FCC updates personal radio services rules

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is updating the Personal Radio Services rules, also known as the Part 95 rules.

In a statement, the FCC said it will modernise the rules, remove outdated requirements and reorganise them to make it easier to find information.

In doing so, the commission has taken note of more than two dozen proposals submitted by interested parties.

“Today’s action will result in a more consistent, clear and concise set of rules that will better serve the needs of the public,” the commission said in a statement.

The Personal Radio Services rules cover a wide variety of low-power devices that use shared radio frequencies and do not usually require an individual licence for each user.

Examples include CB radios, walkie-talkies, radio-controlled toys, hearing assistance and medical implant devices, and personal locator beacons.

Specific reforms include:

• An increase in the number of channels for both General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) and Family Radio Service (FRS), an expansion of digital capabilities to the GMRS, and an increase in the power/range for certain FRS channels to meet demand for longer-range communications.
• An update to the decades-old CB rules, including labelling requirements and a limit on use of channels when conditions allow long-range communications. There will also be clarification that hands-free devices can be used with CB radios.

In addition, the FCC will remove outdated and unnecessary rules, change others to increase clarity and reduce potential confusion, and reorganise and streamline all Part 95 rules to make them easier to understand. The rules will also be converted to plain language format to make them more user-friendly.

Logo courtesy FCC.

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