The PBR Suppliers licence authorises licensees to:
service and repair PBR and marine equipment ("service and repair")
hire Private Mobile Radio (PMR) including trunked PMR and/or Radio Paging equipment to customers for periods not exceeding one year ("hiring")
allocate PMR equipment including trunked PMR to customers awaiting PBR licences for periods not exceeding three months and/or Short Range Business Paging (SRBP) equipment to customers awaiting SRBP licences for periods not exceeding three months ("parking")
demonstrate PMR equipment including trunked PMR to customers for periods not exceeding 28 days and/or SRBP equipment for periods not exceeding 28 days ("demonstration")
The PBR Suppliers licence has a flat £200 licence fee.
Under the terms and conditions of the PBR Suppliers licence, licensees must provide details of their business locations.
What is a business location?
For the purposes of the PBR Suppliers licence, a business location is where licensees service and repair PBR equipment and hire PMR and Radio Paging equipment. It is also the location where, or from where, licensees allocate PMR or SRBP equipment to customers awaiting PBR or SRBP licences and demonstrate PMR and SRBP equipment.
Recording business locations
Licensees must inform the Agency of the location of their permanent and temporary business locations, prior to their establishment. The Agency Local Licensing Centre responsible for the licensee's correspondence address should normally be notified, but on request, the licensee may notify another Local Licensing Centre. Permanent business locations are recorded in the licence schedule.
The PBR Suppliers licence authorises radio suppliers to service and repair PBR and marine equipment.
The radio equipment to be serviced and repaired must be connected to either a suitable radio frequency dummy load, a radio frequency test apparatus containing a dummy load or an appropriate radiating antenna.
The transmitting frequency of the radio equipment must be monitored prior to any transmission, which may only take place if this frequency is not in use during the monitoring period.
Any transmission must be of the minimum possible duration to complete the necessary servicing and repair.
No undue interference must be caused to other authorised radio equipment.
While undertaking the service and repair of marine equipment, the licensee shall ensure that any transmission on maritime international channels shall be made by a holder or under the personal supervision of a holder of the appropriate maritime radio operators certificate; and where transmissions take place on board marine vessels, such vessels shall be moored or out of the water and not in transit.
The PBR Suppliers licence is issued subject to strict terms and conditions. Responsibility for ensuring the customer complies with the conditions of the licence rests with the supplier (who is the licensee). When hiring PMR or Radio Paging equipment the licensee must make contractual arrangements in writing with the hire customer to ensure that these conditions will be complied with. It may also be appropriate when parking and demonstrating PMR equipment to arrange a contract with the customer. In all cases the customer should be made aware of the conditions in Annex A.
The PBR Suppliers licence authorises radio suppliers to hire PMR equipment to customers for business purposes for periods not exceeding one year.
Limitations
The use of a Continuous Tone Controlled Signalling System (CTCSS) and/or Digitally Coded Squelch (DCS) is permitted and must be used when operating dual frequency channels. The CTCSS tones are those set out in groups A and B of MPT 1306 and the DCS codes those set out in MPT 1381.
Reverse frequency working (RFW) and/or Talkthrough (TT) can be used without prior approval provided that the PMR equipment is used on-site i.e. within a limited operating area up to 3 km in radius from a specified location. Where the hirer wishes to use RFW and/or TT over wider areas, prior authority must be obtained from the Agency Local Licensing Centre responsible for the business location or the Local Licensing Centre requested by the licensee. For both on-site and wide area use RFW and/or TT must be controlled by CTCSS and/or DCS.
PMR hire equipment must not be used to transmit data except for selective calling or be connected to any telephone network.
The PBR Suppliers licence authorises radio suppliers to hire trunked PMR equipment to customers for business purposes for periods not exceeding one year.
The development of good short term hire practice
Code of Practice
A Code of Practice has been produced by a joint committee of the Federation of Communication Services and the Mobile Radio Users' Association representing the radio industry. It sets out the standards which are expected of radio suppliers hiring PMR equipment. Observance of the Code demonstrates a commitment to the principles of common good management of the radio spectrum to the benefit of all PMR hire users.
