Long before cellular reached the oilfield, operators built their own radio networks to pull data back from remote sites - and many still run them today. This guide explains licensed radio telemetry: how private, FCC-licensed SCADA radios work, how they differ from unlicensed spread spectrum, and why they persist.
Licensed Radio in one line: Licensed radio telemetry is a private wireless SCADA network that operates on radio frequencies an operator is licensed to use exclusively - typically narrowband VHF/UHF channels - giving field sites an interference-protected, operator-owned link back to the central host.
A licensed radio network is usually built as point-to-multipoint: a master radio at a central or elevated location polls many remote radios at the field sites, often through repeaters that extend coverage over terrain. Each remote radio connects to an RTU or PLC and carries its serial or IP data over the air on the licensed channel. In North America these systems commonly use narrowband VHF and UHF allocations, including Multiple Address System (MAS) frequencies set aside for exactly this purpose.
The word licensed is the whole point. The operator applies for and holds an FCC (or national regulator) license to a specific frequency in a specific area, which gives that channel legal protection from interference. That exclusivity is what makes the link predictable enough to trust with critical telemetry.
Unlicensed spread-spectrum radios (for example in the 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz ISM bands) need no license and are cheap to deploy, but they share the band with everyone else and can suffer interference. Licensed narrowband radios cost more and require paperwork, yet deliver protected, longer-range links - a worthwhile trade for a pipeline or gathering system that must not drop data.
Licensed radio's advantages are no recurring airtime cost, no dependence on a carrier, and full operator control. Its limits are lower bandwidth and the effort of owning the infrastructure. Many operators now run radio for the field backbone and hand off to cellular or satellite for the trip to the cloud, where a platform such as Merobix reads the aggregated RTU data over DNP3 or Modbus.
Licensed radio uses frequencies the operator is licensed to use exclusively, giving interference protection and typically longer range. Unlicensed spread-spectrum radio needs no license and is cheaper, but shares the band with other users and can be disrupted by interference.
Licensed radio has no per-site airtime cost, does not depend on carrier coverage, and stays under the operator's control. For established gathering systems and pipelines with an existing radio backbone, it remains reliable and economical.
Yes. The radio network carries RTU data to a central point, which then reaches the cloud over cellular, satellite, or a wired link. A cloud SCADA like Merobix reads that aggregated RTU data over DNP3 or Modbus without touching the field radios.
This page references the protocol specifications published by the organizations below. Editions, product capabilities, and documentation change over time - confirm current requirements and specifications directly with the source.
Last reviewed: July 27, 2026. Merobix is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by these organizations; their names are used only to identify the standards and products discussed.
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