All the Railroads could have saved billions by getting an exemption for their tinny tiny little part of the vast radio spectrum (and stayed with the 15khz spread)
Billions that could have paid for improvements to ROW, Equipment, and savings to Customers, Commuters and Taxpayers
These narrow band packsets are pieces of crap and not as good as the old 15KHz Motorola and GE!
I dread the day when we are forced to go digital and an incident happens in the middle of nowhere,
the locomotive radio is broken and your screaming for help off your "Peanut Whistle Digital Packset" and no one hears you. (And you dont have your Digital Cell or Smart Phone because its not allowed and guess what there is no service anyway!!!)
The FCC and radio manufacturers are going to have blood on their hands!
The Military got an exemption to go narrow and digital why couldn't railroads??