11-26-1986 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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CELLULAR SERVICES IN MINNESOTA Cellular One is one of two federally regulated mobile telephone companies licensed to operate in the Minneapolis - St. Paul Metropolitan statistical area. Because of the scarcity of radio spectrum, the federal communications commission will allow only two cellular carriers per market. The second licensed carrier in the Minneapolis - St. Paul Metropolitan statistical area is a subsidiary company of U.S. West (New Vector Communications). This scenario is a result of the government - ordered divestiture of AT &T to introduce a comletitive environment among carriers that would in turn provide better service for the consr.mer. This concept is more readily noticed in service provided by the long distance telephone carriers. The key to the Federal Communications Commission's selection of cellular technology as the mobile communications of the future is frequency reuse. Before cellular, the conventional mobile telephone operations consisted of one tall (Approximately 1000' above average terrain), powerful (100,000 watts) centrally located transmitter. Customers often had to wait for an available channel while hundreds more waited years just to receive a phone number. This was because their was a limited number of channels (perhaps 100) being transmitted from one source. The FCC recognized the need for a new method of mobile communications and the computer age allowed for the cellular technology to become a reality. The cellular system also is alotted a limited number of channels (333) but uses them more efficiently. By constructing many relatively short (200' - 300'), low powered (<100 watts) transmitters, each strategically spaced, a cellular system can efficiently reuse its channels throughout the network. i.e. Channels A -M that are assigned to the Maple Grove site can also be used at the Chaska, St. Paul and Hudson cell sites without the risk of interference because of cell location and low power transmission. Another example of channel reuse is the television industry's use of the 13 VHF channels, but on a much larger geographic scale. i.e. Channel 4 in Minneapolis is not the same programming as Channel 4 in Chicago, St. Louis, Omaha, etc. The Minneapolis - St. Paul mobile phone system that Cellular One operates today is a network of eleven 'cells' or transmit sites. By the second quarter of 1987 their will be fifteen cell sites and by 1988, the number of cells will be 18. This growth is necessary to accommodate a rapidly growing customer base and to service areas with weak or nonexistent coverage. This growth can be attributed to the recognition by business and the emergency services that the cellular telephone is an invaluable communications tool (see attachment A). Beyond Cellular 's obvious advantages, the addition of a modem and compact computer allows the police, medical personnel and the business person to send and receive data via radio waves from remote locations. Cellular service improves the quality of life in a community. It's beneficial in attracting new businesees, existing businesses are more productive and emergency services operate more efficiently. 43