I need the annual US unit sales of commercial handheld two-way radios
for 1998-2003.  By commercial handheld two-way radios, I mean all
handheld two-way radios except FRS and GMRS radios.  Another way to
define the term "commercial" in this sense is all handheld two-way
radios that are licensed by the FCC.  A breakdown by industry into
which they are sold would be a bonus (e.g., x# units sold to public
utilities, x# units sold to police departments, x# units sold to military, etc).

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 15 Dec 2004 20:38 PST

jclpeaks-ga,

I've been looking into this question from the FCC angle.  

There is an enormous database of FCC licensees that is
publicly-available.  In theory, it should be possible to pull out the
type of information you need.

In practice, though, the FCC issues a truckload of licenses of all
different varieties, and they don't tend to use simple terminology
like "handheld 2-way radio" so it's really hard to tell what's what.

Just to give you a feel for what I mean, I've posted the FCC license
categories below (hold your breath before looking them over...!).

If you can look at these and say "Hey, category GP is just what I
need", then I can try and pull out the data for you.  If these
categories mean as little to you as they do to me, then we may be
stuck as far as the FCC angle goes.

Anyway, here they come...let me know what you think.

pafalafa-ga

==========

OPTION value=AA seleAA - Aviation Auxiliary Group
AB - Aural Microwave Booster
AC - Aircraft
AF - Aeronautical and Fixed
AI - Aural Intercity Relay
AR - Aviation Radionavigation
AS - Aural Studio Transmitter
BC - 1670-1675 MHz Band, Market Area
CA - Commercial Air-ground Radiotelephone
CB - BETRS
CD - Paging and Radiotelephone
CE - Digital Electronic Message Service - Common Carrier
CF - Common Carrier Fixed Point to Point Microwave
CG - General Aviation Air-ground Radiotelephone
CL - Cellular
CM - Commercial Operator
CN - PCS Narrowband
CO - Offshore Radiotelephone
CP - Part 22 VHF/UHF Paging (excluding 931MHz)
CR - Rural Radiotelephone
CT - Local Television Transmission
CW - PCS Broadband
CZ - Part 22 931 MHZ Paging
DV - Multichannel Video Distribution AND Data Service
GB - Business, 806-821/851-866 MHz, Conventional
GC - 929-931 MHz Band, Auctioned
GF - Public Safety Ntl Plan, 821-824/866-869 MHz, Conv
GI - Other Indust/Land Transp, 896-901/935-940 MHz, Conv.
GO - Other Indust/Land Transp, 806-821/851-866 MHz, Conv.
GP - Public Safety/Spec Emerg, 806-821/851-866 MHz, Conv.
GR - SMR, 896-901/935-940 MHz, Conventional
GS - Private Carrier Paging, 929-930 MHz
GU - Business, 896-901/935-940 MHz, Conventional
GX - SMR, 806-821/851-866 MHz, Conventional
HA - Amateur
HV - Vanity
IG - Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional
IK - Industrial/Business Pool - Commercial, Conventional
IQ - DSRC / Intelligent Transportation Service
LD - Local Multipoint Distribution Service
LN - 902-928 MHz Location Narrowband (Non-multilateration)
LP - Broadcast Auxiliary Low Power
LS - Location and Monitoring Service, Multilateration (LMS)
LV - Low Power Wireless Assist Video Devices
LW - 902-928 MHz Location Wideband (Grandfathered AVM)
MA - Marine Auxiliary Group<OPTION value=MC>MC - Coastal Group<
MD - Multipoint Distribution Service (MDS and MMDS)
MG - Microwave Industrial/Business Pool
MK - Alaska Group<OPTION value=MM>MM - Millimeter Wave 70/80/90 GHz Service
MR - Marine Radiolocation Land
MS - Multiple Address Service, Auctioned
MW - Microwave Public Safety Pool
NC - Nationwide Commercial 5 Channel, 220 MHz
PA - Public Safety 4940-4990 MHz Band
PC - Public Coast Stations, Auctioned
PE - Digital Electronic Message Service - Private
PW - Public Safety Pool, Conventional
QA - 220-222 MHz Band, Auctioned
QD - Non-Nationwide Data, 220 MHz
QM - Non-Nationwide Public Safety/Mutual Aid, 220 MHz
QO - Non-Nationwide Other, 220 MHz
QT - Non-Nationwide 5 Channel Trunked, 220 MHz
RP - Broadcast Auxiliary Remote Pickup
RR - Restricted Operator
RS - Land Mobile Radiolocation
SA - Ship Recreational or Voluntarily Equipped
SB - Ship Compulsory Equipped
SE - Ship Exemption
SL - Public Safety 700 MHZ Band-State License
TB - TV Microwave Booster
TI - TV Intercity Relay
TN - 39 Ghz, Auctioned
TP - TV Pickup
TS - TV Studio Transmitter Link
TT - TV Translator Relay
TZ - 24 GHz Service
VX - Instructional Television Fixed Service
WA - Microwave Aviation
WM - Microwave Marine
WR - Microwave Radiolocation
WS - Wireless Communications Service
WX - 700 MHz Guard Band
WZ - 700 MHz Lower Band
YB - Business, 806-821/851-866 MHz, Trunked
YC - SMR, 806-821/851-866 MHz, Auctioned
YD - SMR, 896-901/935-940 MHz, Auctioned
YF - Public Safety Ntl Plan, 821-824/866-869 MHz, Trunked
YG - Industrial/Business Pool, Trunked
YI - Other Indust/Land Transp. 896-901/935-940 MHz, Trunked
YK - Industrial/Business Pool - Commercial, Trunked
YO - Other Indust/Land Transp. 806-821/851-866 MHz, Trunked
YP - Public Safety/Spec Emerg, 806-821/851-866 MHz, Trunked
YS - SMR, 896-901/935-940 MHz, Trunked
YU - Business, 896-901/935-940 MHz, Trunked<
YW - Public Safety Pool, Trunked
YX - SMR, 806-821/851-866 MHz, Trunked
ZA - General Mobile Radio (GMRS)
ZV - 218-219 MHz Service

---

Request for Question Clarification by politicalguru-ga on 03 Jan 2005 12:43 PST

Dear Jcl Peaks, 

Did Pafalafa-ga answer your question? If so, maybe you should let him
know, so he can get paid for his hard work (he would not be paid
before he can post an official answer).

If not, is Pafalafa-ga in the right direction? If so, maybe you should
tell him so, so he can continue searching for what you need.

---

Clarification of Question by jclpeaks-ga on 03 Jan 2005 14:26 PST

We had already looked into the FCC license databases.  You are
correct, that in theory it should provide what we need.  In practice,
however, it does not.  These licenses cover all sorts of devices -
portable (handheld) radios, mobile (in-dash) radios, antennas,
repeaters, etc. - and it is not possible to differentiate between them
in the license data available in the FCC download.  I wish that this
approach would provide the answers we need, but unfortunately it does
not.  Thanks for the good idea though!

It appears that cell phone service is available at less cost for most
applications, so my guess is the market is shrinking since 2001.  Neil