The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken steps to update Part 95 of its rules that address regulatory requirements applicable to personal radio services and devices used by the general public, such as radio-controlled toy cars, boats and planes, citizen band (CB) radios, medical implants and hearing assistance devices, and walkie-talkies.
In a Report and Order issued in May, the Commission adopted 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- Revising CB rules to remove outdated requirements, such as labeling requirements and limits on the use of channels when conditions allow long-range communications, and clarifying the use of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- Removing other rules deemed to be outdated or unnecessary, changing other rules to increase clarity and reduce potential confusion, and reorganizing and streamlining all Part 95 rules to make them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.
Read the complete text of the FCC’s Report and Order.
