FCC gives the official finger to theatres and live entertainment
The Federal Communications Commission has ordered all users of wireless microphones to find new broadcast frequencies by June 12th, 2010. Friday’s order came after years of legal wrangling over the 700 megahertz band by Broadway (the only entertainment grouping that could afford to challenge it) and cellular phone and internet providers. The FCC’s order (PDF) acts as eviction notice for thousands of existing groups using millions of devices in that spectrum, in favor of a handful of telecommunications companies that want to create new services in that supposedly “unused” band.
This ruling will affect everything and everyone from Broadway to the Flat River Community Players, churches, high school and university theatre departments, corporate meetings, concerts, and sporting events, as well as nearly all existing wireless mics, headsets, cordless phones, and baby monitors.
Hudson & Gaines
What percentage of wireless mics use the 700mHz range?
That’s a question for the myriad of manufacturers. I know that some of them were offering rebates on new equipment in exchange for old equipment because of this pending order.
Also, to address a response I’ve been seeing elsewhere:
The FCC had previously assigned the use of these frequencies to devices such as wireless mics. That is why they were using those particular bands in the first place. Manufacturers are not allowed to simply start using any unused frequency they can find. Each company pays licensing and testing fees to demonstrate that their equipment works as intended in the promised frequency range.
Millions of devices currently use these frequencies all over the US. They all cost money to produce and purchase. They are now being disregarded in favor of a few companies that saw a potential opening and are willing to pay the FCC for the right to use bandwidth that was already in use. This forces thousands of people and companies that were lawfully using these devices to purchase new ones. Churches, sports arenas, schools, AV companies, community theatres, professional theatres, etc… We tend to think only of major cities, but there are thousands of smaller cities and towns where these devices are in use by multiple groups. The numbers are staggering. But because there is no central group that ties all of these users together, there is no overwhelming push-back against this ruling. It’s collectively a multi-million dollar expense for the end users and manufacturers, all so a few companies can potentially create new products and devices for their own profit. It is akin to knocking down all of Atlanta (houses, schools, parks, churches, and businesses) just to expand the Coca-Cola plant.
[...] the FCC’s order for use of the 700 megahertz band to cease by June 12, and all sales of products using that band to [...]
What annoys me is that the FCC is passing this off as helping fire, police, and first responders when only 24 of the 108 MHz in the 700 MHz range is reserved for emergency response. The rest of it was sold to AT&T and Verizon for 19.5 billion. Yet on the FCC web site it makes it sound like you will kill a firefighter if you use equipment in this range.
I was lucky enough to replace my wireless mics a few years ago with newer equipment that is in compliance. Sure has not produced equipment in this range since 2007 and Audio Technica stopped in 1999. The people that will be hurt are the smaller places like churches, schools, and community theatres that can’t afford to update equipment as regularly.