Thanks. That's basically what I thought. Also, some very mobile
equipment which are not ISM equipment but use this band (e.g., laptops
running some version of 802.11) could also interfere with critical
communications in another country if ISM were not standardized. But, as
you have pointed out, the ISM band was originally developed for the use
of ISM equipment so they could be shipped and moved around the world.
It seems to me the later use of this band by other equipment (e.g.,
mobile laptops) was done to capitalize on the fact that no license is
needed to broadcast in this band and broadcasts will not interfere with
other critical communications when moving from country to country.

Thanks,

Jeff