North Georgia GMRS group service FCC Notice of Violation

FCC Issues Notice of Violation to North Georgia GMRS Operator Over Linked Repeaters

The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau has issued a Notice of Violation to Gary M. Beckstedt, Sr., licensee of General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) station WQYU407 in Newnan, Georgia, for alleged improper linking of multiple GMRS repeaters. The notice, released August 5, 2026, under File No. EB-FIELDSCR-24-00037126, cites violations of Commission rules governing how GMRS stations may connect to external networks.

According to the notice, agents from the Enforcement Bureau’s Atlanta Office monitored several GMRS repeaters owned by Beckstedt on February 11, 2026. They observed that the repeaters were connected through the internet and used to convey messages for simultaneous transmission on the repeaters’ output frequencies. The FCC states this activity violates section 95.1749 of its rules, which permits connections to the public switched telephone network or other networks solely for remote control of a GMRS station and expressly excludes the retransmission of messages.

GMRS is a licensed mobile two-way voice service that relies on only eight shared nationwide repeater frequency pairs used by more than 300,000 active licensees and millions of Family Radio Service users. The Commission notes that because spectrum is limited, the service functions as intended only when local users can hear one another and cooperate in channel sharing. Linking multiple repeaters, the notice explains, is not in the public interest because it retransmits messages across much larger geographic areas, reduces localized channel availability, monopolizes a scarce resource, and raises the potential for interference.

Beckstedt is identified as the co-founder and chief executive officer of North Georgia GMRS Inc. (NGGMRS). The organization has publicly described itself as operating the largest linked repeater network in the United States, with nearly two dozen commercial-grade repeaters covering more than 41,000 square miles. An article on the NGGMRS website states that the repeaters are owned by Beckstedt personally rather than by the corporation; NGGMRS itself holds no Commission licenses. Maps associated with the network show the repeaters linked through hubs referred to as ‘Cores.”

The notice requires Beckstedt to submit a written response within 20 days of its release. The statement must fully explain the violation and surrounding circumstances, describe specific actions taken to correct it and prevent recurrence, and provide a timeline for any remaining corrective measures. The response must be complete on its own, supported by an affidavit or declaration under penalty of perjury, and mailed to the FCC’s Region Two Regional Office in Powder Springs, Georgia, marked with the file number.

Issuance of the Notice of Violation does not prevent the Enforcement Bureau from taking further action if warranted, including a possible Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture. The Privacy Act advisory in the document states that the Commission will consider all relevant information, including any reply, in deciding what enforcement steps may be necessary to ensure compliance.

The notice was signed by Dedrick Roybiskie, Regional Director of Region Two in the Enforcement Bureau.