Business use of GMRS

[davidotoole]

Quote

The operator of a GMRS station may use that station for two-way plain language voice communications with other GMRS stations and with FRS units concerning personal or business activities.

This is from https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-95/subpart-E/section-95.1731 . Does that mean GMRS is legitimate for commercial use? It used to not be, I think. Seems obvious enough, but I've misunderstood rules before...  I would greatly appreciate any help you can offer. 

[davidotoole]

Just to clarify, it does say that only individuals and not businesses can have licenses. I am asking about whether individual licensees can communicate with each other for business purposes.

[Sshannon]

Yes:

§ 95.1731 Permissible GMRS uses.

The operator of a GMRS station may use that station for two-way plain language voice communications with other GMRS stations and with FRS units concerning personal or business activities

[davidotoole]

Thank you @Sshannon I wonder when this was changed? That language is present in the 2017 ruling, I still see some info online that says GMRS commercial use is verboten. Anyway thanks for clearing this up  I am so happy for everyones help and I hope I can make a good contribution to this forum.

[Sshannon]

2 minutes ago, davidotoole said:

Thank you @Sshannon I wonder when this was changed? That language is present in the 2017 ruling, I still see some info online that says GMRS commercial use is verboten. Anyway thanks for clearing this up  I am so happy for everyones help and I hope I can make a good contribution to this forum.

It depends on what you’re doing commercially.  First, these uses are forbidden for all public radio services:

§ 95.333 Prohibited uses.

No person shall use a Personal Radio Service station:

(a)In connection with any activity which is against Federal, State or local law; 

(b)To transmit advertisements or program material associated with television or radio broadcasting; 

(c)To transmit messages for hire or provide a common carrier service; 

(d)To intentionally interfere with the communications of another station; 

(e)To transmit obscene, profane or indecent words, language or meaning; or 

(f)To transmit a false or deceptive communication.

 

So clearly you cannot spam listeners or charge to deliver messages.

 

[davidotoole]

Quote

So clearly you cannot spam listeners or charge to deliver messages.

Yes. Thank you for clarifying this. My imagined commercial use involves communicating between employees, paging and finding one another on site. No advertisements or common carrier.

[Sshannon]

FRS has similar language that permits business use:

Family Radio Service (FRS).A short-distance two-way voice communication service, with limited data applications, between low power hand-held radios, for facilitating individual, family, group, recreational and business activities. 

[Sshannon]

Finally, these are the prohibited uses named in the GMRS section (Part E):

§ 95.1733 Prohibited GMRS uses.

(a)In addition to the prohibited uses outlined in § 95.333 of this chapter, GMRS stations must not communicate: 

(1)Messages in connection with any activity which is against Federal, State, or local law; 

(2)False or deceptive messages; 

(3)Coded messages or messages with hidden meanings (“10 codes” are permissible); 

(4)Music, whistling, sound effects or material to amuse or entertain; 

(5)Advertisements or offers for the sale of goods or services; 

(6)Advertisements for a political candidate or political campaign (messages about the campaign business may be communicated); 

(7)International distress signals, such as the word “Mayday” (except when on a ship, aircraft or other vehicle in immediate danger to ask for help); 

(8)Messages which are both conveyed by a wireline control link and transmitted by a GMRS station; 

(9)Messages (except emergency messages) to any station in the Amateur Radio Service, to any unauthorized station, or to any foreign station; 

(10)Continuous or uninterrupted transmissions, except for communications involving the immediate safety of life or property; and 

(11)Messages for public address systems. 

(12)The provision of § 95.333apply, however, if the licensee is a corporation and the license so indicates, it may use its GMRS system to furnish non-profit radio communication service to its parent corporation, to another subsidiary of the same parent, or to its own subsidiary. 

(b)GMRS stations must not be used for one-way communications other than those listed in § 95.1731(b). Initial transmissions to establish two-way communications and data transmissions listed in § 95.1731(d)are not considered to be one-way communications for the purposes of this section

[Lscott]

1 hour ago, davidotoole said:

Yes. Thank you for clarifying this. My imagined commercial use involves communicating between employees, paging and finding one another on site. No advertisements or common carrier.

Each employee, including you, would be required to have their own GMRS license and comply with all the regulations including the ID one. As a business owner you can't get a license for your business, that was eliminated with the rule changes in 2017,  and hand out radios to your employees.

If that's too much to deal with then just go and buy a bunch of FRS radios. Most of the same regulations apply that you see for GMRS. The big differences are the radios are limited to 2 watts on most channels, no repeater access and no ID/license requirements. 

[nokones]

Back in the early days of GMRS, businesses and corporations where granted GMRS licenses. Those licenses were frequency and location specific. If those licenses were originally granted before July, 1987, were eligible to be grandfathered and if they were grandfathered and renewed and valid may continue to operate per the specified restrictions and limitations of the grandfathered Radio Station Authorization (License) per Part 95.1705(g).

[PartsMan]

On 3/18/2023 at 11:13 AM, Lscott said:

Each employee, including you, would be required to have their own GMRS license and comply with all the regulations including the ID one. As a business owner you can't get a license for your business, that was eliminated with the rule changes in 2017,  and hand out radios to your employees.

If that's too much to deal with then just go and buy a bunch of FRS radios. Most of the same regulations apply that you see for GMRS. The big differences are the radios are limited to 2 watts on most channels, no repeater access and no ID/license requirements. 

This is were the service naming is backward. "Family Radio Service" is for general use.

"General Mobile Radio Service" is for anybody in your family (and other families with a licensed user).

It is very common for a boss to get GMRS radios and communicate with his unrelated employees though.

[WRUU653]

On 3/18/2023 at 7:41 AM, davidotoole said:

Yes. Thank you for clarifying this. My imagined commercial use involves communicating between employees, paging and finding one another on site. No advertisements or common carrier.

Sounds like a use case for MURS, like Walmart. License free not much traffic on it. 

[Sshannon]

48 minutes ago, WRUU653 said:

Sounds like a use case for MURS, like Walmart. License free not much traffic on it. 

It really is perfect for this. The 2 watt power and VHF range, plus simple radios and clear frequencies make MURS ideal.