Business band

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In the United States, the business band is the colloquial name used by radio users who utilize and scanner hobbyists who listen to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Industrial/Business pool frequencies. The regulations listing frequencies in this pool are contained in Subpart C of Part 90, Title 47 of the CFR.

Contents

Overview

The pool describes a series of frequencies on the VHF and UHF two-way radio bands. They are reserved for use by companies and individuals operating commercial activities; educational, philanthropic, or ecclesiastical institutions; clergy activities; or hospitals, clinics, or medical associations. [1] In the United States, use of these frequencies requires a license issued by the U.S. FCC. The exceptions to this are five specific frequencies that are also part of the Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS), which permits unlicensed operation on these frequencies, provided the output power does not exceed 2  watts. Other frequency bands, such as Citizens Band Radio (CB radio) and Family Radio Service (FRS), may also be used without a license.

Channels are available in several frequency ranges to suit the users' requirements for propagation and protection from interference. The electromagnetic spectrum between approximately 450 and 470  MHz is used largely for UHF business communications, although this spectrum is not exclusively for business use. In some large metropolitan areas, such as New York, the UHF-T band (between 470 and 512 MHz) is also used due to congestion on the standard VHF or UHF bands. There are also a number of specific frequencies, in both the VHF and UHF spectrums, that are for business use; some of these have color-coded names, such as Red Dot or Blue Star.

In 2004, the FCC required all CFR 47 Part 90 VHF (150–174 MHz) and UHF (421–470 MHz) PLMR (Private Land Mobile Radio) licensees operating legacy wideband (25 kHz bandwidth) voice or data/SCADA systems to migrate to narrowband (12.5 kHz bandwidth or equivalent) systems by January 1, 2013. [2]

History

The Private Land Mobile Radio Service (47CFR90, or Part 90 of the FCC Rules) was established in the US in 1927 [3] to permit commercial and public safety uses of two-way radio by commercial entities and non-Federal government agencies. Similar allocations are available in other countries. The available frequencies in the US have traditionally been separated into two pools. One is for industrial and business users, including some special categories such as petroleum, manufacturing, and forestry; the other is for public safety [4] including medical, police, fire, and others. The industrial and business frequencies, sometimes also known as "business band radio," and the eligibility requirements are listed in 47CFR90.35. [1] Frequencies are licensed on a non-exclusive basis, although fixed stations and mobiles operating in a defined area are issued licenses only following frequency coordination [5] to assure equitable sharing of bandwidth. Anyone conducting commercial business or a number of other activities is eligible for a license.[ citation needed ]

Other general-purpose two-way radio services with simplified licensing requirements have also been established over the years in the US, including GMRS and CB, the latter now being licensed by rule so that users don't need individual licenses. FRS and MURS are similar pools of frequencies that do not require individual licenses in the US.[ citation needed ]

Frequency charts

Although the term "business band" refers to several discrete frequencies that are not grouped into a single band, examples of some of the frequencies are grouped by band and listed below. These charts also list other frequencies that are not specifically part of the "business band" but are commonly used by businesses. An individual license is still required under GMRS rules. A few manufacturers added these DOT frequencies to Business radios in the 1990s to have more "channels" and aid in selling radios. Part 90 (Business) and Part 95 (GMRS) frequencies are not interchangeable and are not to be used under the same guidelines. Each has different criteria for licensing. Part 95 GMRS frequencies are not "Itinerant", nor business band frequencies. [6]

Low-band frequencies

Note: the 27.555 MHz, 27.615 MHz, 27.635 MHz, 27.655 MHz, 27.765 MHz and 27.860 MHz frequencies have no active licenses for any of them. No expired, canceled or terminated licenses exist in the FCC database, indicating that legal users have abandoned the 27.555 MHz - 27.86 MHz frequencies for at least 30 years.

27.430 MHz, 27.450 MHz, 27.470 MHz and 27.490 MHz all are actively used by current business radio license holders, however.

The 25.6 MHz to 28 MHz spectrum is heavily used for unlicensed out of band CB radio communications within the U.S.

