06Jan Wireless frequencies are going to disappear in 2014
Not the best news to start the year off, but it seems to be under reported. The FCC has proposed plans to eliminate public use of frequencies between 600 MHz and 700 MHz by the end of this year. You might recall that back in 2010 the FCC sold off the frequencies between 700 MHz and 800 MHz, this new proposed action will reduce public wireless UHF frequencies to the limited range of 500 to 600 MHz in the United States.
So how does this affect filmmakers? If you use wireless UHF microphone systems in your productions, this could affect you. I currently use 3 sets of Sennheiser G2 wireless body packs, two of these units are in the 500 MHz range which will remain free to use, but one set uses the upper 600 MHz band. That unit will become illegal once the auctions take place.
There are still 600 MHz band wireless units for sale and the price is the same as the 500 MHz units. If you plan to spend your hard earned money on a wireless UHF microphone system anytime in the near future, I highly recommend you look for units that operate in the 500 MHz range.
For small productions in lightly populated areas this shouldn’t be a huge issue. Sell off your 600 MHz stuff and pick up 500 MHz stuff before the FCC auctions take effect. For people working in high population areas, large productions, and plays this could be a big issue.
In many cities there is a theater district where 5 or 6 plays are performed within a 5 block radius each night. Before 2010 these theater districts had the option to use frequencies between 500 MHz and 800 MHz. After 2010 those frequencies were reduced by one third and by the end of this year the remaining spectrum would be cut in half. There are a lot of actors and actresses on stage at any given time in a theater production and each of them needs a wireless mic. Have enough plays going on at the same time and you’ll have a pretty hard time finding a clear channel.
This could have an effect on small productions as well. Imagine a car accident happens a few blocks away from your production location. Six or 7 news vans show up to cover the event in all it’s gory detail. The news anchors start powering up their wireless mics as well as units for interviews with the locals. Before you know it everyone of your wireless microphones on your small production are giving you interference and it’s either switch to a boom mic or give up for the day.
These are of course worse case scenarios, but it’s still something to think about. Hopefully this knowledge will save a few of you from buying 600 MHz units over the course of this year and get you to start thinking about the ever decreasing public bandwidth available for filmmakers.
UPDATE: A few of you have asked for more info, if you really want to dig into it here’s the briefing. You’ll find it under subsection “B” of “FORWARD AUCTION—RECONFIGURING THE UHF BAND”. It’s dry reading with big effects on spectrum.
January 6th, 2014 at 3:00 pm
Well, dang! I bought a Sennheiser G3 system (B band, 626 to 668) and have only used it twice. If only the 500-600 frequency range is legal, in my already crowded Seattle area, I imagine there will be serious problems with wireless. What’s to say that the FCC won’t sell off the remaining frequencies in another year or two? The relatively small market we’re in can’t begin to compete with the telecoms.
January 6th, 2014 at 3:09 pm
I think the movie industry will have enough lobbying power to keep 500-600MHz open. They managed to delay auctions of the 600-700MHz band for almost 2 years (originally set for auctions in 2011). Ironically the FCC couldn’t get enough bids on the 700-800MHz range in 2010 and a 3rd of the spectrum ended up going to “public safety” because no one would buy it. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the 600-700MHz auctions will get pushed back another year or two in endless red tape.
January 6th, 2014 at 3:07 pm
Most likely the TV stations can (and will) buy a license to broadcast on a different frequency. So it’s mostly small indies who are affected by this…
bummer though…
January 6th, 2014 at 3:19 pm
I believe they are allowing exemptions for “existing markets”. You have to fill out a bunch of forms and a “justification of need” which is approved on a first come first served basis so there are some work workarounds. But you’re right people with enough money will simply buy licenses. If you really want to dig into it here’s the briefing. You’ll under it in subsection “B” of “FORWARD AUCTION—RECONFIGURING THE UHF BAND”. Not exactly a fun read.
January 6th, 2014 at 4:02 pm
We had a comparable switch in 2012 in Belgium.
We can now only use 2 channels (518-526 and 534-542MHz) without license.
Ok there are actually 3 of those channels (202-209 also) but most wireless mics don’t cover that range.
Options are a little less limited if you were to pay licensing fees, but they are quite expensive for small-time filmmakers.
Guess i’m lucky that most of the news agancies are on paid frequencies so they don’t cause any harm.
I’m always monitoring my audio and keep my iPod touch with smartlav nearby for quick and easy two-system audio should there be problems. Wouldn’t help much in a live situation though…
January 6th, 2014 at 4:25 pm
In the states you can get a license if the frequency is open, but I believe they plan to sell the 600 range off to Cellphone providers. If that’s that case, once implemented it’ll be off limits for licensing.
