Is a frequency licence really needed?

June 24, 2017

Using a walkie-talkie with more than 500 mW transmit power in the Netherlands requires a frequency licence. Here's why you don't need one with World Walkie Talkie.

In the Netherlands, anyone who wants to use a walkie-talkie with a transmit power of more than 500 mW must apply for a licence from the Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure (RDI, formerly Agentschap Telecom), using the "Aanvraag vergunning frequentieruimte" (frequency licence application) form.

The range of walkie-talkies at this maximum licence-free transmit power is at most 5 kilometres. If you want a longer range, you normally have to apply for a frequency licence.

First of all: World Walkie Talkie offers a nationwide push-to-talk solution that requires no frequency licence. But first, more about the frequency licence for conventional radios.

You get a licence for a specific area, namely around your address. If you want to use walkie-talkies at several locations, you have to apply separately for each site. And if you want to use multiple groups, you have to apply again for each group (read: each new frequency).

To cover a larger area, you also have to invest in repeaters (base stations) or radio trunks. Such investments are expensive and can easily exceed one hundred thousand euros.

World Walkie Talkie has already built a nationwide, licence-free system. Customers can use multiple groups free of charge. The system works throughout the Netherlands and in every European country, and you don't need to apply for a frequency licence from the authorities in other countries either. You can simply use our system.

An example: one of our customers wanted to install a classic radio system with two groups. That required two frequency licences, and later two repeaters as well. They soon found out that such a system would cost almost two hundred thousand euros. And even with that investment, a third group would still not be possible. In the end, they chose our system.

World Walkie Talkie works on a subscription basis, but it is much cheaper than a radio system with licences, base stations or an investment in a radio trunk.