If there was ever an area of constant activity and interest within the live audio community, the Federal Communication Commission’s proposed reallocation and plans for an upcoming auction of the 600 MHz UHF spectrum would surely head the list. Currently, the auction is scheduled for mid-2015. Meanwhile, well-heeled companies in the telecom industry — including AT&T, Verizon and Sprint — are anxious to pony up as much as an estimated $20 billion for that chunk of prime cyber real estate. And it’s a big-stakes game, with the winners set to take a commanding position in the burgeoning mobile device market.
There are still a lot of unsettled aspects of the deal. Before the FCC can start accepting bids for either slices or entire chunks of that pie, they first have to negotiate buybacks of licensed frequencies currently held by UHF television stations operating in the channel 36 through 51 range. This could be accomplished by some combination of cash and/or possibly stations receiving a new reallocated frequency or a shared frequency.
Also within that band are thousands of wireless mic/IEM/intercom users with gear operating in that 608 to 698 MHz UHF spectrum. And their fate is still largely unknown. What is known is that many wireless mic users in that same band have not-so-pretty recollections of June 12, 2010, when a similar FCC sellout of the 700 MHz bandwidth band (actually 698 MHz to 806 MHz) left a lot of wireless mic owners stuck with gear that was thereafter illegal to operate in the U.S.
More prepared this time around, a group of pro wireless manufacturers (Audio-Technica, Lectrosonics, Sennheiser and Shure) and prominent users — including the NFL, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, CBS, Time Warner, Disney, the National Association of Broadcasters and others — banded together to lobby the FCC on behalf of the pro audio community. The efforts so far have been successful, culminating in the consortium being asked to present its views and the needs of pro users directly to the Commission in late April of this year.
New Developments
Last month, the commission completed a multi-year exploration of the role of wireless microphones in modern content production and the technical challenges that surround their use. Adopted on May 15, and released on June 2, 2014, the study included consultations with wireless microphone users across many different types of productions.
After consideration of technical and regulatory factors, the Commission concluded that the use of wireless microphones (and related equipment such as in-ear monitors and production intercoms) at major productions and events could be effectively protected by expanding license eligibility.
Concluding the use of wireless microphones to be an integral part of major productions and events and essential to maintaining high standards of production quality, the FCC adopted new rules that expand wireless microphone license eligibility to include professional sound companies and venues that routinely use 50 or more wireless microphones. The move will ensure that concert venues, theaters, convention centers, theme parks, professional sound companies and other large-scale users will continue to be able to employ wireless microphones reliably as spectrum use intensifies.
Wireless microphone users may request protection from interference from TV Band Devices (also known as “white space” devices) at the time and location of these events by registering in one of the FCC-approved TV Bands Devices Databases. Licensed users are able to obtain protection in a more streamlined and efficient manner. Previously, only broadcasters, cable networks, and TV/film production companies were eligible for licenses.
But opening FCC licensing to venues and professional sound companies doesn’t let everyone on the bus. The FCC commissioners defined a professional sound company as “a person or organization that provides audio services that routinely use 50 or more low-power auxiliary station devices, where the use of such devices is an integral part of major events or productions.” And “routinely” means that the professional sound company uses 50 or more such devices for most events or productions.
Likewise, a large venue owner or operator “refers to a person or organization that owns or operates a venue that routinely uses 50 or more low power auxiliary station devices, where the use of such devices is an integral part of major events or productions. Routinely using 50 or more low power auxiliary station devices means that the venue owner or operator uses 50 or more such devices for most events or productions.”
The Want List Becomes Reality
With the reality that a substantial chunk — if not nearly all — of the 600 MHz band could disappear from wireless channel counts, the audio contingent offered proposals that would help pro users weather the change. And according to this latest report, the Commission actually listened and responded positively.
One of these was the industry’s desire to allow mics to operate in the 600 MHz guard bands, including the mid-band gap, on a registered priority basis. The report included permission to operate wireless microphones in the guard band spectrum.
As shown in Fig. 1, the guard bands are analogous to the guard bands surrounding analog TV channels, but repurposed to provide a “cushion” layer around mobile broadband upload and download frequency bands.
“There will be separate blocks for up-link and down-link,” explains Sennheiser’s Joe Ciaudelli. “Between them will be a mid-band gap. These guard bands and mid-band gap are intended to be buffers, protecting the two blocks from interfering with each other and adjacent services. The risk of interference to mics operating in these buffer zones may be high due to out of band emissions from the up-link and down-link blocks. The sizes of these buffers and their technical specifications have yet to be defined. These will be determining factors in their functionality for mics.”
Other key points offered by the Commission were more straightforward. “Although we will no longer designate two TV channels exclusively for wireless microphone use after the UHF band is reorganized,” the report stated, “we intend to designate one channel for use by wireless microphones and unlicensed devices and plan to make improvements in the TV bands database to enable more timely and effective registration of wireless microphone users seeking interference protection from TVWS device operations.” Of course, although somewhere in the 600 MHz band, the exact frequency of that channel is yet to be determined.
But the bottom line is that the 600 MHz band will no longer be the open, safe haven for wireless users that it once was. “Wireless microphones will eventually be required to cease operating in the spectrum repurposed for wireless broadband,” the report continues. However, it added that “we will allow wireless microphone users to continue to operate for 39 months following the incentive auction in order to facilitate their transition to other spectrum.”
“Shure applauds the FCC’s thoughtful decision regarding expansion of entities eligible for wireless microphone licenses,” said Mark Brunner, Shure’s senior director, global brand management. ”As spectrum demand is increasing from a wide variety of technologies and services, protection of professional audio operations is becoming more critical. We are pleased the Commission has recognized the wide impact that wireless microphones have on our daily lives — in broadcasting and media production, sports, live entertainment, and in corporate, civic, education, and worship venues. This action takes an important step forward in updating the regulations regarding professional audio operations that have become an integral part of American culture and aligns with views held by regulatory authorities around the world. Shure appreciates the careful attention the FCC has paid to this issue.”
And from the Commission’s report, it’s clear that the FCC both understands and supports the vital role that wireless technology plays in capturing, creating and reproducing audio. “Finally, recognizing the important benefits provided by wireless microphones,” it states, “we plan to initiate a proceeding in the near term to explore ways to help accommodate the longer-term needs of wireless microphone users through use of additional frequency bands to meet their varying needs.” All good news for the industry.
For more information, visit www.fcc.gov .
