Exchanging group communications over family radio service (frs) channels

A computing apparatus comprising:

• one or more computer readable storage media;
• a processing system operatively coupled with the one or more computer readable storage media;
• and
• program instructions for supporting group communication services stored on the one or more computer readable storage media that, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to at least:
• establish a communication group comprising a plurality of user nodes configured to receive and transmit user node communications between group communication members over a wireless network, wherein each of the plurality of user nodes is embedded with a Family Radio Service (FRS) channel configuration which identifies a designated FRS channel to exchange user node communications;
• detect a trigger to activate an FRS mode and transfer an instruction to each of the plurality of user nodes to identify the FRS channel for the user node communications based on the FRS channel configuration;
• and
• receive user node communications from and distribute user node communications to members of the communication group over the designated FRS channel.

A method of operating a group communication system, the method comprising:

• establish a communication group comprising a plurality of user nodes configured to receive and transmit user node communications between group communication members over a wireless network, wherein each of the plurality of user nodes is embedded with a Family Radio Service (FRS) channel configuration which identifies a designated FRS channel to exchange user node communications;
• detect a trigger to activate an FRS mode and transfer an instruction to each of the plurality of user nodes to identify the FRS channel for the user node communications based on the FRS channel configuration;
• and
• receive user node communications from and distribute user node communications to members of the communication group over the designated FRS channel.