What is a Common Base Station?

A Common Base Station (CBS) is defined as a shared Private Mobile Radio type system made available commercially to a number of users. CBS is typically a single site serving only the immediate surrounding area. However, some operators with several stations or adjacent to commercial partners, may effect an administrative or technical link between systems to obtain wider coverage. Thus a large CBS operation may in fact be larger than a small Public Access Mobile Radio (PAMR) system.

A CBS, sometimes referred to as a community repeater, is a base station which is installed by an operator to provide a mobile communications service, on a commercial basis, to a number of independent users. Operators are assigned an area exclusive radio frequency in the VHF or UHF private mobile radio bands and install the base station on a suitable site in the area over which they wish to provide coverage.

The operational area of a radio system is influenced by a number of physical factors. These include the frequency band, antenna height, transmitter power and topography. This inter-action requires regulation by the Radiocommunications Agency to ensure, as far as possible, minimum disruption and interference to existing users, while still offering a satisfactory level of service.

The CBS Licence is intended for systems to provide a wider coverage area than is normally possible with a Licence issued for an individual user. As policy develops with the introduction of new spectrum, it is possible that the various spectrum bands will be used to give different radii of coverage and it is likely under Spectrum Pricing that this will be reflected in costs to the user.

There is an Information Sheet RA307 which sets out the policy.

A channel plan for CBS services is contained in RA355. This sets out those channels that are currently and also were formerly available for CBS services.