licensing business radio
Mobile network in 915 MHz ISM frequency band
<p>Is it legal in the United Stated to operate a mobile/cellular network in the &quot;unlicensed&quot; 915 MHz <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISM_radio_band" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ISM frequency band</a>? I mean given I have all other permissions needed (mobile network service license etc.) except the frequency spectrum license.</p>
<p>The technology used may be GSM/UMTS/LTE. The mobile network frequencies (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM_frequency_bands" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2G</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3G</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_frequency_bands" rel="nofollow noreferrer">4G</a>) partially overlap the 902-928 MHz ISM band so this should be technically possible (channels in 902-915 + 925-928 MHz) even though naturally this limits the network bandwidth while respecting the <a href="https://www.digikey.com/en/articles/unlicensed-915-mhz-band-fits-many-applications-and-allows-higher-transmit-power" rel="nofollow noreferrer">maximum ISM band radio power</a>.</p>

<p>Yes you can, subject to your equipment meeting applicable FCC Part 15 regulations. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricochet_(Internet_service)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ricochet Wireless</a> did exactly what you proposed, running a mobile data network at 900 MHz.</p>
<p>Currently, carriers including Verizon run <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_in_unlicensed_spectrum" rel="nofollow noreferrer">LTE in the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band</a>.</p>
<p>However, there's a potentially better choice, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_Broadband_Radio_Service" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Citizens Broadband Radio Service</a>. This is a &quot;lightly&quot; licensed service, with cheaper and free licenses that are coordinated in shared spectrum. Companies run private CBRS LTE and you can buy <a href="https://www.commscope.com/product-type/in-building-cellular-systems/cbrs-lte/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">small base stations</a> like Wi-Fi access points. More importantly, many commercial handsets support this frequency band, like newer iPhones.</p>