The Code of Practice may be purchased from:
The Federation of Communication Services Keswick House 207 Anerley Road London SE20 8ER
Tel: 020 8778 5656 Fax: 020 8778 8402
Radio Quality Assurance Scheme
Following a consultation exercise with PBR Suppliers licensees the Agency has decided to remove the link between the use of certain PMR hire frequencies and registration to the RQAS, with effect from 31 December 2000.
The PBR Suppliers licence authorises radio suppliers to hire Radio Paging equipment to customers for business purposes for periods not exceeding one year.
The Radio Paging equipment covered by the PBR Suppliers licence must be used for one-way tone and/or text message paging only. The use of speech is not allowed. The Radio Paging equipment must only be used within the hirer's premises or within the perimeter of a site which is completely under the hirer's control. Wide area use is not permitted.
Parking PMR equipment
The PBR Suppliers licence authorises radio suppliers to allocate PMR equipment to customers awaiting PBR licences for periods not exceeding 3 months. This is known as parking and it enables prospective PBR licensees to use PMR equipment for business purposes while their application for a PBR licence is being processed. Parking is only allowed if an application for a permanent PBR licence has been received by the Agency.
The Agency cannot guarantee to assign a permanent frequency which is compatible with the equipment used for parking. The licensee should ensure that the customer is aware that a change of equipment may be required.
Demonstrating PMR equipment
The PBR Suppliers licence authorises radio suppliers to demonstrate to customers how PMR equipment operates or carry out customer trials for periods not exceeding 28 days. PMR equipment may be used at trade fairs or exhibitions, or simply for practical demonstrations. The licence also permits the testing of equipment at a particular location to see if it is suitable. The testing of equipment by customers can be unsupervised. The licence does not authorise the testing and development of non type approved equipment for which there is a separate Test and Development licence. The PMR equipment must be used for business purposes only.
The use of CTCSS and/or DCS is permitted. The CTCSS tones are those set out in groups A and B of MPT 1306 and the DCS codes those set out in MPT 1381.
RFW and/or TT can be used without prior approval provided that the PMR equipment is used on-site ie within a limited operating area of up to 3 km in radius from a specified location. Where the customer wishes to use RFW and/or TT over wider areas, prior authority must be obtained from the Agency Local Licensing Centre responsible for the business location or the Local Licensing Centre requested by the licensee. For both on-site and wide area use RFW and/or TT must be controlled by CTCSS and/or DCS.
The transmission of data is permitted without prior approval provided that the PMR equipment is used on-site or where used over wider areas for user identification, vehicle status identification or selective calling. Where a customer wishes to transmit other types of data over wider areas, prior authority must be obtained from the Agency Local Licensing Centre responsible for the licensee's business location or the Local Licensing Centre requested by the licensee.
Parking trunked PMR equipment
The PBR Suppliers licence authorises radio suppliers to allocate trunked PMR equipment to customers awaiting PBR licences for periods not exceeding three months. This is known as parking and it enables prospective licensees to use trunked PMR equipment for business purposes while their application for a licence is being processed. Parking is only allowed if an application for a permanent PBR licence has been received by the Agency.
Demonstrating trunked PMR equipment
The PBR Suppliers licence authorises radio suppliers to demonstrate to customers how trunked PMR equipment operates or carry out customer trials for periods not exceeding 28 days. Trunked PMR equipment may be used at trade fairs or exhibitions, or simply for practical demonstrations. The licence also permits the testing of equipment at a particular location to see if it is suitable. The testing of equipment by customers can be unsupervised. The licence does not authorise the testing and development of non type approved equipment for which there is a separate Test and Development licence. The trunked PMR equipment must be used for business purposes only.
SRBP is a short range radio service for business use only which permits one-way tone and/or text message paging. SRBP provides users with the flexibility to use Radio Paging systems throughout England, Scotland and Wales without the need to give notice to the Agency or wait for an individual channel assignment. It is not suitable for users who need to be certain that access to a channel is and will remain available at particular locations and times.
Parking SRBP equipment
The PBR Suppliers licence authorises radio suppliers' customers to use SRBP equipment for periods not exceeding three months. Customers must apply for a permanent SRBP licence within seven days of the start of this period. The licensee must advise the customer to apply for an SRBP licence, although it is the responsibility of the customer to apply for a licence.
