Wall to Wall explain how to reduce your two way radio license fee

Wall to Wall Communications provide a list of things that you could consider and take the opportunity to change in your existing two way radio licence in order to save on unnecessary high OFCOM business radio licensing fees.

Every piece of advice given below is legal and with this educational material we try to demonstrate our commitment to your business needs and sensibility to your budgets.

OFCOM uses three basic licence fee structures for private mobile radio (PMR) equipment operation in the UK:

TECHNICALLY ASSIGNED LICENCES

Ofcom licence fees for these systems include a combination of the following:

•    antenna location (outdoor / indoor / underground);
•    antenna height;
•    antenna type (omni-directional / directional / down-fire / radiating cable);
•    radiated power from the antenna;
•    frequency band of operation;
•    number of channels licensed;
•    exclusive or shared channel use;
•    channel bandwidth (12.5 / 6.25kHz);
 
The following changes may therefore have a significant effect on your licence fee either now or as part of a system upgrade:
 
•    reducing the antenna height;
•    changing from an omni-directional to a directional or down-fire antenna;
•    reducing the radiated power from the antenna;
•    change the frequency band of operation;
•    reduce the number of radio channels used;
•    change from exclusive to shared channel use;
•    change from a 12.5kHz channel system to a 6.25kHz channel system;

AREA DEFINED LICENCES

Ofcom licence fees for these systems include a combination of the following:
 
•    number of countries covered within the UK;
•    number of 50km x 50km NGR squares covered;
•    frequency band of operation;
•    reduce the number of radio channels used;
•    change from exclusive to shared channel use;
•    channel bandwidth (12.5 / 6.25kHz);
 
The following changes may therefore have a significant effect on your licence fee either now or as part of a system upgrade:
 
•    amend an All-UK licence to include only the countries covered by the radio system;
•    amend a country licence, e.g. England, licence to include only the 50km x 50km NGR squares covered by the radio system;
•    amend the system coverage so as to only cover the NGR squares covered by the system; 
•    change the frequency band of operation;
•    number of radio channels used;
•    exclusive to shared channel use;
•    change from a 12.5kHz channel system to a 6.25kHz channel system;

SIMPLE / LIGHT LICENCES

Simple UK (NB: mobiles only for use anywhere within the UK):
•    these licences have a fixed fee of £75 for 5 years. No licence fee reduction is therefore possible;
 
Simple Site (NB: may include a low-power base station at a site):
•    these licences have a fixed fee per site of £75 for 5 years. No fee reduction is therefore possible;

LICENCE EXEMPT EQUIPMENT

Those would be radios that conform to the relevant requirements, (e.g. Ofcom’s IR2009 for PMR446 walkie-talkies), which may operate on a licence free basis. No licence fee is charged so no fee reduction is possible here. 

Wall to Wall Radio Communications will be pleased to discuss your current radio system arrangements with you and suggest ways, including those shown above, in which you may be able to reduce your licence fee.