…well, not really. Today was supposed to be the last day we could use the 700mhz band for wireless gear. However, it has ALL changed. The past few days have seen a flurry of new notices from the FCC. The one that sticks out to me is an update on the public safety channels. The FCC has now mandated that the
public safety sections of the 700mhz band must now wait to implement their use of those channels. Previously, they had already forced a delay by private companies to begin using their purchased channels, but had told public safety they could begin using theirs on February 18th, as had been the plan for the last few years. Here is what this means to you and me. We have until June 12th to vacant the 700mhz band. The FCC is requiring all users to cease using equipment in that band by then. According to FCC 08-188 (NPRM&O), Paragraph 14:
"As discussed above, the Commission and various affected parties, such as SBE and Shure, have contemplated that low power broadcast auxiliary devices would lose their secondary status, and would need to vacate the band, upon completion of the DTV transition. We therefore tentatively conclude to revise our rules to make clear that low power auxiliary stations authorized under Part 74 of our rules – including wireless microphones – will not be permitted to operate in the 700 MHz Band after the DTV transition."There it is. No wiggle room. You have four more months to be compliant. I've read that the FCC has promised it will not delay the transition again. It is time your leadership understand they have no choice. Either stop using wireless mics or replace what you have. Most of the manufacturers have a rebate program in place to help offset the cost of these new systems. Check out
Shure and
Sennheiser to get more information.
Mike Sessler posted
this chart showing who has what frequencies. You can find even more details in
this article, including maps of the US showing details of what the big players, Verizon, AT&T, and Qualcom own.
I hope you have enough data to help your church make the needed changes. I’ll be glad to answer questions if I can. Happy frequency hunting!