Demonstrating SRBP equipment
The PBR Suppliers licence authorises radio suppliers to demonstrate to customers how SRBP equipment operates or carry out customer trials for periods not exceeding 28 days.
SRBP equipment must not be hired to customers that do not have SRBP licences.
Licensees can ask for extensions to the hiring, parking and demonstration time periods specified above. Applications for extensions should be sent to the Agency Local Licensing Centre responsible for the licensee's business location or the Local Licensing Centre requested by the licensee. Extensions will be granted in exceptional circumstances only. Licensees must not operate radio equipment beyond the specified time periods without the prior approval of the Local Licensing Centre concerned.
Where extensions cannot be obtained, customers must apply for permanent PBR or SRBP licences.
All the frequencies listed on the licensee's licence schedule can be used for the activities stated on the schedule, but the licensee should select the channel most appropriate to the customer's needs.
It should be noted that Agency staff may temporarily prevent further use of one or more of the frequencies in a given area if the channel loading becomes excessive.
Hire frequencies available to all PBR suppliers licensee
The following frequencies can be used for general hire purposes:
Dual Frequencies
Single Frequencies
The following frequencies can be used for construction projects only:
Trunked hire frequencies available to all PBR Suppliers licensees
The following single frequency channels can be used for hiring Radio Paging equipment:
The following dual frequency channels can be used for parking and demonstrating PMR equipment:
Both the base and mobile transmit frequencies can be used as single frequency channels.
When using 68.6250, 159.4500 and 426.0375 MHz as single frequencies the use of base stations is not permitted.
When using 72.3750, 172.0000 and 462.4250 MHz as single frequencies the use of base stations is not advised.
The following frequencies can be used for trunked parking and demonstration purposes:
The following single frequency channel can be used for parking and demonstrating SRBP equipment: 461.3000 MHz
SRBP equipment can only be used in England, Scotland and Wales. It cannot be used in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
The Agency cannot guarantee that any SRBP frequency will be available or remain suitable at any given location. The licensee should therefore ensure that the customer is aware that a change of frequency may become necessary.
PMR transmissions
A callsign must be used when operating PMR equipment including trunked PMR equipment. For hiring and demonstrating the callsign is taken from the licensee's licence schedule. For parking the callsign is taken from the customer's PBR licence application form.
Hiring PMR equipment
The maximum ERP for base stations is 2 watts and for mobile stations 5 watts.
The maximum base station antenna height above ground level is 10 metres.
Hiring Radio Paging equipment
The maximum ERP for base stations is 2 watts.
Parking and demonstrating PMR equipment
On-site use
The maximum base station antenna height is10 metres above ground level.
Wide-area use
The maximum ERP for base stations is 10 watts and for mobile stations 25 watts.
The maximum base station antenna height is 20 metres above ground level.
Parking and demonstrating SRBP equipment
The maximum ERP for base stations is 0.5 watts.
Variations
Licensees can ask for higher ERPs and/or antenna heights. Applications should be sent to the Agency Local Licensing Centre responsible for the licensee's business location or the Local Licensing Centre requested by the licensee. Applications will be considered on a case by case basis. Licensees must not use higher ERP levels and/or antenna heights without the prior approval of the Local Licensing Centre concerned.
Hiring, parking and/or demonstrating PMR and/or Radio Paging equipment
Before hiring, parking and/or demonstrating PMR and/or Radio Paging equipment at Large Events ie where there is extensive use of radio at the same location, licensees must seek special arrangements from the Agency Local Licensing Centre responsible for the location of the Large Event. This is to enable the co-ordination of frequencies and call signs.
For hiring trunked PMR equipment and/or parking and/or demonstrating trunked PMR equipment, for use at large events, the licensee shall notify the Agency Local Licensing centre responsible for the location of the large event.
The following events are currently classified as Large Events:
The addresses, phone and fax numbers of the Local Licensing Centres are listed in information sheet RA 123.
Large Events are also listed on the Agency website (www.radio.gov.uk). The Agency will inform licensees of other Large Events as they occur.
