The Radio Industry Code of Conduct

Updated 3/31/2005

Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct

PopularWireless Magazine and all GMRS licensees and users of the unlicensed personal radio services understand the value and service the radio industry provides us through design, manufacturing, retail, and product service. We encourage the radio industry to design, manufacture, and sell products and provide services that we can use.

We want the radio industry to develop exciting new products that make our family and personal communication more efficient and useful.

We do not want the radio industry to take unfair advantage of the limited frequency spectrum available to us by creating incompatible mass-market products purely for the economic benefit of their businesses. Nor do we want the radio-industry to advertise for sale GMRS radios for use by entities ineligible to license in that radio service!

We believe common sense dictates that great care be taken before manufacturers build and the FCC approves, potentially interference-generating wireless devices that use the limited number of frequencies available in the General Mobile Radio Service and Family Radio Service. We call it the concept of incompatible use.

Retailers, manufacturers, and service providers subscribe to this Radio Industry Code of Conduct in order to show they do not engage in business practices that contribute deleteriously to the personal radio services. The PopularWireless Certified Radio Industry emblem (above) is displayed on industry websites to demonstrate acceptance and appreciation of the code. The magazine will authorize diisplay of the emblem after the industry representative demonstrates compliance. Unapproved websites displaying the emblem commi a serious copyright violation and legal action will be taken against them. Your comments on the development of this code are appreciated. Send them to editor@popularwireless.com

The Code

  • Subscribers to the code avoid misleading, false, inaccurate, or exaggerated claims in advertising, marketing, and selling practices. They maintain the integrity of every commercial message from the marketing sell sheet to the helpful advice and counsel of the retail sales person. The subscriber is forthright, honest, accurate, and informative with every customer seeking product advice or support.
  • Subscriber advertising for Family Radio Service radios includes a statement that the radios may not be used in foreign countries except Canada, and more specifically that the radios, may only be used where the FCC has jurisdiction over radio regulatory matters.
  • Subscribers recognize GMRS is a radio service of personal licensees. Subscribers never rent, sell, or lease GMRS equipment to persons or businesses not intending to properly license in the radio service. Never leases GMRS repeaters or radio systems to businesses not eligible to license in GMRS. Never recommends to businesses that the eight main repeater pairs in GMRS are eligible for use by businesses and their employees. Never builds, installs, or recommends that businesses use GMRS repeater inputs or Interstitial channels for business simplex systems.
  • Subscribers know the FCC Rules and Regulations for GMRS as the rules apply to type acceptance, manufacturing, sales, marketing, and the day to day use of GMRS by licensees.
  • Subscribers charge a fair market price. A fair market price enables a business to make a fair profit in order to remain in business providing services and products to GMRS licensees well into the future.
  • Whenever possible, subscribers provide instructions to, assists or refers new radio buyers to obtain FCC authorization in GMRS or other appropriate radio service.
  • Subscriber makes every reasonable effort to resolve customer complaints about products or services.
  • Does not advocate or sell radio equipment for the express purpose of encouraging illegal operation (high power, unauthorized frequencies) or modification of that equipment. e.g. out of band CB.
  • Subscribers understand that GMRS and FRS are LIMITED two-way radio resources and as such avoids the use of GMRS and FRS frequencies for children's toy products, wireless telephone interfaces, or text messaging devices. Such use is not compatible with the services as they exist today. Other Part 15 frequencies are available for such devices.
  • Subscribers explain in product documentation that operation on GMRS channels is PROHIBITED North of Line A near the Canadian border and anywhere outside the USA where the FCC does not have jurisdiction over radio regulatory matters.
  • Subscriber engages is productive discussions with GMRS licensees and its representatives when considering new product designs or changes to the Federal Communications Commission Rules and Regulations that effect the personal radio services.

Distribute the Code

PopularWireless Magazine encourages manufacturers and retailers to print this Code and insert it in their product packing. Please give PopularWireless Magazine copyright credit and include the URL of the magazine on the form you create. Please send us a copy for our files. Thank you!