Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rule Change for transmitting radios in the United States

In order to promote more efficient use of the radio frequency spectrum, the FCC has amended its licensing rules for transmitters (radios) operating in the 150-174 MHz (Public Safety Pool) and in the 421-512 MHz (Business/Industrial Pool) frequency bands assigned to the Public Land Mobile Services (PLMRS) use in the United States. The FCC is migrating the bandwidth and channel spacing of radios from 25 kHz (wideband) to 12.5 kHz (narrowband). Products in many industries, use radios that operate on these frequencies and are thus subject to this change.

You can access the most recent rule changes and dates published in the Federal Register posted on the website of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) at www.apcointl.org/frequency/documents/fedreg03-18054.pdf. (To access this document, please copy and paste this URL into your browser.) As of January 13, 2004, the FCC will accept applications for licenses of narrowband (12.5 kHz) radios only.

If you operate a Robotic Total Station, a GPS RTK, or 3D Machine Control system you may be affected by this ruling. Please contact either your local Trimble Distributor, or Trimble Support at 1-800-7674822 for more information.

It is important that users of transmitting radios in the above frequency ranges understand these changes and take any action necessary to ensure that you comply with federal regulations.