Do I really need to have my radios licensed by the FCC?

Short answer: yes. Your radios really do need to be licensed by the FCC. Operating with unlicensed radios is just not worth the risk of financial penalty or loss of reputation.

First, let’s take a look at the reasoning behind this licensing requirement. There are a finite number of frequencies within the bands allotted for professional radio use. In order to keep these frequencies open and available for important business communications, the FCC assigns organizations specific frequencies and specific areas in which they are allowed to operate. Without this process, anyone could use any frequency to communicate, and the resulting interference would make it impossible to sort through the jumble of transmissions coming through, let alone run a business efficiently.

The FCC helps ensure that businesses and public safety entities are able to communicate reliably on their assigned frequency.

What happens if I get caught?

If the FCC finds out you are operating radios without a license, you could be fined as much as $25,000 per day until your radios are licensed. That’s enough to put a small organization out of business!

In addition, if you have been flying under the radar using unlicensed radios, the FCC could assign the channels you rely on to someone else without warning. This would leave you and your employees unable to communicate because of all the interference from the licensed business, and you would have no recourse to get those channels back. It’s the FCC’s job to avoid channel overlap as much as possible, so you are much less likely to encounter channel congestion by having an FCC license.

What about HAM radio?

First off, HAM radios also require a license. Additionally, businesses are prohibited from operating on ham channels. The community of HAM radio enthusiasts are very protective of their channels, and it’s likely you’d be reported for trying. Again, It’s not worth the risk.

Air Comm makes the process easy

Listen, nobody likes paperwork or going through the bureaucratic process of applying for a license. But, that’s where Air Comm comes in. We have handled thousands of FCC license applications over the years and are happy to do most of the grunt work for you! We’ll help you choose your radios, streamline the application process, and make sure you end up on the ideal spectrum for your business.

Contact us to get started!