What are the main differences between licensed and licence-exempt radio devices?
Generally, users of radio devices that require a licence must first provide Industry Canada with detailed technical information, undergo a thorough interference and operational assessment, and pay an annual licence fee. Along with other information, a resulting radio station licence specifies the station’s transmitting and receiving frequencies, operating parameters (i.e. transmitter power) and the station’s location and/or area of operation. Conversely, licence-exempt radio equipment users are not required to pay annual licence fees; do not have to provide any technical information; and can operate anywhere in Canada provided that only specially designated frequency bands are used and other applicable regulatory and technical standards are met. Although it may seem advantageous to not require a radio licence, users of licence-exempt radio devices can face other difficulties. The most common problem encountered is radio interference, often resulting from other licensed or licence-exemp
