[Asterisk-Users] Re: FRS and GMRS via *

[David Josephson]

You don't need to reinvent anything to tie radios to *. Ham systems like 
IRLP, Echolink, eqso etc all have fairly tight controls to keep from 
being abused (although with a little Linux knowledge, the IRLP package 
can easily be used to set up your own network using their protocol). Jim 
Dixon seems to have done the work to integrate radios with * already. 
See http://www.zapatatelephony.org/app_rpt.html -- it's all there 
including a PCI card that interfaces to 4 duplex radios for $500 and a 
single card that interfaces to one radio for $100 (plus 2 FXS ports). 
For the rest of the details go look at the app_rpt application.

There has been a lot of speculation on this list on the legalities of 
doing this. For amateur use under Part 97, interconnection with the PSTN 
is fair game *if* a licensed amateur is always in control of the 
transmitter and the transmissions are strictly non-business. 
Non-amateurs can talk over the system but only when the transmitters are 
being controlled by licensed amateurs. The line in the sand is that you 
can order pizza over the autopatch, but you can't order cheese for your 
pizzeria.

GMRS, FRS and MURS radios may not be interconnected with the PSTN (47 
CFR 95.141). There has been a lot of talk from lobbyists to clarify this 
rule, but as it stands you could conceivably connect a *private* network 
to GMRS or MURS radios (you can't make any plugins or modifications to 
an FRS radio that isn't type accepted with the radio, so connecting a 
phone line or * box would be out). The language is vague, see the 
history at http://www.provide.net/~prsg/ 

FRS and MURS radios may be used for business without a license. See 
http://www.provide.net/~prsg/frsrules.htm  ... GMRS may be used for 
business too, but employees who aren't family members must have their 
own licenses.

Certain commercial "business radio" channels in the Private Land Mobile 
service may be interconnected with the PSTN outside of major 
metropolitan areas (specifically, more than 75 miles from the population 
centers listed in Part 90 of the rules), or with agreement from all 
co-channel licensees in your area, and also on low power itinerant 
channels. It's not trivial to get a frequency coordination and license 
but you can run your own mobile telephone service under these rules and 
conduct your regular business that way. The radios are a little more 
expensive than FRS radios but you do have a bit more privacy and control 
over what happens.