I think it is 800 mhz that they are going to. Scanners will not pick them up. Something home land security came up with. They are not cheap radios and don't have as good range is rural areas. DHS and others have been pushing this for various reasons. The big push is for "interoperability". If they send a state cop from Cairo, Illinois to Chicago it is a simple matter to switch "groups" and he is able to talk to them. In Illinois they have a "Starlink" ... maybe is it Starcomm ... anyway, it is a statewide emergency communication system. You can set anyplace in the state and talk almost anyplace else in the state. Every Fire dept was given the opportunity to get a free radio. BUT once you used it it cost $XX per month. And to put one in every truck was $2-3000. Handheld radios are something like $3000. Most down state depts said "That's nice". Nationside I don't think everyone has jumped on the bandwagon.
This "trunking system" is in the same general band as cellphones. It has caused a problem because some systems are too close in frequency and need changed (that is a very brief overview). It is a great idea in metro areas. Less and less great the more rural you are.
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Police Scanner Frequencies
