Business Band Licensing

[awitham]

I recently noticed that two local businesses are using UHF Business Band hand held radios. Neither the RR Database nor the FCC license database shows any licensing for either address.

When I enquired about their licensing I was told "They guy that sold us the radios said we could use his frequency to save us having to get a license". (He programmed the radios for them - so I don't doubt the claim)

I could understand short term rentals being covered by the owner's license, but not outright purchases. This seems to me like saying to the guy who buys my care "Here, borrow my driver's license to save having to get one yourself!"

I hope the sages and gurus here might advise if I have missed something obvious. If this is permissable, why doesn't Radio Shack obtain a GMRS to cover every customer that buys a radio?

Thanks

 

[code3cowboy]

A driver license indicates a specific person is checked out on a set of skills and serves as ID.

Why would radio shack want to bring that kind of liability onto themselves?

 

[bezking]

Unless you are talking about Part 90 frequencies (LMR or FCC type IG), the UHF "business band" is open for businesses to use, unlicensed.

 

[stevelton]

Unless you are talking about Part 90 frequencies (LMR or FCC type IG), the UHF "business band" is open for businesses to use, unlicensed.

What UHF "business band" frequencies are you talking about?
UHF business band IS part 90 LMR...


ANY frequency between 150-174 and 450-512 is going to need a license, with the exception on FRS, MURS, ect.

Now, it could be possible that the radio shop has an FB6 repeater on UHF, and sold the business the radios, and is letting him use the repeater, or could have set them to low power and use the repeaters talkaround, on a different PL then the normal repeater users.

Under FB6. the shops license will cover his customers, as long as they are allowed under part 90 rules.

 

[bezking]

What UHF "business band" frequencies are you talking about?
UHF business band IS part 90 LMR...


ANY frequency between 150-174 and 450-512 is going to need a license, with the exception on FRS, MURS, ect.

Now, it could be possible that the radio shop has an FB6 repeater on UHF, and sold the business the radios, and is letting him use the repeater, or could have set them to low power and use the repeaters talkaround, on a different PL then the normal repeater users.

Under FB6. the shops license will cover his customers, as long as they are allowed under part 90 rules.

I thought he was referring to these:

Business band - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[N_Jay]

I thought he was referring to these:

Business band - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Double check your understanding of the frequencies in that wiki.
The Business/Industrial pool are Part-90 frequencies and require a license.

GMRS is generally not allowed for Business. (Yes there are workarounds by having everyone have their own license.

Even if the shop has a license for the repeater, the user also needs a license (Maybe not if it is CSMR. I am not up on those rules)

 

[DaveNF2G]

In general, Part 90 no longer requires individual users of a licensed business or GMRS repeater system or trunked system to have licenses.

"Business band" is a misnomer and does not match any FCC terminology for any of the frequencies under discussion. In fact, in the early days of the cellular ban, people often used "business band" as a euphemism for mobile phone frequencies. It really doesn't mean anything and probably should not be used in the Wiki except as an historical footnote.

 

[N_Jay]

I always take "Business Band" to roughly equate to what is now the Business/Industrial Pool in Part 90.
I believe in most cases the user (company/agency/organization) must be licensed. I believe that there are exceptions for CSMR and some other "trunked/shared" type services (What used to be community repeaters)
GMRS requires a license and is currently aimed at family use. (this has been discussed at length in other threads)

 

[AlanTilles]

Mr. Stark - With all due respect, I believe that your response might be taken as misleading to the casual reader. All Part 90 frequencies (with a few limited exceptions) require licensing. I believe what you were trying to say is that is a Private Carrier licensee (at 800 or 900 MHz we'd say "SMR") has a license on a particular frequency, his customers on that frequency and operating through his/her system do not require individual licensing. The Private Carrier licensee remains responsible for all operations (and violations) by his/her customers.

Alan S. Tilles, Esq.
Chairman, Telecommunications Department

atilles@shulmanrogers.com | T 301.231.0930 | F 301.230.2891

SHULMAN, ROGERS, GANDAL, PORDY & ECKER, P.A.
12505 PARK POTOMAC AVENUE, 6TH FLOOR, POTOMAC, MD 20854