Also known as: FCC, Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the United States regulator of interstate radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable.¹ It allocates US spectrum, licenses users, and sets technical rules.²

The FCC allocates and licenses radio spectrum in the United States.

Overview

FCC band plans determine where US public-safety, business, and amateur services operate, within the global framework of the ITU. Its narrowbanding mandates helped push land-mobile radio toward efficient digital systems.

Relevance to SDR

US monitoring laws and band allocations stem from the FCC; what you may legally receive varies by jurisdiction (see the legal lesson).

Sources

1. Federal Communications Commission — Wikipedia, for the agency’s history and remit. ↩

2. Federal Communications Commission — the FCC’s official site, for US spectrum allocation, licensing, and rules. ↩

See also

• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
• Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
• APCO International
• Frequency bands (HF/VHF/UHF)

Learn it step by step

• Frequency, bands & the spectrum
• Legal & ethical monitoring