Icom radios and the Icom PoC line

At a glance

What are Icom radios?

Icom is a Japanese radio maker. Inoue Electronic was founded in 1954 and has traded as Icom Inc. since 1964, with headquarters in Osaka. Its range covers amateur radio, land mobile VHF/UHF radio, marine and aviation radio, license-free PMR446 radios, and the digital systems IDAS (NXDN) and dPMR.1

Two parts of that range are the best known and are not push-to-talk over LTE:

• Amateur radio. The IC-7300, for example, is an HF and 50 MHz transceiver with 2–100 W output on SSB, CW and FM.2 For the hobby itself, see ham radio.
• Public safety and land mobile. Icom America lists the IC-F7010 (136–174 MHz) and IC-F7020 (380–512 MHz) as P25 portables, with Phase 2 as an optional upgrade.3 Icom's IDAS system is based on NXDN; see DMR, dPMR and NXDN and land mobile radio.

In Europe, Icom (Europe) GmbH in Heusenstamm, a wholly owned subsidiary, runs dealers, service and spare parts for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and some Eastern European markets.1

Which Icom radios are LTE push-to-talk radios?

Five Icom handhelds in our catalogue use LTE: the IP510H, IP503H, IP501H, IP730D and IP740D. The IP100H is also in the catalogue but is a Wi-Fi terminal, marked discontinued by Icom. Icom's LTE family also has a vehicle radio, a base station and a dispatcher.45678

Beyond handhelds, Icom's UK page lists the IP501M vehicle radio, the IP501MB base station, the IP-M60 (LTE plus marine VHF), the RMS-IP PC dispatcher and the VE-PG4 gateway that links conventional radios, LTE radios, IP terminals and IP phones.8

Compare specifications side by side in the radio comparison tool.

How does the Icom LTE service work?

Icom sells a closed system, not a bring-your-own-SIM radio. Icom's pages describe a custom Icom SIM and a closed network on existing 4G and 3G coverage, with the service obtained through dealers. Icom UK calls it a closed network with license-free nationwide coverage.68

• SIM and server. A French dealer states that 4G use needs a PoC server subscription and a 4G/LTE SIM subscription, both sold separately, and lists the IP510H at €559.90 excluding VAT in October 2026.11
• Country availability. The IP501H page says service availability depends on the country. The IP730D page says a SIM is required "according to our usage offers", obtained from specialist retailers.67
• Dispatch. RMS-IP is the PC dispatcher, and the IP501MB base station is the hardware alternative.8
• Phone client. IP500APP puts an Icom radio group on a smartphone (Android 8.0 or later, iOS 12 or later) for the IP501H, IP503H and IP501M. It is for business customers only and needs a login created by an Icom distributor.12

This is the same idea as a PoC radio, delivered as one vendor's package. Open platforms that run on many devices are listed on the software pages.

Do Icom radios work with Zello, TASSTA or other apps?

No. Icom's LTE radios connect to Icom's own closed service through a custom Icom SIM, with RMS-IP as the PC dispatcher and the IP500APP app as the smartphone client. They are built for that service, not for Zello, TASSTA or other platforms.812

Icom's own connections are the IP500APP phone app, the VE-PG4 gateway to conventional radio and IP phones, and on the IP510H a Bluetooth push-to-talk button over the SPP profile.4812 To see which platforms run on which devices, use the app compatibility checker.

What is the difference between the IP510H and the IP730D?

The IP510H pairs LTE with Wi-Fi: it switches between them without user action. The IP730D and IP740D pair LTE with a conventional radio on licensed VHF or UHF channels, with two PTT buttons and a bridge function that relays between an LTE group and a conventional group.47

Icom says the bridge function drops output to 1 W, is not available in analog mode and may be prohibited in some countries.7 A conventional channel is a licensed service in most countries; see the two-way radio licensing guide. The general comparison is in LMR vs PoC, and Wi-Fi radios have their own page: Wi-Fi two-way radio.

What should you check before buying an Icom LTE radio?

Check the version and its bands, how the service is sold in your country, and whether the radio is in stock. Icom prints separate band lists for Europe and the United States, and the Icom Europe pages show the IP503H, IP730D and IP740D as out of stock.457

• Bands by version. The EU or "EXP" IP510H lists B1, 3, 7, 8, 20 and 28; the US version lists B2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 25, 26, 66 and 71. The FirstNet version, for the US only, needs a FirstNet SIM and eligible subscription.413 Compare with your operator in the LTE band checker.
• 3G. The EXP versions also list W-CDMA bands.469 Check what your operator offers.
• Service. Ask the dealer for the PoC server and SIM terms and prices in writing; Icom sells the service through dealers.811
• Accessories. Battery packs differ by model: the IP510H takes the BP-314 or BP-315, the IP730D the BP-303.49
• Stock. Icom Europe lists several LTE products as out of stock; ask a dealer before planning a fleet.57

Icom radios in our catalogue

Questions

Sources

1. About us · Icom Europe
2. IC-7300 · Icom America
3. IC-F7010 and IC-F7020 P25 transceivers · Icom America
4. IP510H specifications · Icom Japan
5. IP503H · Icom Europe
6. IP501H specifications · Icom Japan
7. IP730D and IP740D hybrid IP transceivers · Icom Europe
8. LTE/PoC radio system · Icom UK
9. IP730D and IP740D brochure · Icom Europe
10. IP100H · Icom Japan