Question - FCC Licensee Eligibility for Commercial Business Band Frequencies?

[dapaq2]

Hello Group,

Anytime that I have searched the FCC database and viewed the "Licensee Name" on a license it usually always showed a business or company along with an "Attention To" with a persons name or title/position. Occasionally the licensee name would be an actual persons name with their home address and not a business name. This makes me curious as to what the requirements or restrictions are on WHO may be licensed to these frequencies as far as the FCC is concerned? My question is in regard to business band commercial two way radio frequencies and NOT Amateur Radio (ham), GMRS, CB, MURS, FRS or Etc...

Curious and interested in learning more about this subject.

Thanks,
Doug

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Technically, if two-way communications are needed in a for-profit instance, then you'd qualify for a Part 90 license.

A friend of mine has his licenses under his name (but they are actually used by his business of which he is the only employee).

I know a shop that has a bad habit of putting their customer's licenses under either the shop's name or one of the owners of the shop (county SO called them out on it once but most of their business clients don't know the difference).

If your business's mailing address is your home…then that would be the address on your license.

 

[n5ims]

Quite simply, a business or a business owner can get an FCC license for their business. That business may be a multi-national corporation or a very small business ran out of someone's home. That small business may need radios to dispatch one employee to a job from a spouse that remains home and answers the phone (or even an answering service that has a radio to dispatch that one person business). It could be a family farm that has several family members (or non-family employees) out in the fields that need to stay in touch. Also, there are some small businesses that have radio licenses (perhaps many licenses) that have no real business address but rent space on tall buildings and towers for their repeaters to rent out for others to use. I'm sure that if you think about it, you can come up with many more examples of how a license may have just an individual name and apparent home address on their license but still be a valid business that needs radios.

 

[mmckenna]

§90.35 Industrial/Business Pool.
(a) Eligibility. Persons primarily engaged in any of the following activities are eligible to hold authorizations in the Industrial/Business Pool to provide commercial mobile radio service as defined in part 20 of this chapter or to operate stations for transmission of communications necessary to such activities of the licensee:

(1) The operation of a commercial activity;

(2) The operation of educational, philanthropic, or ecclesiastical institutions;

(3) Clergy activities; or

(4) The operation of hospitals, clinics, or medical associations.

Non-profits are eligible, too.

 

[DaveNF2G]

I know a shop that has a bad habit of putting their customer's licenses under either the shop's name or one of the owners of the shop (county SO called them out on it once but most of their business clients don't know the difference).

I don't see a legal problem here. The FCC stopped requiring individual customers of radio shops to have separate licenses a long time ago.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

I don't see a legal problem here. The FCC stopped requiring individual customers of radio shops to have separate licenses a long time ago.

Except the customers paid for their licenses under their names, not access to the shops licenses.

What I mean by called out, the county hired the shop to coordinate channels and purchase some new radios for a system expansion for the county. They paid for and expected the license to be under "XXX, The County Of" not "ABC Communications".

It's a trick the shop is using to lock customers into using them. Don't like us, you can go to someone else but you can't use your channels anymore…


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[dapaq2]

Guys,

Thank you for sharing the information, it has shed some light on the subject and I now have a better understanding. Again, thank you.

Doug

 

[slicerwizard]

It's a trick the shop is using to lock customers into using them. Don't like us, you can go to someone else but you can't use your channels anymore…

Sounds like a good way to get blacklisted and sued.