OFCOM Radio Licence: Do You Know What One Is?
20/01/2023
When you’re a business looking to purchase or hire two-way radios, it may feel like you just need to find a device that suits your budget and your environment. But it’s not as straightforward as that, especially when you start looking at devices that require an OFCOM radio licence.
“What’s one of them?” we hear you say. Well, In this blog, we’re going to explain what an OFCOM licence is, the benefits of having one, how much they cost, and what the risks are of not managing one with due care.
What is an OFCOM radio licence?
An OFCOM radio licence is designed for radio transmitting devices. Businesses must have one to operate on a unique frequency, or have a specific exemption to not require a licence – i.e. they are using licence-free two-way radios.
Licences are used by businesses all over the UK. Some know exactly why the need and use one, like a chemical plant where conversations can be commercially or environmentally sensitive.
Other industries can often end up using them without realising they have one. For example, a school may have been using radios for some time, but because staff have come and gone, they’re unaware that their communication devices are operation on a secure frequency.
Later in the blog, we’ll touch upon what issues this can cause in more detail, but businesses not knowing they are using licenced products can incur fines and penalties if the licence is either mismanaged or not renewed once it has expired.
How much does an OFCOM radio licence cost?
The cost will vary based on the licence you require. Typically, businesses need either a Simple UK or Simple Site licence, but there’s also technically assigned and area-defined alternatives.
The standard cost for a Simple UK and Simple Site licence is £75 and is valid for five years. Technically assigned licences can start from £75 but go as high as £1480, whilst area-defined licences can be upwards of £9900.
The one your business requires will depend on your own circumstances and where in the UK you’ll be using two-way radio devices. If you’re unsure of what you need, feel free to contact us or go to the OFCOM website for more information.
The risks of not managing your licence correctly
Many organisations don’t understand the severity of not managing an OFCOM radio licence correctly. This is often because they are (through no fault of their own) not experts on the subject.
There’s also a lot of examples where staff have changed hands over the five-year period, so newer members of staff are not up to speed with the fact their validity to use a business radio may be about to expire.
Simple site licences last for five years, so people can be forgiven for letting time pass by before they either check when it expires or forgetting all together.
The consequences of non-renewal (and still using the devices) can be serious. So serious that businesses can face fines upwards of £50,000 and even prosecution if they don’t act upon OFCOM’s demands to sort the situation out.
OFCOM licence management
We know that you may not be familiar with what an OFCOM licence is, why it’s needed, and the risks are of not renewing them or managing them properly. But that’s okay. We don’t expect businesses to know the ins and outs of something that they don’t have a primary focus on during day-to-day operations.
The good news is, though, that we can help you with your OFCOM radio licence needs. With an expert team ready to help, we will cover everything from the application process to ensuring your licence is valid for as long as you need it.
As standard, we will apply for your licence and you just cover the cost (whatever that may be). Additionally, we will manage your licence for you as part of our Managed Service.
Our Managed Service provides customers with greater support at a cost-effective price – as payments are spread over a 36 or 60-month period.
Click the link above to find out more about everything we offer as part of this service.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this blog, then why not check out some of our other content too. We've recently been talking about 3 industries that benefit from walkie talkie hire, lone working: the dangers it presents, and walkie talkies - 5 things you probably didn't know
News Archive
31/05/2024
28/05/2024
25/04/2024
05/02/2024
31/01/2024
22/12/2023
22/12/2023
22/11/2023
10/11/2023
27/10/2023
26/10/2023
22/09/2023
31/08/2023
09/05/2023
23/12/2022
30/11/2022
28/01/2021
14/09/2020
15/06/2020
22/05/2020
18/12/2019
31/07/2018
20/02/2018
05/10/2017
See What Our Clients Say
“Eemits Communications has been a long-time partner of Whitby Seafoods. Their single-site conventional digital repeater system has driven daily efficiency and given us greater on-site access control. We appreciate their continued commitment to customer satisfaction and look forward to what the future holds.”
"We have a great and longstanding working relationship with Eemits and they have always ticked every box. They offer an excellent, friendly and reliable service.
Eemits have a great understanding of the park and its needs for the customer and our retailers. With a positive can-do attitude, they never say no."
"We started working with Eemits following on from a recommendation from another customer. They provided us with a solution that suits our needs and they continue to supply the best service with no issues.
Eemits is a professional, friendly and reliable company."
"Eemits continue to provide us with a great supportive service consistently being very helpful. The whole team is great and it's very clear the staff have a great knowledge of the products and are happy to pass this on.
Eemits is a great company."
"The service offered by Eemits is second to none, we have a great working relationship with them and the contract we have is good value for money."
"We needed two-way radios for the guys on the test track and something that was scalable. The solution Eemits provided was far superior in comparison to other competitors offerings.
Everything is done in-house and the service and sales department is particularly good. As masters in their field they are extremely knowledgeable."
"Eemits dedicate a lot of time to us as a customer - we feel like we get a personal touch. They're excellent and go above and beyond. They'll put the work in - i.e. training users.
Good quality, good people, good team, all of who are positive about their company. They demonstrate real passion."
"The quality of service that Eemits provides is excellent. The team is very knowledgeable and they offer high quality products. The TRBOCALL solution fitted meets our site requirements and upgrades our technology.
Lone worker function is particularly useful allowing us to monitor our staff ensuring they are safe at all times."
"Eemits Communication is friendly, professional and competitive. They are excellent and their workmanship and knowledge is great.
Eemits attitude sets them apart - no problem is too big"
"Prior to the installation of our current system onsite communications were poor. Eemits Communications offered us guidance and advice on the different technologies available and delivered a highly effective system on time and within our budget. Its success has led to other departments using the system."
"Eemits Communications Ltd have been involved in work at Hartlepool Power Station for over 10 years now. During this time they have installed an Aerial network through our buildings to enable more efficient internal radio communications.
I have found the staff highly professional at all times and willing to provide help whenever they can, I would have no hesitation in recommending this company."
"Having previously worked with Eemits, we knew that we were dealing with a supplier that we could trust and one that could help us to significantly increase the safety of our lone workers with its unique solutions.
The equipment supplied by Eemits is excellent. We have been greatly impressed by the knowledge and skills of their engineers who have carried out the onsite surveys and installation of the system.
Eemits came up with an innovative approach to overcome challenges that we had with installing a system with the structure of our building, and as such, the quality of radio frequency is outstanding."
"The service delivered by Eemits has been excellent and we have developed a very good working relationship over the years.
As a local business to Falck Fire Services they can respond to faults or general requests very quickly - which is very important in our line of work - whereas similar suppliers have a greater response time.
TRBOCALL is an overall platform that has made a massive improvement to our communications in comparison to the analogue system that we had been using for many years. It provides us with many different applications that can be utilised across the business.
Since introducing TRBOCALL we have seen significant improvements related to safety and in our communications itself, which is critical to our operations."