In the early 1990s, cities, counties and state agencies (primarily in the Twin City Metro area) experienced rapid growth in radio communications. The increased radio traffic on the public safety systems in the Metro created a severe interference problem among existing users. All FCC radio frequencies within the Metro area were in use, which limited system expansion and, in some cases, prohibited growth of radio systems. Interoperability among public safety agencies was hampered and cumbersome. The 1996 Minnesota Legislature funded the construction of a Metro-wide 800 MHz regional backbone system (Chapter 463, Sec.19, Subd. 3) to meet the demands of the Metro area, and provide capacity for local subsystems to join the network. The implementation of this system is in progress and will be operational in 2002. The problems in Metro are not unique to the area. Outstate public safety communications systems are facing many of the same problems that Metro faced ten years ago. For that reason, the 2000 Legislature directed the commissioners of the departments of Administration, Transportation and Public Safety to convene a planning committee to report to the Legislature on a plan for the development of a statewide, shared public safety radio system. The legislation further directed the planning committee to develop a means to include input from representatives of local governments and major system user groups. As a result of the legislative directive, an 800 MHz Executive Team was formed to study and assess the current and future wireless communication requirements, needs and concerns of the local units of government and major system user groups such as the state of Minnesota, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) community and school districts.
