Icom Incorporated
Icom Inc. is a Japanese manufacturer of radio transmitting and receiving equipment, founded in 1954 by Tokuzo Inoue with the company's original name being "Inoue". Its products now include equipment for radio amateurs, pilots, maritime applications, land mobile professional applications, and radio scanner enthusiasts.
Its headquarters are in Osaka, Japan. It has branch offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and the People's Republic of China.
Protocols
IDAS
IDAS is Icom's implementation of the NXDN protocol for two-way digital radio products intended for commercial Private Land Mobile Radio and low-end public safety communications systems. NXDN is a Common Air Interface technical standard for mobile communications. It was developed jointly by Icom and Kenwood Corporation.D-STAR
The D-STAR open radio system was developed by Icom based on digital radio protocols developed by the Japan Amateur Radio League and funded by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. This system is designed to provide advanced voice and data communications over amateur radio using open standards.Products
Icom manufactures two way radios and receivers for use in marine applications, Airband, amateur radio applications, land mobile applications, and FRS / GMRS applications. Some radios made by Icom are compatible with Motorola and SmarTrunk trunking systems.IC-V82
The Icom IC-V82 is a VHF handheld transceiver with coverage in the two-meter band and a maximum output power of 7 watts. It was manufactured and sold by Icom from 2004 to 2014.Following its discontinuation, Icom issued an advisory warning about counterfeit radios, including the IC-V82. In October 2018, the company issued a cease-and-desist order against a Chinese manufacturer suspected of producing counterfeit Icom products; it also noted that this was not the first time it had taken such steps.
In June 2022, United Against Nuclear Iran, a U.S. advocacy organization, identified the Icom IC-V82 as being used by Hezbollah, a U.S. designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. It sent a letter to Icom outlining its concerns about the radios' dual-use capability and regarding Icom's business ties to Power Group and Faza Gostrar, which claims to be the "Official ICOM representative in Iran".
Many of the devices purchased by Hezbollah that subsequently exploded in the 2024 Lebanon radio device explosions, killing at least 25 people and wounding over 708, were reported as being IC-V82s. Icom opened an investigation into the case on 19 September 2024, while a sales executive at the company's U.S. subsidiary said the radios involved appeared to be counterfeit units.