Before parking PMR equipment including trunked PMR equipment licensees must also submit a copy of the customer's PBR licence application form. The application form may be submitted by the customer separately. The application form must be fully completed and, where the applicant does not already have an appropriate PBR licence, the licence fee paid.
For all hiring, parking and demonstration of radio equipment the licensee must inform the customer in writing before the radio equipment is brought into use:
of the terms and conditions of the PBR Suppliers licence that govern the use of the radio equipment supplied
that failure to meet the terms and conditions of the licence may result in the closedown of the radio equipment
of the penalties for improper use of the radio equipment
of the procedures for the service and repair of the radio equipment by the licensee
that where the radio equipment is used beyond the time limits listed above and no extension to those time limits are granted, they must apply for a permanent PBR, Radio Paging (Standard) or SRBP licence
Customers hiring PMR including trunked PMR and Radio Paging equipment must also be given a copy of the hire contract.
Recording hire contracts
For each hire contract the following information must be recorded and made available for inspection at the licensee's business location:
the hire contract with the customer
customer contact name, address and phone number
site details of each installation or use of radio
details of radio equipment on hire
frequencies, CTCSS tones and DCS codes in use
Pre-delivery inspection procedures for hire equipment
Pre-delivery inspection procedures for hiring PMR including trunked PMR and Radio Paging equipment must be designed in accordance with good engineering practice, to ensure that the radio equipment is in a sound electrical and mechanical condition, that all items listed in the hire contract are supplied and where practically possible, the radio equipment should be suitably labelled with licence numbers and stock numbers, taking care not to obscure the original labels and markings.
PBR Suppliers licensees can hire radio equipment from other PBR Suppliers licensees and hire that equipment onto customers.
Service and repair
PBR Suppliers licensees can service and repair equipment complying with PBR and marine Interface Requirements and technical performance standards.
PMR equipment must comply with MPT 1302, MPT 1304, MPT 1326, ETS 300 086, ETS 300 296, ETS 300 341, ETS 300 219, IR 2001 or IR 2002, except as specified below. There are also provisions in place for hiring equipment approved to the specifications MPT 1301 and MPT 1303. MPT 1301 - PBR Suppliers licences which replace PMR Short Term Hire licences issued before 30 November 1992, authorise licensees to hire MPT 1301 radio equipment on an unprotected, non interference basis. MPT 1301 equipment must not be used for parking and demonstration purposes. MPT 1303 - licences were issued up until 30 September 2000. Thereafter, existing licences may be renewed on the basis that the radio equipment must not cause interference and the service will be unprotected from interference unless CTCSS and/or DCS is fitted. Use after 30 September 2005 will only be on an unprotected, non interference basis.
Radio Paging equipment must comply with MPT 1335, MPT 1365, ETS 300 224 or IR 2003.
PMR equipment must comply with IR 2001 or IR 2002.
SRBP equipment must comply with IR 2003.
Specifications
Copies of the above specifications are available from the Agency's Library (see below for information on other radio matters).
Trunked PMR equipment must comply with MPT 1327 or at least as efficient; IR 2001 and IR 2002.
Licensees must not dispose of former PBR Suppliers licence equipment without first removing all frequency information. Licence numbers must also be removed if identified on the equipment.
An application for a PBR Suppliers licence should be made on the attached application form.
When you have completed the application form send it, with a cheque or postal orders for £200 made payable to the 'Radiocommunications Agency' and crossed 'A/C Payee', to your Agency Local Licensing Centre.
The addresses, phone and fax numbers of the Agency's Local Licensing Centres are listed in the enclosed information sheet RA 123. The information sheet is also available from the Agency's Library (see below for information on other radio matters).
For further information on the PBR Suppliers licence contact your Agency Local Licensing Centre (see application procedure above).
The Radiocommunications Agency has produced a range of Information Sheets, General Publications, Licence Application Forms and Guidance Notes, concerning the use of the radio spectrum. These publications, unless otherwise stated are available free of charge on a single copy basis and may be obtained from:
The Library and Information Service Radiocommunications Agency Wyndham House 189 Marsh Wall London E14 9SX
Tel: 020 7211 0502/0505 Fax:020 7211 0507
e-mail: library@ra.gsi.gov.uk
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Annex A - Private Business Radio Suppliers licence conditions of use applicable to the customer (end user)
1. The customer shall ensure that the radio equipment is operated by authorised persons only and the users are aware of these conditions. Unauthorised persons must be prevented from obtaining access to the equipment
2. The radio equipment is licensed for business use only and conversations must be kept strictly to business related issues.
