Stations Database Download
Download Formats#
CSV (Gzipped)#
Opens in Excel, Python, R, or any tool that reads CSV. Decompress the .gz file first, or tools like Python’s pandas.read_csv can read it directly.
Apache Parquet#
Compact columnar format for data analysis. Works with Python (pandas, polars, DuckDB), R (arrow), and Spark. Already compressed – no decompression needed.
SQLite (Gzipped)#
Self-contained SQL database. Decompress, then query with any SQLite client or sqlite3 from the command line. Indexed on key columns for fast lookups.
Geo-Enabled CSV (Gzipped)#
Same columns as the standard CSV, plus a coverage_wkt column with spatial geometry in Well-Known Text format. Includes point locations, operating radius circles, and market area polygons.
GeoParquet#
GeoParquet 1.1 with a binary coverage column (WKB-encoded geometry). Works with GeoPandas, DuckDB Spatial, QGIS, and any GeoParquet-aware tool. No decompression needed.
Geo SQLite (Gzipped)#
SpatiaLite-compatible SQLite database with a coverage BLOB column (WKB-encoded geometry) and standard geometry_columns / spatial_ref_sys metadata tables. Decompress, then query with SpatiaLite or read WKB blobs with any geometry library.
Download stations-geo.sqlite.gz
Market Areas (GeoJSON, Gzipped)#
Standalone GeoJSON FeatureCollection of all FCC market area polygons (CMA, BTA, PEA, County, State, etc.). Use for joining area-only licenses to geographic boundaries.
Column Reference#
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
id | integer | Auto-increment primary key |
source | text | Data source: els, uls, icfs, icfs_sat, lms |
source_id | text | Unique identifier within the source |
file_number | text | FCC file number (SES-xxx, ELS-xxx, etc.) |
call_sign | text | FCC call sign |
licensee | text | License holder name |
state | text | US state code (2 letters) |
lat_dd | float | Latitude in decimal degrees |
lon_dd | float | Longitude in decimal degrees |
freq_lower_mhz | float | Lower frequency bound in MHz |
freq_upper_mhz | float | Upper frequency bound in MHz |
license_status | text | License status (active, expired, etc.) |
expiration_date | text | License expiration date |
service_code | text | Radio service code (ULS) or source identifier |
market_id | text | Market identifier (placeholder for area licenses) |
link_direction | text | uplink, downlink, or inter-sat |
polarization | text | Antenna polarization |
power_output | float | Transmitter output power |
power_unit | text | Power unit: W or dBW |
radius_km | float | Mobile station radius of operation in km |
haat_m | float | Height above average terrain in meters |
ground_elevation_m | float | Ground elevation AMSL in meters |
antenna_gain_dbi | float | Antenna gain in dBi |
license_url | text | URL to the FCC license record |
meta | json | Additional source-specific metadata (JSON) |
updated_at | timestamp | Last update timestamp (UTC) |
coverage_wkt | text | Spatial coverage as WKT (geo CSV only). See Coverage Column below |
coverage | binary | Spatial coverage as WKB (geo Parquet/SQLite only). See Coverage Column below |
Coverage Column#
The geo-enabled downloads include a coverage column that captures the spatial footprint of each station. The geometry type depends on the station:
- Fixed stations (have lat/lon, no operating radius): Point geometry at the station coordinates.
- Mobile stations (have lat/lon + operating radius): Polygon (circle) buffered by the radius of operation.
- Area-only stations (no lat/lon, have market_id): Market area polygon from the FCC geographic area database. These are joined from the
market_areastable at export time. - Satellites (icfs_sat, no terrestrial location): NULL coverage.
All geometries use WGS84 / EPSG:4326 coordinate reference system.
Not all area-only stations have matching market area polygons. Stations whose market_id does not appear in the market areas database will have NULL coverage.
Data Sources#
- ELS – FCC Experimental Licensing System. Experimental radio licenses and special temporary authorities.
- ULS – Universal Licensing System. The primary FCC licensing database covering microwave, amateur, private land mobile, and other radio services.
- ICFS – International Communications Filing System. Satellite earth station filings (Schedule B).
- LMS – Licensing and Management System. Broadcast and other managed licenses.
Update Schedule#
This data is regenerated nightly after the FCC data ingest pipeline runs. Files typically reflect FCC records from the previous business day.