Rural Radiotelephone Service

[JASII]

Does anybody happen to know if any of these systems are still in use anywhere in the United states any longer? I am guessing that at this point they are all long gone, but who knows.

I could do an FCC license search, but that will only tell me if there are any systems still licensed, it won't tell me if any are still in service.



https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/rural-radiotelephone-service

Radio Service Code(s)

CR - Rural Radiotelephone

The Rural Radiotelephone Service is in the 152 – 159 MHz and 454 – 460 MHz spectrum bands. Rural Radiotelephone spectrum is used to provide basic, analog, telephone service to subscribers in locations deemed so remote that traditional wireline service or service by other means is not feasible.

 

[ecps92]

I did [in the past 2-3 yrs] hear the UHF, being used in Northern New England, if I recall it might have been from an Aircraft

Does anybody happen to know if any of these systems are still in use anywhere in the United states any longer? I am guessing that at this point they are all long gone, but who knows.

I could do an FCC license search, but that will only tell me if there are any systems still licensed, it won't tell me if any are still in service.



https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/rural-radiotelephone-service

Radio Service Code(s)

CR - Rural Radiotelephone

The Rural Radiotelephone Service is in the 152 – 159 MHz and 454 – 460 MHz spectrum bands. Rural Radiotelephone spectrum is used to provide basic, analog, telephone service to subscribers in locations deemed so remote that traditional wireline service or service by other means is not feasible.

 

[mmckenna]

Used to be quite a bit of it in Nevada, but the last few times I've been through there I haven't seen any.
Used to be a section in the phone book for them. Usually a list of a few ranches and how to reach them.

A number of those services have gone to lower cost microwave systems. With more people wanting internet access, going to an IP based system makes a lot more sense.

 

[K2RNI]

There still are but they combined with internet now. Lot's of Wireless ISPs offer this service now bundled with internet and provide telephony over VOIP. The provided Router/Modem for a lot of them has a phone jack. Wonder how many kids out in the rural areas would listen to the old analog services back in the 70s and 80s, going into town to visit the local Radio Shack was a fun thing to do regularily in high school.

You could also buy your own, used to hear a lot of those old Senao cordless phones and on other brand. They had everything from regular looking cordless sets up to 5 watts and bigger 45 watt Bases you connect to a rooftop antenna and even a mobile carphone of similar power with magmount antenna to use with it. All running unlicensed of course and on the military aviation frequencies no less, Upper 200 MHz range for one side of the link, 300 for the other.

 

[prcguy]

I've installed a lot of those systems in the 80s and 90s when there was no cell phone service in remote areas of So Cal but I'm sure they have been replaced by now.