Licences for Two-Way Radios in Ireland - Do You Need One?

Released On 15th Feb 2022

Guidance on when you must apply for a ComReg radio in Ireland, the difference between licensed and licence-free  radios, types of Comreg licence and costs. 

Two-way radio licensing in the UK can be a complex topic. This guide will help you understand:

• The difference between a licence-free two-way radio or walkie-talkie, and one that requires a licence.  
• When you need a licence for a two-way radio system
• The common types of business use radio licence available from ComReg 
• How RadioTrader's affordable TPBR licensing scheme makes sure you are fully licensed if required. 

We've used the terms "two-way radio" and "walkie-talkie" interchangeably throughout this article, but there isn't really any difference, except that the phrase walkie-talkie is commonly used in reference to licence-free business radios.

Why do radios need to be licensed?

Unrestricted two-way radio communication could lead to severe interference, particularly disrupting essential services like emergency responders, the military, railways, coastguards, and air traffic control. To prevent this chaos, ComReg regulates Irish radio frequency usage, assigning specific frequencies through various radio licences to meet diverse user needs.

Low-powered walkie-talkies, designed for short-range use on a limited frequency set, are exempt from requiring a ComReg licence. These devices, with a maximum output of 0.5 Watts, operate exclusively on the PMR446 frequency. They are ready-to-use directly out of the box and fulfill the requirements of many users in Ireland.

Licensed or licence-free radios? What's the difference?

In very simple terms, most two-way radios, especially those used for business, require a licence from ComReg before you can operate them on most radio frequencies. We've described the most common licences that ComReg issues for business users below. Most licences are easy to apply for, but RadioTrader can help you with your application if needed.

If your needs are simple, though, you might want to buy a licence-free walkie-talkie. As we've already mentioned, they operate on a strictly limited range of frequencies, but they are easy to use and very affordable. 

We've written a whole guide to licence-free radios, describing their advantages and disadvantages, but here's a few key differences between them and licensed radios.

Licence-free radios

• Licence-free radios are generally lower-powered handsets (maximum output 0.5 Watts) with a shorter range. This can be ideal for small businesses or personal use, but it isn't sufficent for most business users. These lower-powered radios are commonly referred to as walkie-talkies, but then many users refer to the higher-powered, professional-level devices as walkie-talkies, too - it doesn't really matter.
• Licence-free radios operate exclusively on a limited number of pre-programmed two-way radio frequencies in the UHF frequency range 446MHz, which means that these channels can get very congested. Again, this isn't ideal for business users, who need secure, private and uninterrupted channels of communication, but it might be adequate for amateur or hobby users.
• Licence-free walkie-talkies are often cheaper to buy and operate, require no contracts or programming. For simple businesses, amateur and leisure users, this might be perfect for your needs.

Licensed radios

• Licensed radios work on a much broader range of frequencies, sufficient for business needs. They have a more powerful output, between 0.5 and 5 Watts for most handheld radios, and up to 25 Watts for in-vehicle radios and repeater base stations.
• You must apply to ComReg for a radio licence. 
• Because licensed radios operate on dedicated channels, concerns about congestion, interrupted or insecure transmissions are much lower.
• The more powerful output of licensed radios gives them greater range and improved signal in challenging terrain or buildings.
• Two-way radio licensing costs make them more expensive to operate, but for the costs aren't prohibitive, and would be within reach of most business users.

When you must have a licenced two-way radio system

If you use a two-way radio system that does not operate on one of the pre-programmed, licence-free frequencies (within the band 446.0 - 446.2 MHz) approved by ComReg, you'll need a licence.  A business walkie-talkie licence in Ireland is regulated and issued by ComReg.

Many businesses choose a licensed two-way radio system because, despite the benefits of licence free radios (PMR 446), they do have some disadvantages (such as lower power, interference and a shorter range) which can make them less suitable than licensed radio systems for some businesses.

Taxi and other transport companies, large sites such as hospitals, manufacturers or factories, care homes or businesses based in more than one location are typical examples of situations where a licensed radio system would be preferable.

Business users need more powerful radios than handheld portable “walkie-talkies” provide. If your radio system relies on a base station or vehicle-mounted radios, a  licensed radio system is a must.

What type of Com Reg licence is best for two-way radio business users?

ComReg issues a variety of licence types for business users.  These include:

PMR (Business Radio)

• Suitable for many businesser users, where communication is between a control point and one or more mobile handsets, or "one-to-all" between groups of mobile users.
• Ideal where communication is needed for safety or security.
• Industrial and commercial users might include taxis, couriers, emergency and security services, manufacturing or construction sites, etc.

Fees 

Costs are based on the quantity of equipment, at €22 per item, plus a fixed charge of €22 for the duration of the licence. As an example, four walkie-talkies plus two mics = 6 units, plus one fixed charge gives a total cost of €154.

Community Repeaters

A community repeater system is comprised of a base station (usually located in a remost location such as a mountain-top to provide wide-area two-way communication), trigger stations and mobiles. Community repeater systems are often provided by equipment suppliers to many customers on a channel sharing basis.

This type of ComReg licence covers all elements of the community repeater system including the mobiles, thereby eliminating the requirement for customers to hold individual radio licences. All radio stations on the system are covered by the operator’s licence.

Fees

Costs for the first year are €625 plus a processing fee of €12. In subsequent years, annual renewal costs €1,000.

Paging (Local Area)

Paging sends a one-way digital coded signal to a receiver. The signal can be as simple as a bleep, or more complex such a numeric or text message. Pages offers good coverage and good signal strength for penetrating solid structures such as buildings.

Fees
Free!

Mobile Radio Systems (Trunked Radio, Local Area)

Trunked radio networks allow better utilisation of limited frequencies by a larger group of users. Simply put, any user can access a pool of channels rather than being assigned a specific channel. This type of licence is most likely to be bought by large organisations such as emegency services, utilities and transport operators.

Fees
First year: €625 per channel (12.5kHz) per base.
Subsequent Years: €1,000 per channel (12.5kHz) per base for the annual renewal of the licence.

Third-Party Business Radio licences (TPBR)

The Third Party Business Radio (TPBR) licence allows licensees (such as RadioTrader) to provide business radio services to third parties nationally for a 5-year period, without the need for individual licensing of business radio operations for each specific geographic site or by each third-party user.

This streamlines the whole licensing process for business users, and offers a simple and affordable way to have the proper licensing in place. 

Fees
RadioTrader pays ComReg €5,000 per channel for a 5-year TPBR licence. We then charge customers a modest fee to be covered under our licence. Read this article about our TPBR Licensing Scheme for more information, or get in touch with our team.

Applying for a licence

Apart from the TPBR licence mention above, all applications for two-way radio licences are made via ComReg. Your application can be made online from their website in most cases.

Ask about RadioTrader's free ComReg licence application service

If all this sounds rather complex, don't panic! RadioTrader is happy to help customers with their application. 

• We'll cut through the jargon to explain everything
• Help you decide which ComReg licence is best for your situation
• Make sure your licence application to ComReg goes smoothly.

Get in touch for expert help - Call 1800 936374