The FCC has taken action against the operator of a GMRS repeater network serving Georgia and Tennessee, saying his internet-linked system violated regulations that ban the simultaneous retransmission of voice messages across numerous repeaters.

The founder of the North Georgia GMRS radio network, Gary Beckstedt, holds the GMRS license WQYU407. An amateur radio operator with the callsign WB4GMB, he says on his QRZ page that more than half of the members of his GMRS network are also licensed hams and that its paid membership is rapidly growing. With more than 30 repeaters in the system, it is "the largest GMRS network in the US," according to the website.

FCC rules permit GMRS repeaters to be connected to other networks solely for remote-control operation. According to a Notice of Violation on the FCC website, on February 11th of this year, agents documented the violation, confirming that the UHF repeaters' Internet connections were being used to carry the same message to several repeaters for transmission over the air. The Notice of Violation released on August 5 states that such use of so many linked repeaters over a wide area is not in the public interest because it monopolizes a limited spectrum resource and increases the potential for interference.

The network's website, which promotes annual membership starting at $90 a year, said that it is encouraging radio growth and education, adding: [quote] "We have built a reputation of fostering our membership and guiding them towards the Amateur Radio Community. After all, radio is radio and it offers so much for those who choose to expand and grow in the knowledge of radio communications." [endquote]

Beckstedt was given 20 days to respond to the FCC.