High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! A radio repeater is a combination of a radio receiver and a radio transmitter that receives a weak or low-level signal and retransmits it at a higher level or higher power, so that the signal can cover longer distances without degradation. This article refers to professional, commercial, and government radio systems. A separate article exists for Amateur radio repeaters. In dispatching, amateur radio, and emergency services communications, repeaters are used extensively to relay radio signals across a wider area. With most emergency (and some other) dispatching systems, the repeater is synonymous with the base station, which performs both functions. This includes police, fire brigade, ambulance, taxicab, tow truck, and other services. The civilian GMRS service in the United States and UHF CB service in Australia also use repeaters in much the same fashion as amateur radio operators do; however, the Canadian GMRS service is an expansion of the Family Radio Service and is designed to operate simplex-only.