January 6th, 2014 at 4:47 pm
Actually, this may not happen until mid-2015 or further. So there’s a bit more time.
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/fcc-pushing-600-mhz-broadcast-incentive-auction-mid-2015/2013-12-06
January 6th, 2014 at 5:00 pm
The further it gets pushed back the better.
January 6th, 2014 at 5:05 pm
Yeah, this was announced in October 2013? Right after I bought 2 sets of Sennheiser wireless systems in the 600 MHz to match other’s equipment. WTF?
I think there’s going to be a lot of resistance.
Thanks for the article DeeJay.
January 6th, 2014 at 5:11 pm
I recall that Sennheiser offered some marginal, pro-rated trade in allowance when the previous frequency grab happened. I didn’t own any at the time, and I thought I’d be safe when I bought my B-band freqency Sennheiser system. Maybe Sennheiser will offer some assistance again. I sent them an email inquiry and will post feedback if/when I hear back from them.
January 6th, 2014 at 9:54 pm
It looks like the band isn’t disappearing, just being reallocated. Check out on page 5:
In the white space and unlicensed operations section, we propose measures that, taken together, would make a substantial amount of spectrum available for unlicensed uses, including a significant
portion that would be available on a uniform nationwide basis for the first time. Television white spaces will continue to be available for unlicensed use in the repacked television band. In addition, we propose to make the guard band spectrum in our proposed 600 MHz band plan available for unlicensed use, propose making channel 37 available for such use, and propose making two channels currently designated for wireless microphone use available for white space devices. The measures we propose to promote unlicensed spectrum use are limited by the bounds of our statutory authority.
They are still going to keep the two “white channels” in each city like normal, just it seems that they are going to compact the band as well as add a “significant portion that would be available on a uniform nationwide basis” which has never been there before. Not as bad as the 700MHz band being completely outlawed. Just means we are going to need to be a bit more careful using directional antennas.
January 7th, 2014 at 11:04 am
Drew – I’m a bit techn-challenged when it comes to this issue. I have a Sennheiser wireless lav system that uses the B band frequency range of 626 to 668. How does the information from the page 5 excerpt in your post apply to the frequency range I am currently using?
January 7th, 2014 at 11:39 am
Everything is speculation from here until the FCC makes a finalized decision which wont be for a long time. Might help you being able to see what TV channels vs frequencies are in that range, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_television_frequencies. I wish I could be of more help.
January 7th, 2014 at 1:17 pm
As Drew said, everything the FCC posts is suggested use, nothing has been finalized. Even the FCC’s document I linked to has some contradicting recommendations for allocation if you dig through it. Until they finalize 600 MHz usage things could easily get better or worse.
January 8th, 2014 at 4:59 pm
I got this reply from Sennheiser today:
The wireless mic industry is constantly battling with the FCC for room in the UHF spectrum, but the fact is that the government wants money and it’s hard for us to match the amount of money that the cell phone companies are willing to pay at these bandwith auctions. A few years ago this same situation happened with the 700MHz range where those exclusive rights were sold off to certain cell phone companies, and suddenly it became illegal across the US for anyone to broadcast in that 700MHz range. The FCC does nothing to reimburse customers, churches, etc. who get stuck with the illegal equipment so we typically help the best we can by running trade up and discount programs for our customers. Only our highest end 3/5K series wireless mics can have their ranges altered after the fact, so the majority of people cannot have their EW100G3 equipment changed after original purchase which means the equipment must just be replaced altogether if their range becomes illegal.
Keep in mind that the FCC auction is planned to occur at the end of this year 2014, so nothing is set in stone yet and there’s no guarantee that the auction will even be successful. Even if the 600MHz range does get sold off, the repercussions would not be felt until late 2016. Fact is that the FCC is just starting to realize that wireless mics are needed and are important because of meetings we have held with them recently, but it still doesn’t stop them from looking for the highest bidder. I’m sure we will attempt to help our customers as much as we can if/when that change was to occur, but there’s no telling at this point what we would even be offering if anything this time. The only way you could ensure that you wouldn’t be bothered by such a change would be to buy equipment now that operates in the 500MHz ranges.
January 8th, 2014 at 5:51 pm
So the safest bet is to stick to 500MHz ranges from the sounds of it. Thanks for the update Dave!
January 29th, 2014 at 8:29 am
Let’s start a petition
July 16th, 2015 at 8:08 am
If they auction away the frequencies I feel a portion of those proceeds should fund the reallocation of all wireless devices in that band. That should be a contingency of the sale. They did it for broadcasters for the 2.4 Ghz reallocation so cell phones could use that band – why not do the same for wireless mics and devices that are being displaced?
If I was the successful bidder for a block of frequencies just to protect my own interests I would want to remove all of the sources of potential interference and that would be a way to do so.