
4.9 is a special band reserved for
Public Safety users
only. This includes all City, County, State, and
Tribal governments obviously, and also is available for
ambulance corps and volunteer groups with support by their
local government. 4.9 was designed for temporary
installations only. No fixed sites were
authorized. Many users are installing permanent fixed
systems without proper additional licensing.
Additional licensing is required for
all permanent fixed sites. Licensing
requirements vary from state to state, and often require the
approval of the state 4.9 planning committee. If you
are contemplating a fixed system, call us to learn what the
licensing requirements are for your area.
70/80/90 GHZ
To the FCC, this is known as the Millimeter Service.
To industry users, it is known as E-Band. E-Band
microwave is used for short-haul applications. One of
its prime virtues is that there is no frequency coordination
required, which keeps the licensing costs down and also
reduces the licensing time. Licensing entails
obtaining a single license for the system, and then the
individual paths or links need to be registered with the
frequency coordinator. This takes just a few days.
Since the Millimeter Service is quite new, there are very
few licensed operators at this time, but their numbers are
growing daily. Read more about this new band in this
very informative recent news article. RLS can provide
licensing and registration for your E-Band system.
Contact us for more information.
Category A & B Antenna Standards
In the 1980s, the FCC made rules regarding use of higher
gain antennae in more congested areas. The higher gain
units were labeled Category A antennae, while the lower
gain units were labelled Category B. Category A
antennae had to conform to specific radiation patterns or
masks, defined by signal strength as a function of the angle
of deviation from boresight. By way of analogy, if
radio was visible light, one can think of a Category A
antenna as a spotlight while a Category B antenna would be a
floodlight. Some parts of the country are not required
to use Category A antennae, but if any of the other licensed
incumbents complain to the FCC about interference caused by
your Category B antenna, you will be required to replace
your antenna with the Category A unit. If you are
unsure whether you should adhere to the Category A standard,
call us. To learn more about the two standards, read
this excellent article. [
View article ]
