Frequency Availability Program (FAP)
- Submitted by:
- Dan Kodesh
- Company:
- Ventera
- Submitted on:
- 01 Jan, 2008
- Category:
- Organizational Impact Award
Application
The Frequency Availability Program (FAP) was developed by Ventera with Sprint Nextel to support the FCC mandated 800 Mhz Rebanding effort. FAP is a .NET client-server application which integrates with MapXtreme for .NET to analyze and report on frequencies available (and unavailable) for Sprint's use. FAP automatically applies FCC rules, incorporates new frequencies as they are acquired or swapped, calculates engineering parameters and identifies available frequencies for Sprint use on a per site or sector basis. FAP supports Sprint data for both the 800 Mhz and 900 Mhz frequency spectrums.
Business Benefits
- Sprint credits FAP with millions of dollars return on investment as a result of implementing FAP; this reflects productivity and other business operations gains
- Sprint also credits FAP for enabling Sprint to get additional money credits towards the substantial fee associated with the 800 MHz Rebanding initiative
- Runs against a centralized database, so analyses are always current
- Runs on multiple servers simultaneously, enabling virtually unlimited performance improvements, as required
- System outputs are used to retune sites to improve network performance
- Supports Sprint's spectrum sales, acquisition, and leases
- Supports the preparation of FCC filings by determining maximum Effective Radiated Power (ERP) per frequency
Features
- FAP processes jobs that are comprised of proposed sites
- FAP applies algorithms to each candidate frequency on the proposed site based on the FCC and Sprint business rules pertaining to frequency allocation
- FAP computes the maximum allowable ERP for all the channels subject to the constraints of the job and site
- Output used to determine frequency availability per site or per market
- Takes into account co-channels, Sprint's EA winnings, and Sprint 22 dBu and 40 dBu contours
- Integrates FCC Universal License System (ULS) data, which is the FCC's license database and automated filing system
- Uses mapping layers of FCC geographic boundaries such as Economic Area (EA) and Major Trading Area (MTA)
- Generates contour layers overlaid on terrain map of U.S with Mexican and Canadian Border Regions
- Contour can be generated based on latitude, longitude, ERP levels, contour types, azimuths, antenna heights, and contour signal strengths
- Includes generation of contours with signal strengths based on Power Flux Density (PFD) that can be applied at the border region
- Easily deployable client application allows for user-friendly input of job and site data
- Client application provides downloadable output that facilitates the interface to other critical systems
Technology
- MapXtreme for .NET, C# .NET, Oracle
- Centralized database accesses up-to-date FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) data
- Integration with Sprint deal management system for up to date knowledge of deal changes, lease expiration, and ownership status of sites
- Automates generation of the Sprint licensing contours using MapXtreme
- FAP 6.0 moved processing off the desktop and distributed it across six application servers
- Allows for concurrent processing of proposed sites within a job
- Each application server consists of a multi-threaded multi-process service that leverages quad processor Windows 2003 enterprise servers
- Each process within the application server is devoted to processing a site