The sound reinforcement industry will soon face a serious issue of which many people are not even aware. I am referring to legislation brought before the United States Senate and House of Representatives, specifically known as The Communications, Consumer's Choice and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 (S. 2686, H.R. 5252). Introduced early in 2006, this amendment to the Communications Act of 1934 incorporates proposed telecommunications reform, including FCC adoption of new rules to increase competition in sports programming, Internet Neutrality allowing 'Net users to access lawful content of their choice and connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network, and legislation designed to speed transition of TV broadcasting from the current analog system to digital transmission. These and other aspects of the bill do not directly impact those of us working in sound reinforcement. However, part of this bill (and its subsequent revision) is a provision called the Wireless Innovation Act of 2006 ("WIN Act"). This portion of the bill proposes freeing up so-called "underutilized" broadcast space for wireless broadband use. To understand why this is important, we need to take a step back and look at how the government manages broadcasting. The FCC was established in 1934 as an independent government agency (can you say "jumbo shrimp?"). Their job is to regulate radio, television, wire, satellite and cable communications in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. possessions. The FCC ensures that broadcasters do not step on each other in an effort to get their content delivered to listeners or viewers. If I decide to start up a radio station, I must apply to the FCC for a broadcast license; they make sure I will not broadcast on the same frequency as a neighbor (thus interfering with their broadcast) and that I will not broadcast a signal so strong that it steps on my neighbor even if we're on different frequencies. This is an oversimplification of the FCC's role, but suffice to say that part of their function is director of airwave traffic.
In years past the FCC's job was relatively straightforward: make sure that TV and radio stations in a given region can all get along happily, allow some space between TV broadcast channels 6 and 7 for FM radio and fine Howard Stern for airing allegedly obscene material. But in the past 10 years or so, wireless communications technology has exploded beyond anyone's wildest dreams. It was tough enough to imagine a cordless phone in every household, but now we're at the point where every person in a family of four has a cell phone with a Bluetooth headset, a wireless network for their computer, printer and music server, satellite TV — the list could go on forever. Some of these devices are not subject to FCC licensing constraints due to the fact that transmission power is low and limited to a small distance. For example, since your cordless phone can barely send a signal 25 feet, it is not a threat to your local news station. The FCC sees no need for you to obtain a license to operate that phone. As you might imagine, every broadcaster in the country is fighting tooth and nail for their place in the broadcast spectrum, and the FCC is trying to create space for wireless broadband. Some space becomes available in 2009-2010 when analog broadcast TV moves to digital transmission, while gaps between currently existing licensed users might also be made available to broadband providers.
How does this affect sound reinforcement? Well, our wireless microphones, instruments and personal monitor systems need a "place to live" — i.e., a frequency band in which they can safely operate without interference with or from local radio and TV stations. Typical pro wireless mic systems transmit and receive in one of two frequency regions: VHF (TV channels 7 through 13, approximately 170 to 215 MHz) and UHF (TV channels 14 through 69, approximately 470 to 800 MHz). Within these regions, the frequency space where no TV or radio signals are broadcast is known as "white space." As we have learned, you must carefully choose a frequency for wireless mic operation in a given location based upon what TV stations are active nearby. In the past we have been able to use FCC data to confirm the frequencies upon which local stations are broadcast, and adjust our frequencyagile wireless systems accordingly.
The WIN Act is going to throw that to hell by freeing up the supposedly underutilized "white space" for wireless broadband use. The bill directs the FCC to permit unlicensed, non-exclusive use of unassigned television broadcast channels (the ones in the white space). Unfortunately, this spectrum includes the bands within which we operate our wireless production devices. Where does that leave wireless sound reinforcement? In the pooper basically, subject to interference from all sorts of unlicensed transmission that potentially could mess up production of concerts, theatre, TV, sports, news coverage and worship services.
We can thank Senators George Allen (RVA), John Kerry (D-MA), John Sununu (R-NH) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) for introducing the WIN Act. Lucky for us Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) introduced a bill called Broadband for Rural America of 2006 (S. 3820), which allows expansion of broadband wireless while ensuring that new wireless users will not cause interference with existing users (us). It also requires new users to submit lab test results to the FCC demonstrating prevention of interference of co-existing devices. (You can read a Shure press release regarding this at http://www. shure.com/ProAudio/PressRoom/Current PressReleases/us_pro_pr_Durbin).
On June 8, 2006, The Communications, Consumer's Choice and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 passed the U.S. House of Representatives. In October of 2006 the FCC concluded that low power devices could be allowed to operate on TV frequencies where those frequencies are not being used for TV — the areas which we need for wireless production. Before the bill becomes law, it must pass the U.S. Senate and be signed by the president.
If you're really concerned that this might become a problem — and you should be — write to your senator while we still have time to do something about it.
FOH is showing audio pros how to be heard on this issue. Go to www.fohonline.com for more info, and check out the cover article.
