Common Questions about Licensing: A Staff Interview

We receive many phone calls about licensing so I recently sat down with Bob Stephany of our Omaha, Nebraska Sales Office to talk about it.

 

Me: Bob, what are some of the more common questions you hear about licensing?

Bob:  Questions vary from operation to operation, but probably the most asked question would be, “When does my license expire?”. Because of the 10 years between license renewals, renewing it is often overlooked.  It’s not a good idea to allow it to expire because it could seriously affect the way you do business.

Me: What are some of the negatives?

Bob: Well, besides having to pay additional fees to have frequencies coordinated again, Licensees:

• won’t be guaranteed the same frequencies their radios are now programmed to
• would then need to reprogram the radios to the new frequencies, which is an additional cost
• would not be guaranteed the same parameters, such as Power Output and Antenna Height
• are at risk of paying the $10,000 fine from the FCC if operating on an expired license

Me: Sounds like the high cost associated with an expired license can be avoided by acting promptly.

Bob: That’s right.

Me: Now, I know it is necessary to have a New license processed through a “coordinator”, someone from the FCC or a licensing agent, but can Renewals be done by the Licensee themself?

Bob: Yes. The FCC has provided a website just for this purpose.  I must say, though, it is a little intimidating for someone who is not familiar with the application. That’s why we offer to process our client’s licenses for them. This includes Narrowbanding updates.

Me: What is the One Mistake Licensees tend to make?

Bob:  That’s easy…not keeping their contact information up to date with the FCC. Because of this, licensees won’t receive their renewal notices which increases the chances of their license expiring.

Me: Good to know. Now, you mentioned Narrowbanding updates. Is there something Licensees should know about this?

Bob: Yes. To comply with the FCC’s Mandate for all UHF and VHF radios operate at a 12.5khz bandwidth (narrowband) versus 25khz bandwidth (wideband), all Licensees must update their license to replace with or include a Narrowband Designator.

Me: Even the Licensees whose equipment is already narrowband-compliant?

Bob: Yes. The Licensee might have equipment that is ready, but their license needs to be ready, too. We can help them with that process.

Me: Great. How would they start?

Bob: By contacting one of our staff. We have tools available to find the information they need to know. They can call us, email us or go to our website and download a form, fill it in and fax it to us. We’ll then do some research and contact them to confirm the changes. It really is that simple.

Thanks to Bob for the interview.

Let our staff help you determine if you’re in compliance. Call today.

~Pam Tucker, Online Customer Support

Contact us at sales@firstwirelessinc.com with questions about your license.

The deadline to be narrowband-ready is January 1, 2013. Get more Narrowbanding FAQs at our website: www.firstwirelessinc.com.