Outside of the U.S., numerous additional CB radio allocations exist, including CB radio services that overlap with the 27.54 MHz to 28 MHz allocation, paging systems, land mobile services (outside the U.S.) and additional CB radio allocations exist in the 26 MHz portion as well.


Frequency or rangeNotes
25.020-25.320 MHz20 kHz channel steps, primarily assigned to oil spill cleanup operations
27.430–27.530 MHz20 kHz channel steps
27.555 MHzAuthorized only in certain areas for forestry and logging operations
27.615 MHzAuthorized only in certain areas for forestry and logging operations
27.635 MHzAuthorized only in certain areas for forestry and logging operations
27.655 MHzAuthorized only in certain areas for forestry and logging operations
27.765 MHzAuthorized only in certain areas for forestry and logging operations
27.860 MHzAuthorized only in certain areas for forestry and logging operations
29.710–29.790 MHz20 kHz channel steps
30.580–31.960 MHz20 kHz channel steps, shared with State Forestry in some areas
33.120–33.400 MHz20 kHz channel steps, some low-power frequencies
35.020–35.980 MHz20 kHz channel steps, some low-power frequencies
37.440–37.880 MHz20 kHz channel steps, often used for power and water company communications
42.960–44.600 MHz20 kHz channel steps, some low-power or itinerant frequencies
47.440–49.580 MHz20 kHz channel steps

VHF frequencies

FrequencyNameNotes
151.505 MHzItinerant
151.5125 MHzItinerant (narrow band)
151.625 MHzRed DotItinerant
151.700 MHzItinerant
151.760 MHzItinerant
151.820 MHz MURS; 2 watts, 11.25 kHz bandwidth
151.880 MHzMURS; 2 watts, 11.25 kHz bandwidth
151.940 MHzMURS; 2 watts, 11.25 kHz bandwidth
151.955 MHzPurple Dot
154.515 MHz
154.5275 MHzItinerant (narrow band)
154.540 MHz
154.570 MHzBlue Dot [7] MURS; 2 watts, 20 kHz bandwidth
154.600 MHzGreen DotMURS; 2 watts, 20 kHz bandwidth
158.400 MHzItinerant
158.4075 MHzItinerant (narrow band)

VHF Bands

UHF frequencies

Note: Businesses may be licensed for numerous additional frequencies, 6.25 kHz channel spacing in the following bands

In repeater systems, +5 MHz offset (split) is used, repeater output frequency on the lower frequency. The 5 MHz offset is standard for 450-470 MHz.

Many business users operate simplex on either frequency, this is legal if the license specifies mobile operation on the given frequency. Other frequencies are designated for low power simplex operation only.


In certain urban areas, additional UHF allocations in the 422-430 MHz band (areas: Buffalo, New York, Detroit, Michigan and Cleveland, Ohio) and/or the 470-512 MHz UHF-T band are also available. These allocations are assigned to other services in the vast majority of the United States.

FrequencyNameNotes
462.575 MHzWhite Dot GMRS
462.625 MHzBlack DotGMRS
462.675 MHzOrange DotGMRS
464.500 MHzBrown DotItinerant
464.550 MHzYellow DotItinerant
467.850 MHzSilver Star
467.875 MHzGold Star
467.900 MHzRed Star
467.925 MHzBlue Star
469.500 MHz(Brown dpx)Itinerant
469.550 MHz(Yellow dpx)Itinerant

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References

  1. 1 2 Section 90.35 of the FCC rules
  2. "FCC Order issued in December 2004" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2013. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  3. "FCC: Wireless Services: Private Land Mobile Radio Services: Private Land Mobile". Wireless.FCC.gov. Archived from the original on February 22, 2009. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  4. Section 90.20 of the FCC rules
  5. "FCC: Wireless Services: Industrial/Business: Licensing: Frequency Coordinators". Wireless.FCC.gov. February 5, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  6. "General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)". FCC.gov. July 31, 1987. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  7. Fawcett, Bill. "Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Blue Dot Radios... But Were Afraid to Ask". Spaniel Journal.