Personal radio services provide short-range, low power radio for personal communications, radio signaling, and business communications not provided for in other wireless services. The range of applications is wide, spanning from varied one- and two way voice communications systems to non-voice data transmission devices used for monitoring patients or operating equipment by radio control. Licensing and eligibility rules vary. Some personal radio services require a license grant from the FCC, while others require only that you use equipment that is properly authorized under the FCC's rules. See specific service pages for the licensing and eligibility details about each individual service.
The personal radio services are:
218-219 MHz Service - One or two way communications for transmission of information to subscribers within a specific service area.
Citizens Band (CB) Radio Service - 1-5 mile range two-way voice communication for use in personal and business activities.
Family Radio Service (FRS) - 1 mile range Citizen Band service for family use in their neighborhood or during group outings
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) - 5-25 mile range Citizen Band service for family use in their neighborhood or during group outings.
Low Power Radio Service (LPRS) - private, one-way communications providing auditory assistance for persons with disability, language translation, and in educational settings, health care, law, and AMTS coast stations.
Maritime Survivor Locating Devices (MSLD) - used by people at risk of falling into the water to alert others of an emergency situation.
Medical Device Radiocommunication Service (MedRadio) - for transmitting data in support of diagnostic or therapeutic functions associated with implanted medical devices.
Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) - private, two-way, short-distance voice or datacommunications service for personal or business activities of the general public.
Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) - used by hikers, and people in remote locations to alert search and rescue personnel of a distress situation.
Radio Control Radio Service (R/C) - one-way non-voice radio service for on/off operation of devices at places distant from the operator.
Wireless Medical Telemetry Service (WMTS) - for remote monitoring of patients' health through radio technology and transporting the data via a radio link to a remote location, such as a nurses' station.