3. The radio equipment must only be operated on the frequencies specified in the licence schedule.
4. The transmission of music or broadcast programmes, or the use of obscene or offensive language, are all forbidden.
5. All licences and services are authorised on the condition of non-interference to other users and the Secretary of State reserves the right to revoke any licence or service that causes undue interference. The Radiocommunications Agency will not become involved in interference or channel sharing disputes between users of SRBP equipment.
6. Any breach of the conditions by the customer may result in seizure of equipment by the Radiocommunications Agency under powers granted by section 79 (3) of the Telecommunications Act 1984 as evidence of a possible offence under section 1 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949.
7. Any breach of the conditions by the customer may result in prosecution by the Secretary of State.
Private Mobile Radio (PMR) equipment only
8. Prior to transmission the user shall ensure that the channel is not already being used. Never interrupt another user on the channel except in an emergency, which for this purpose, is construed as safety of human life in an emergency.
9. The use of the call sign specified in the licence schedule or in the customer's PBR licence application form, is obligatory for PMR transmissions and must be announced at the beginning of transmissions.
10. The customer shall ensure that transmissions are kept to a minimum. A pause to allow other stations to use the channel should normally be observed if the transmission is likely to last longer than 30 seconds.
11. There must be no persistent calling to unmanned stations.
12. In poor reception areas, the station should be asked to change to an alternative authorised frequency rather than occupy the frequency with broken transmissions.
PMR including trunked PMR and Radio Paging hire equipment only
13. Hired equipment may not be rehired unless the hire customer is also a PBR Suppliers licensee.
1 Who is the licence to be issued to?
A licence can only be issued to a legal entity. The Agency recognises the following: Individual or Sole Trader, Partnership, Public Limited Company, Limited Company or Incorporated Association.
For a partnership, give the full name of one partner (this partner must also sign the declaration at the end of this form) and supply a list of the full names of all other partners at the declaration.
Please note that all equipment currently used or to be purchased by licensees must be type approved to an appropriate specification. A list of the specifications is contained in the information sheet RA 108.
The licensee should be in a position to produce a suitable certificate of type approval for the equipment to be used.
For example, Corporation/Local Authority, Registered Charity, School, University etc.
Individual or Sole Trader Surname
Forenames
Partnership Surname
Public Limited Company Name
Limited Company Name
Incorporated Association Name
For any of the above please state company registration number:
Other legal entities
Postcode
Telephone/Fax E-mail
Non-technical queries
Name Telephone/Fax
Technical queries (if different)
6 What callsign will you be using for hiring and demonstrating PMR equipment? The callsign must not be more than twelve characters and must not be a place name.
The callsign for parking PMR equipment is taken from the customer's PBR licence application form.
7 What is the address of the business location? This is where you service and repair PBR equipment and hire PMR inclunding trunked PMR and/or Radio Paging equipment.
Parking and/or demonstration of PMR inclunding trunked PMR and/or SRBP equipment can take place at or from this location.
Contact Name Telephone/Fax
8 To which Local Licensing Centre do you want to send requests for variations and/or extensions and reports of interference?
Tick as appropriate
The Agency has eight Local Licensing Centres responsible for different parts of the United Kingdom. For details see information sheet RA 123.
The Local Licensing Centre responsible for the above business location
A different Local Licensing Centre (please specify below)
To which Local Licensing Centre do you want to send requests for variations and/or extensions and reports of interference?
I declare that all details given in this application form are correct to the best of my knowledge.
Information given in this form is subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984 and will be used in accordance with the appropriate entry attributed to the Radiocommunications Agency in the Register of Data Users and Computer Bureau.
Signature of applicant
.........................................................................
For self and partners (tick if applicable)
Please send your application form and cheque or postal orders to your Local Licensing Centre.
For the address of your Local Licensing Centre see the information sheet RA 123 or contact the Agency Enquiry Point on 020 7211 0211.