Licensing
We deal with Ofcom so you don't have to.
Every radio we hire, lease or sell goes out properly licensed. This page explains how UK business radio licensing works and what we do about it for you.
For hire
Covered by our licence
We hold an Ofcom Suppliers Light licence. It covers every radio we hire out for up to a year, so hired radios arrive programmed and licensed and there is no paperwork for you.
For lease and purchase
We get you your own
A long-term fleet needs a licence in the customer’s name. We apply for a Simple UK Light licence for you (£75 for five years, paid to Ofcom), renew it when it falls due, and lend you radios on our licence while it is processed.
For repeaters and base stations
Site licences arranged
A repeater or base station needs a Technically Assigned licence for the site. We do the frequency planning, submit the application and look after the annual renewal.
The licence types
Which licence does what
- Licence-free PMR446
- Half a watt, fixed antenna, 16 shared channels. No licence needed. Fine for a small shop or a café, but limited range and shared with the public.
- Simple UK Light
- Handhelds and vehicle sets anywhere in the UK on 19 shared frequencies, up to 5 W. £75 for five years. No base stations. The usual licence for a leased or purchased fleet.
- Suppliers Light
- For radio suppliers. Lets us hire radios out for up to a year, lend radios while your own licence is processed, and demonstrate equipment. Our hire fleet runs on it.
- Technically Assigned
- Ofcom-coordinated frequencies for a specific site. Needed for repeaters, base stations and dedicated channels. Annual fee per channel from £75. Applications take up to 42 working days.
- Area Defined
- Exclusive use of a frequency across a region or the whole UK. Rare and expensive, for large permanent networks only.
RevoNet push-to-talk radios work over the mobile network rather than radio frequencies, so they need no Ofcom licence at all.
What we do for every customer
- Work out which licence you need, if any
- Apply to Ofcom in your name and chase it through
- Programme the radios to the licensed frequencies
- Lend you radios on our licence while yours is processed
- Diary the renewal and remind you before it is due
- Apply for dedicated event frequencies where interference is a risk
- Keep the conformity paperwork for every radio we supply on file
Licence fees are paid to Ofcom at cost. We don’t charge for the application work on leases and purchases.
Licensing questions
Do I need a licence to use two-way radios in the UK?
Licence-free PMR446 radios don't need one, but they are limited to half a watt and a fixed antenna. Anything with more range, such as the FW-400, is business radio and needs an Ofcom licence. For hire, that licence is ours. For lease or purchase, we get yours.
How much is an Ofcom business radio licence?
A Simple UK Light licence for handhelds and vehicle sets costs £75 for five years, paid to Ofcom. A Technically Assigned licence for a repeater or a dedicated channel is priced per channel per year, from £75 upwards depending on the area. We tell you the figure before you commit.
How long does a licence take?
Simple UK Light licences usually come through within a few days. Technically Assigned licences for repeaters take Ofcom up to 42 working days. We can supply radios on our own licence while yours is being processed.
What is the supplier licence you hire under?
Ofcom's Suppliers Light licence lets a radio supplier hire out business radio equipment to customers for up to a year on shared supplier frequencies. It is what allows us to say that hired radios need no licence of your own.
Can other people hear our radios?
Hired radios share supplier frequencies with other hire companies, so some interference is possible in busy areas. Digital radios with encryption keep what is said private. For important events we apply for dedicated frequencies for the dates.
What happens if we use unlicensed radios?
Using business radio without a licence is an offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act, and Ofcom does prosecute. Radios from us are always covered.
Enquire
Not sure which licence you need? Ask us. For hire the answer is usually none.
How many radios, the dates, where you are and what the job is. That is enough for us to put a kit list together.
Monday to Friday, 08:00–18:00. Out-of-hours support for live events by arrangement.