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General Mobile Radio Service, was originally named Class A Citizens Radio Service when it was rolled out in the 1960s. At that time, the UHF 450-470 MHz band was ordered reallocated to 25 kHz channels. In the 1970s, allowed power was changed to 50 watts. In the 1987, the radio service was changed to its present name. It wasn't very popular because the technology at the time was expensive for radios in the ultra high frequency range. Currently the FCC fee is $35 for a ten year license - no exam, just a registration.

After the prevalence of unlicenced operations in the Class D Citizens Band (27 mHz), Citizens Band (CB) radio became severely congested and unusable in many applications. In the 2000s, the proliferation of mass marketed "hybrid" FRS/GMRS radios has also created the potential for the same problem. Many GMRS licensees believe this will create a similar situation to that of 27 MHz CB radio as its popularity grows, especially since 2021, but that fear has not come to pass ... partly due to licensing, fees and low power on most of the channels.

The availability of inexpensive radios — which can be keyboard or computer programmed — combined with the isolation of the pandemic and people looking for alternative family and personal communications has spurred the popularity of GMRS, especially using repeater systems. With recent political and economic uncertainty, more people are planning for disasters and are making GMRS part of their emergency plan.

Repeaters began to proliferate in the 1980s. These are radios that provide a link between radios that would not normally be able to communicate such as being in valleys with a mountain blocking them.

More recently, most GMRS repeaters have become linked via the internet with routing software on dedicated computers with Intenet access, using the same technology that Internet Telephones use: Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP). These Intenet linked repeaters are similar to cell phone service but unlike cell phones, the linked repeaters function like a party line from the early days of telephones ... everyone on the network hears every conversation.

These days, if you're near a repeater, you can use an inexpensive 5 watt hand held radio (walkie talkie or HT) and communicate nation wide. If you're further away, you'll need a 25 watt radio and an external antenna. You can find a map of over 17,000 U.S.repeaters at mygrms.com You can shop for GMRS radios at mygrms.com/gmrs-radios. Amazon also sells GRMS radios. Do a search for them on their website.