Covering Letter

Every application starts with a covering letter. The covering letter is used to provide basic information about yourself and your need for a radio licence to Industry Canada.

The covering letter is especially important for those applicants that are simply applying for the right to use a frequency already authorised to a third party. For example, a taxi driver may need his own licence for the radio in his cab that he uses to communicate with the dispatcher who already holds a licence. For that type of system, you must enter additional information on the covering letter, but you do not have to provide any further technical information as described below. In another example, an applicant may require a larger system of base and/or mobile stations where one of their frequencies is authorized to another licensee. In that case, we require the third-party information, but also all technical information about the stations. For more information, please refer to Third-party Applications.

All other applicants must provide detailed information about their stations and the frequencies they use by providing additional technical information with their application.

Stations

A land mobile system may include two types of stations, depending on the type of system.

A fixed station is a radio station authorised to operate at a fixed point. Typically, such a station consists of radio communications equipment connected to an antenna permanently attached to a building or tower. Fixed stations also include transportable stations, which are fixed stations that may be relocated. For example, a construction company may have a transportable station that it can move to a construction site, where it is then operated at that fixed location.

A mobile station is a radio station intended to be used while in motion and during temporary stops. A radio in a vehicle or a hand-held radio are both common examples of mobile stations.

The way the station is used and not the particular equipment determine whether a station should be considered a fixed station or a mobile station. For example, if a radio of the type normally used in a vehicle is installed and operated in a permanent location in an office, it is considered a fixed station.

There are two different forms to complete for the two different types of stations. For both fixed and mobile stations, you will need to indicate where the station will be used, either at a specific location or within a defined area.

If a mobile station is in communication with other mobile stations, it is considered part of a mobile-to-mobile system. You need to specify additional information about where the mobile station and its frequencies are used.

Frequencies

Two stations communicate using a radio frequency channel, which is one or two specific frequencies being used for a particular purpose. The selected channel and associated technical information about radio equipment and output power are attached to stations as frequency records. The list of all channels used on every frequency record is called the channel plan. Your application's channels help you to indicate which of your stations are in communication, while your station's frequency records allow you to specify the unique technical characteristics of a station using the channel.

A channel may be used only to transmit (Tx only) or receive (Rx only). If one channel is used to transmit and receive, there are two basic types of channels. A single frequency channel is called a simplex channel. For example, a base station communicating directly with mobile stations typically uses a simplex channel with one frequency. A two-frequency channel is called a duplex channel. If a base station communicates with mobile stations through a repeater station, the stations use a duplex channel with two different frequencies.

You can create a channel when you specify other information about a frequency. For complex systems using more than one channel, we recommend that you define all channels on your channel plan before defining your stations and frequencies.

For frequencies used by a mobile station to communicate with other mobile stations, we ask that you provide a textual description of the specific area where you use the frequency. Your description might list smaller areas like certain municipalities or along a particular highway, or perhaps you need to use it throughout a province or across Canada.

Filters

Filters are any devices used to condition your signal, usually helping to prevent interference with other stations. For fixed stations, we require information about such devices and how they are used on your system.

Environmental Information/Consultation

A non-transportable fixed station has an antenna on a structure of some sort. You must complete an attestation to indicate if your structure may have adverse affects on the environment, and whether you have consulted the appropriate local land-use authorities. For more information, see Environmental Evaluation.