WASHINGTON DC — It’s been how long and we are still talking about this crap?
Bottom line is that while we are all trying to move ahead assuming that pro audio will be blocked out of the 700Mhz band for wireless mics, the FCC has not yet issued a final ruling on the subject.
Among a bunch of others, Shure submitted its final petition to the FCC on this matter last week. The petition is dense with legalize but it comes down to this:
Whether the Commission's new "white spaces" rules successfully protect incumbent operations, including particularly wireless microphone operations, in this challenging spectrum environment is a matter determined by the specific details of the FCC's rules and whether the rules provide sufficient protection when actually implemented in real world environments. It is critical that the FCC's technical and operational rules — including pre-certification testing rules — "get it right" before mass produced equipment is pushed into the market.
Toward that end, Shure urged the Commission to impose rigorous certification testing, open to the public, on hybrid geolocation/sensing devices. Shure also sought reconsideration of the FCC decision to permit portable devices to operate on first adjacent channels. At a minimum, the FCC should reduce the allowable power of TV band device ("TVBD") operations on adjacent channels.
In order to prevent devastating interference to wireless microphones, Shure urged modification of several technical and behavioral rules:
- TVBDs must demonstrate that they maintain sensitivity to the -114 dBm level in the presence of strong signals on adjacent channels, a common scenario in real world operations
- In-service monitoring requirements should be revised to require rechecks every 10 seconds
- A 60 minute non-occupancy period should be adopted for TVBDs
- High power fixed TVBDs should be required to avoid a 2 kilometer protected zone around wireless microphones
- Geolocation databases should synchronize at least once an hour
- TVBDs should be required to access the database and confirm frequency availability in real-time or near real-time
- The period of time that TVBDs may continue operating after losing contact with the database should be reduced from 24 to 4 hours
Finally, Shure urged the FCC to make clear that TVBD manufacturers, TVBD users and database administrators may not pick and choose which wireless microphone operations to protect from TVBD interference based on microphone application, power level, license status or any other characteristic. Shure said that to do otherwise would abrogate the Commission’s commitment in this proceeding to protect incumbents and harm an important and vital technology critical to many sectors contrary to the public interest.
