Mexico
- Article 1. The present agreement has established bands of frequencies in the radio spectrum (channels) at UHF for free use, conforming with article 10 section I of the Federal Telecommunications Law. As a consequence, these channels referred to in this Agreement will be used by the general public without a need for a concession, permit, or registration, only with equipment that has been certified under the terms of Article 3 section V of the Federal Telecommunications Law.
- Article 2. To this end, these free-use channels available nationally, at UHF, will be the following (listing the center of each channel below, in MHz):
- 462.5625
- 462.5875
- 462.6125
- 462.6375
- 462.6625
- 462.6875
- 462.7125
- 467.5625
- 467.5875
- 467.6125
- 467.6375
- 467.6625
- 467.6875
- 467.7125
- Article 3. The equipment that uses the channels indicated in Article 2 of this Agreement will be subject to the following conditions of operation:
- The equipment will only operate with a maximum of 0.5 watt (500 milliwatts) of effective radiated power (ERP), with a maximum coverage of 2 km.
- Referring to channel bandwidth, from the effective date of this Agreement until 31 December 2004, the equipment will operate with a maximum bandwidth of 12.5 kHz. Later, and if necessary, the new bandwidth will be announced.
- Only handheld-portable equipment will be used, excluding base stations and repeaters of any type. The emission type for a 12.5 kHz channel will be 11K0F3E (voice). The maximum deviation for this bandwidth will be 2.5 kHz (+/-).
- There is no consideration for installation of antennas, since this will only be used with the antennas on the handheld-portable equipment.
- It will be required to have certification issued by the Ministry of Communications and Transport (SCT).
- Links to any public telephone or private telecommunications network using these channels is prohibited.
Interpretation: Recognizing the amount of trade and tourism with the United States, Mexico authorized an unlicensed personal communication service similar to FRS in 1998. However, the Mexican FRS service only recognizes the original 14 narrowband channels, and not the additional 8 GMRS channels, which are allocated for another purpose in that country. In addition, the maximum output power is 0.5 watt on all channels. For this reason, operation on Channels 8-14 is recommended, since these will reflect the Mexican specification regardless.
As a signatory to the ITU, operation on the 902-928 MHz spectrum is authorized, provided the handheld radios are one watt or less output and all emissions are entirely inside the band.
Jamaica
Authorization for unlicenced FRS radios are issued with the below terms and conditions.
Whereas [Sample Name e.g. Jon Doe] has imported radio equipment, which is capable of use as a Family Radio Service (FRS) or as a General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS).
Whereas in accordance with the Telecommunications Act, the Spectrum Management Authority hereby authorizes the use of the imported equipment as FRS as set forth in the schedule below subject to the Terms and Conditions set out herein.
The user is not guaranteed interference free use in the relevant bands of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The user shall take such steps to ensure that activities of the user do not cause interference to any licensed user of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The user shall restrict use of the equipment to a maximum radius of 0.8 KM (approximately 0.5 miles).
Authorization shall be withdrawn by the Authority without notice if the radio equipment is used on channels 1-7 or 15-22. Activity on these channels constitutes use of the equipment as a General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) and will require a licence issued by the Spectrum Management Authority.
The user shall comply with all regulations made pursuant to the Telecommunications Act and to the Laws of Jamaica.
Schedule
Channel Number | Frequency (MHz) |
8 | 467.5625 |
9 | 467.5875 |
10 | 467.6125 |
11 | 467.6375 |
12 | 467.6625 |
13 | 467.6875 |
14 | 467.7125 |
Interpretation: The only unlicensed personal communications radios that are permissed to be used in Jamaica are FRS handhelds operating on Channels 7-14, and a power limit of one-half watt. Handheld radios operating in the 902-928 MHz band are also permitted, with a power limit of one watt or less.
Cayman Islands
To confirm, the Cayman Islands is still a British Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom being a signatory to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Convention extends their obligations to the Cayman Islands. However, governing policies and frameworks for the management of the electromagnetic spectrum and the ICT sector is the sole responsibility of the Utility Regulation and Competition Office (OfReg) in the Cayman Islands.
Additionally, OfReg is responsible for the licensing of the electromagnetic spectrum and ICT services in the Cayman Islands. I have attached The Information and Communication Technology Authority Act (2019 Revision) for your pervue, which sets out the responsibility and powers of the Office.
Finally, to your specific question regarding low powered radios; Yes, a licence is required to operate handheld radios within the Cayman Islands.
There is an import approval fee for the importation of radios to Island (this is NOT a duty/customs fee) processed by the Office, a licensing fee for the actual radio handset(s) and spectrum fee if exclusivity of the spectrum (frequency) is required. Further to this, the Office recognise the ISM band as defined by the ITU for region two and the use of spectrum in these band are license free.
Interpretation: the only unlicensed personal communication radios that are permitted to be used in the Cayman Islands are those which operate in the 902-928 MHz band, with a power output of one watt or less.