Wireless Mics Have Unique Spectrum Needs, Stakeholders Explain in Meeting at FCC
A coalition of wireless mic "stakeholders" explained the unique needs of wireless microphone users for reliable low-band spectrum. A “suite” of UHF spectrum must remain available for the devices after the TV incentive auction, the stakeholders said in a meeting…
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with FCC officials, said an ex parte filing. The coalition argued that wireless mics “must work flawlessly without interruption during performance times and demand for channels may change in an instant” so mics differ from white spaces devices. The regulation should also be different, the stakeholders said. Wireless mic makers Sennheiser and Shure and various user groups attended the meeting. “Wireless microphone use is varied and not static, and the required number of channels in any one location at any one time cannot easily be predicted,” the filing said. “For example, one reality TV series uses 64 microphone channels, regional theaters use 30-35 channels for musical productions, and adjacent theaters on just one block of Broadway collectively use over 200 channels during performance times, while 1300 wireless microphones operate within an eight block radius. Similarly, a convention center may have an event that requires tens of microphone channels one week, but 400 microphone channels the following week, depending on the requirements of the particular conference.” The filing was posted Friday in docket 12-268.