The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has finalized its regulations covering personal radio services, including radio-controlled toy cars, boats and planes, citizen band (CB) radios, medical implants and hearing assistance devices, and walkie-talkies.
Published at the end of August, the FCC’s Final Rule on personal radio services follows a Report and Order issued earlier this year, in which the Commission proposed the adoption of a number of reforms, including:
- Increasing the number of communications channels available for both general mobile radio service (GMRS) and family radio service (FRS), expand digital capabilities to GMRS and increase the power and range for certain FRS channels;
- Revising CB rules to remove outdated requirements, such as labeling requirements and limits on the use of channels when conditions allow long-range communications, and clarifying the use of hands-free devices with CB radios;
- Removing other rules deemed to be outdated or unnecessary, changing other rules to increase clarity and reduce potential confusion, and reorganizing and streamlining all Part 95 rules to make them easier to understand.
Under the Final Rule, the proposed reforms will now come into effect as of September 28, 2017.
Read the complete text of the FCC’s Final Rule as published in the Federal Register.
