THE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

The communications plan satisfies the communications requirements of an operation. It specifies circuits, channels, and facilities to be used and stipulates the policies and procedures that are applicable. The plan is, in effect, an assignment of communications tasks to be performed by subordinate commanders or by supporting commands.

The planner first establishes requirements for communications and then determines the best means for satisfying them. This process may reveal shortages or inadequacies in what is available. If inadequacies are identified, it may become necessary to share circuits or facilities, as well as merging or consolidating requirements. All possibilities should be considered to support valid operational requirements.

In planning communications, the planner must evaluate such factors as the performance, capabilities, and capacities of systems, facilities, and personnel. These factors are merely guides and averages. They represent the sum result of experience in previous similar situations, and are considered only after any local factors are determined. These factors change from time to time and must all be available for final determination of communications requirements.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE REQUEST (TSR)

When a command requires additions, deletions, or changes in existing Defense Communications System (DCS) circuits, it must initiate a TSR. The submission of a TSR is not a simple process and requires research and planning. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) publishes a publication called Submission of Telecommunications Service Request, DISA CIRCULAR 310-130-1, that provides instructions for preparing and submitting TSRs. New, increased, or updated services are expensive and require substantial justification.

The increasingly high cost of telecommunications support, especially leased services, has resulted in the high visibility of communications programs at all levels of government. This fact underscores the need for managerial awareness and improved life cycle documentation of telecommunications resources.

Planning and developing a responsive naval telecommunications system requires early identification and consideration of user requirements. Programming is required to obtain necessary resources. Normally, these requirements should be defined and submitted at least 2 years in advance to permit timely system planning and programming.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE ORDER (TSO)

The TSO is the authorization to start, change, or discontinue circuits, trunks, links, or systems. It is used to amend previously issued TSOs and to effect administrative changes.

The basic circuit design information for all new or changed circuits will be provided by the TSO. The TSO may also be used as the authority to procure specific devices and ancillary equipment necessary to install the circuit or services designated.

FREQUENCY MANAGEMENT

Over the last quarter century, electronics has pervaded virtually every facet of our life. High-tech electronic devices, especially those that radiate, make constant use of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The term "electromagnetic spectrum" refers to the natural vibrations that occur when a force is applied to a substance. These vibrations occur with various speeds and intensities. The speed at which they occur

is called frequency, and the distance between each vibration is called wavelength. Frequency and wavelengths are discussed in a later module.

Spectrum Management

A great invention in the 19th century ultimately led to the need for spectrum, or frequency, management. This invention was the wireless or, as we know it today, the radio. At first, there were only two radio frequencies-50 kilohertz (kHz) and 1000 kHz. Today, the spectrum is recognized by international treaty to extend up to 3000 gigahertz (GHz). The development of radar, satellites, and other technologically advanced systems and their subsequent demands on the frequency spectrum have contributed to the need for frequency management.

Frequency Allocation

The Department of the Navy will obligate no funds for equipment until a frequency allocation has been obtained. This means that all actions necessary to establish a frequency band for a specific item must be completed and approved prior to budgeting funds.

The allocation approval authority considers the type of service the item will provide and the classification of the emission. This authority also enforces rules and regulations and compliance with technical standards. The approval authority also ensures the compatibility of emerging equipment with other equipment operating in the same electromagnetic environment.

Interservice frequency coordination is another important consideration. It reduces the potential for harmful inteference if more than one service develops similar items that will operate in the same band. The coordination is the responsibility of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), working through the United States Military Communications Electronics Board (USMCEB).

Frequency Assignment

Frequency assignment is the process of authorizing a system or equipment to operate on a discrete frequency (or frequencies) and within a specified set of constraints. Examples of constraints are power, emission bandwidth, location of antennas, and operating time.

Authority for using radio frequencies by Navy and Marine Corps activities within the United States and

Possessions (US&P) is obtained from the Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Washington, D.C.

The CNO establishes overall policy for spectrum management within the Department of the Navy. Authority for using radio frequencies by Navy and Marine Corps activities within the area of responsibility of a unified or specified commander is obtained from the Joint Chiefs of Staff through the USMCEB. Within the Department of the Navy, the Naval Electromagnetic Spectrum Center (NAVEMSCEN) authorizes frequency assignment applications and ensures all prerequisites are completed.