Garmin Wants FCC Rule Change To Allow Transmission of GPS Information Over GMRS

The FCC should codify that its rules allow transmission of GPS information over general mobile radio service (GMRS) frequencies, Garmin said in a filing posted Friday in docket 10-119, reporting on a meeting between the company and FCC officials. Under a waiver, Garmin has sold more than 600,000 GPS-enabled devices that operate on GMRS frequencies “and no interference has been reported,” Garmin said. It said family radio service (FRS) devices are popular with public safety personnel and the public. “The record is devoid of any evidence that indicates FRS/GMRS combination radios cause interference to GMRS or other services,” Garmin said. “If the Commission has eligibility concerns related to alien or other ownership issues involving particular services, the FCC should address that problem by service-specific rules, rather than prohibiting FRS/GMRS combination radios.”