Personal radio service
The power output, antenna size, and technical characteristics of the equipment are set by regulations in each country.
Examples of standardized services include PMR446 and FM Citizens Band Radio (CB) in the EU and several other countries/regions.
Unlike commercial business, marine, aviation, or emergency services radio, all users in an area share access to the available channels, requiring cooperation for effective communications.
Unlike amateur radio, experimentation with different types of apparatus, and modes of modulation is not permitted, and equipment must be factory-built and approved.
These services are different from cellular mobile telephone systems in that no infrastructure (towers, base stations) is required; communications is point-to-point directly between users.
However, this also means that communication range is usually limited to line-of-sight propagation, a few kilometres (miles) under the best of circumstances, and much less in heavily built up urban areas.
Dual-mode FRS/GMRS equipment is not approved in Mexico, so caution should be exercised in operating hybrid FRS/GMRS devices purchased elsewhere.
[citation needed] In Australia and New Zealand, the 77-channel (previously 40-channel) UHF CB citizen's band near 477 MHz is used for a similar purpose.
Legal action against such usage is rare, because of the low power and short range of FRS radios.
Use of Australian UHF CB equipment in the United States would cause severe interference to public safety communications, especially in larger metropolitan areas.
Additionally, most European countries allow use of the 26.965 – 27.405 MHz US FCC Citizen's Band Radio allocation (40 channels).
Finland has a 26-channel mid-band (68–72 MHz) VHF-FM allocation called "RHA68" consisting of "common channels for hobby usage in general".
India has a 13-channel UHF-FM service known as "Short Range Radio" or "SRR" that operates in the 350.225–350.400 MHz band with a maximal output power of 2 watts.
In August 2005, India deregulated the 26.957–27.283 MHz band for license-free CB radio usage with a maximum power output of 5 watts.
Radios must be registered and equipped with a built-in control ROM for automatic digital callsign identification.
Radios must be equipped with a GPS and built-in control ROM for automatic digital callsign identification.
Norway has a 6-channel VHF FM Jaktradio (Hunting Radio) service, maximum power 5 watts.
These frequencies offer excellent range over water (20 – 30 km or more depending on antenna installation) and are heavily used by ski boats and fishing clubs, often as an adjunct to the internationally allocated Marine VHF radio band.
The lower frequency allows for longer communication range in rural and suburban areas compared to the 245 MHz service.
Besides personal use, the equipment is used by search and rescue organizations, businesses, security guards, taxi companies and delivery services.
In urban areas, simplex repeaters, usually mounted on the roofs of high-rise buildings, are used to increase communication range.
Operating rules are less restrictive than amateur radio service, with an initial license fee required.
AM and FM modes are permitted on the MURS frequencies for both data and voice transmission (see FCC rules Part 95.631).
This means that CB signals provide local coverage similar to low-band VHF during times of low sunspot activity.
However, during the peak of the sunspot cycle, CB frequencies exhibit skywave propagation just like the lower parts of HF do, making communication hundreds or even thousands of miles (km) away possible.
While some operators seek out long distance "DX" contacts on CB frequencies and on frequencies above channel 40 and below channel 1 (a practice referred to as "freebanding" or "outbanding"), interference from distant stations will often make local communication extremely difficult or impossible during band openings.
In Russia, HF CB radio is extremely popular, especially with taxicab, trucking, delivery and general transportation users.
Due to the sheer size of Russia and the remoteness of many Russian communities, CB radio is an important resource.
Other services provided by cities in Russia include weather broadcasts and travel/traffic information and warnings via specific CB channels.
However, in the past 4–5 years, most Russians have switched to the standardized European or American "fives" offset (channel 1 being 26.965 MHz).
