Private Land Mobile Radio Services

About

Private land mobile radio systems are used by companies, local governments, and other organizations to meet a wide range of communication requirements, including coordination of people and materials, important safety and security needs, and quick response in times of emergency. These systems, which often share frequencies with other private users, make possible many day-to-day activities that people across the United States have come to rely on, whether directly or indirectly. Public safety agencies, utilities, railroads, manufacturers, and a wide variety of other businesses - from delivery companies to landscapers to building maintenance firms - rely on their business radio systems every day. The services included in Private Land Mobile are Public Safety, Industrial/Business, Private Land Mobile Paging, and Radiolocation. Private Land Mobile Radio Service licensees in the 150-174 MHz and 421-512 MHz bands are subject to the Commission's January 1, 2013 deadline to migrate to narrowband (12.5 kHz or narrower) technology. Information concerning narrowbanding migration and compliance is available at the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau's narrowbanding webpage.

License Audit

The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) audited the construction and operational status of various stations previously subject to rule based construction and operational requirements. This audit was undertaken to improve the accuracy and integrity of license data in the Universal Licensing System (ULS).

Refarming History

"Refarming" is the informal name of a notice and comment rule-making proceeding (PR Docket No. 92-235) opened in 1992 to develop an overall strategy for using the spectrum in the private land mobile radio (PLMR) allocations more efficiently to meet future communications requirements. In June 1995, the Commission adopted a new narrowband channel plan in the PLMR bands below 800 MHz. In February 1997, the Commission adopted a Second Report and Order which did away with 20 discrete radio services and replaced them with two frequency pools: the Public Safety Pool and the Industrial/Business Pool. In May 2001, the Commission adopted the Sixth Memorandum Opinion and Order which resolved all outstanding issues and terminated the proceeding. The rules adopted in the refarming proceeding are applicable to the Private Land Mobile bands below 800 MHz. Specifically, the technical rules adopted affect the licensing and use of radios in the following bands:

• 150-174 MHz (jpeg)
  VHF high band; available nationwide
• 421-430 MHz (jpeg)
  Available only in Detroit, Buffalo, and Cleveland
• 450-470 MHz (jpeg)
  Available nationwide
• 470-512 MHz (jpeg)
  Shared with UHF-TV; available only in 11 cities

In addition to the radio bands listed (view complete band plan (jpeg)), the consolidated frequency pools adopted in the Second R&O also include the PLMR frequencies available below 150 MHz.

Releases

8/6/2004 PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 04-2477)

WTB Announces Forest Industries Telecommunications is Certified as Frequency Coordinators for Part 90 929-930 MHz Paging Frequencies and PLMR Special Emergency Frequencies Below 512 MHz

pdf - Word

8/4/2004 PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 04-2452)

WTB Announces United Telecom Council and MRFAC, Inc. are Certified as Frequency Coordinators for Part 90 929-930 MHz Paging Frequencies and PLMR Special Emergency Frequencies Below 512 MHz

pdf - Word

5/6/2004 ORDER (DA 04-1106)

Industrial Telecommunications Association Informal Request for Certification as a Frequency Coordinator for Part 90 929-930 MHz Paging Frequencies and PLMR Special Emergency Frequencies Below 512 MHz

pdf - Word

3/11/2003 REPORT AND ORDER (FCC 03-35)

Amendment of Part 90 of the Commission's Rules and Policies for Applications and Licensing of Low Power Operations in the Private Land Mobile Radio 450-470 MHz Band

pdf - Word

2/25/2003 ORDER (FCC 03-34)

Implementation of Sections 309(j) and 337 of the Communications Act of 1934 as Amended; Promotion of Spectrum Efficient Technologies on Certain Part 90 Frequencies

pdf - Word

6/6/2002 PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 02-1319)

WTB Accepts and Approves Consensus Analytical Method for Determining Additional Frequency Coordination Requirements for Certain Private Land Mobile 15-470 MHZ Applications

pdf - text - Word

5/23/2002 MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDERAND SECOND REPORT AND ORDER (FCC 02-139)

Part 90 Biennial Review

pdf - text - Word Erratum: pdf - text - Word

4/18/2002 MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER (FCC 02-82)

Implementation of Sections 309(j) and 337 of the Communications Act of 1934 as Amended

pdf - text - Word Erratum (DA 02-1064): pdf - text - Word

3/15/2002 NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING (FCC 02-81)

Improving Public Safety Communications in the 800 MHz Band Consolidating the 900 MHz Industrial/Land Transportation and Busin

12/7/2001 PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 01-2852)

Private Land Mobile Radio - Monitoring Levels for Non-Exempt Trunked Systems on Channels Between 150-512 MHz

pdf - text - Word

8/1/2001 PUBLIC NOTICE (DA 01-1575)

WTB Announces Commencement of an Audit of the Construction and Operational Status of Private Land Mobile Radio Stations

pdf - text - Word

7/24/2001 NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING (FCC 01-199)

Amendment of Part 90 of the Commission's Rules and Policies for Applications and Licensing of Low Power Operations in the Private Land Mobile Radio 450-470 MHz Band

pdf - text - Word

5/25/2001 SIXTH MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER (FCC 01-174)

Replacement of Part 90 by Part 88 to Revise the Private Land Mobile Radio Services and Modify the Policies Governing Them and Examination of Exclusivity and Frequency, et al.