Assistive Listening Knowledge Base
  • Regulation

47 CFR Part 95, Subpart G: Low Power Radio Service (216-217 MHz)

From https://assistivelisteningknowledgebase.org/evidence/fcc-95-lprs/ · record checked 9 October 2026

  • US Federal Communications Commission
  • Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)

Government (US Federal Communications Commission)

Summary

The US rules for the Low Power Radio Service at 216-217 MHz, the band used by newer venue FM assistive listening systems, which it shares with other uses.

Key findings

  • Defines the service as short-distance voice and data communication for auditory assistance to people with disabilities and others, health care communications, law enforcement tracking and certain other purposes.
  • Permits auditory assistance uses including assistive listening devices, audio description for the blind and simultaneous language translation, for people with disabilities, people who need translation, and others in educational settings.
  • Lists 40 standard, 20 extra and 200 narrowband channels between 216 and 217 MHz, of which channels 19, 20, 50 and 151-160 (centre frequencies from 216.4525 to 216.4975 MHz) are available exclusively for law enforcement tracking; maritime AMTS transmissions are limited to 216.750-217.000 MHz, used as a single 250 kHz channel for network control.
  • Limits the effective radiated power of LPRS transmitters to 100 mW (1 W for those used with maritime AMTS stations) and prohibits two-way voice communication.
  • Requires that LPRS stations cause no harmful interference to the US Air Force Space Surveillance system at 216.88-217.08 MHz or to reception of channel 13 TV and digital TV stations within their service contour.
  • Sets no antenna height limit for units with an integral antenna or operating entirely inside a building; other antennas may not rise more than 30.5 m (100 ft) above ground.
  • Says no FCC licence is needed to operate these transmitters, except for maritime AMTS use; each device must carry a label saying it may not interfere with TV reception or Federal Government radar, and makers of auditory assistance transmitters must also supply a statement that the transmitter must not cause harmful interference to TV reception or to the US Air Force Space Surveillance System in the 216.88-217.08 MHz band.

Limits

Transmitter rules only: nothing on audio quality, coverage or receivers. The band is shared with health care, law enforcement tracking and maritime uses. Date is the subpart's latest amendment shown by eCFR (10 February 2026); most sections summarised here date from the 2017 reorganisation of Part 95, and the antenna section was amended in 2024. Text read as current to 6 October 2026.

Read the original

www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/part-95/subpart-G

Link checked . We link to the original and do not host copies.

Cited in

Cite this source

US Federal Communications Commission. 47 CFR Part 95, Subpart G: Low Power Radio Service (216-217 MHz). Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). 10 February 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/part-95/subpart-G (accessed 9 October 2026).

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