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The Digital Divide
The TV spectrum, where
wireless microphones operate, is about to undergo a digital transition come
February. Wireless mics will continue to operate on whichever channels are
not occupied by local television. However, with the increased use by private
companies, mics may find that there’s more to bump into on the TV spectrum
On February 17, 2009, TV broadcasters will shut off power to their analog
channels for good and all digital TV transmission will be consolidated between
channels 2 to 51, leaving free space in the upper part of the spectrum. Some
of this space has already been spoken for.
Certain channels will be used for emergency communications, while others have
been licensed to corporate users such as Verizon, Cox Communications, and
AT&T in an auction completed in March, which raised $19 billion. Where
does this leave the wireless systems that theatres depend on?
“There are many unknowns, not unlike what we experienced prior to Y2K,”
says Kenneth W. Graven, vice president with Charles M. Salter Associates,
a San Francisco-based consulting group.
Kenneth Fause, a principal at Auerbach Pollock Friedlander, says good old-fashioned
radio frequency operating practices, that have kept a wireless system pristine
for years, will be a key factor in how well wireless systems work. He lays
out six practical steps.
White Spaces
The other aspect of the transition is not so simple; it involves “white
spaces,” a term that refers to the unused frequencies between channels
2 to 51: frequencies that wireless microphones can still use. Private companies,
such as Google, Microsoft, and Dell, want to share this space to sell an assortment
of unlicensed wireless devices that could open huge markets for them. Wireless
mic makers, suppliers, and users are worried that the proposed devices will
interfere with wireless microphones used at live-performance venues. They
want proof that the new devices won’t interfere with wireless systems.
Steve Savanyu, Director of Educational Services at Audio-Technica, a wireless
systems manufacturer, says, “The issue that comes into play is if the
white space thing passes, then there will be these unlicensed devices that
can be turned on and off by users. And so at rehearsal tonight all of our
wireless work great but tomorrow at opening night somebody in the audience
has some wireless communication device that’s using these unlicensed
frequencies, that just happens to be where our wireless is operating, and
all of the sudden we get interfered with and that’s the big concern that
all the wireless microphone people have.”
The FCC has heard from both sides and has tested various devices purported
to avoid chaos in live venues or TV broadcasting. The last round of tests
included the Majestic Theatre on Broadway, where “The Phantom of the
Opera” has performed for the past 20 years, as a test site.
Here two spectrum-sensing prototypes were tested, one made by Philips and
another by a company in Singapore, I2R. The results depend on whom you ask.
Jake Ward, spokesperson for the Wireless Innovation Alliance, a nonprofit
group made up of a combination of 19 companies, including Dell, Motorola,
Hewlett-Packard, and Skype, and public advocacy groups, such as Media Access
Project and Public Knowledge, said the second round of tests was successful
for the Philips prototype. “It scanned digital signals on the broadcast
spectrum, avoided occupied channels, recognized wireless microphones, avoided
the channels where the wireless microphones were operating on,” says
Ward. He goes on to say that prototypes are just for testing and to help form
the regulations and not the final ‘primetime’ products.
But Mark Brunner, the senior director of public and industry relations at
Shure, wasn’t impressed with the devices. “In our estimation, they
performed very poorly.”
Nothing is certain for now, as the FCC is not discussing the test results.
The FCC’s final findings will have to take another issue into account:
Will unlicensed wireless microphones have to operate under a whole new set
of guidelines along with newly entering unlicensed devices or will they be
respected as incumbents? Media and Public Outreach Specialist at the FCC Robert
C. Kenny says that issue hasn’t been resolved: “There are approximately
1,000 licensed wireless microphone users across the nation, with many more
unlicensed microphones in use. There are likely hundreds of thousands of unlicensed
microphones in use today. We are not aware of any complaints with their use,
but expect to address this issue as part of this proceeding.”
“Certainly the use of wireless microphones has expanded over the years
beyond the original licensing scheme, which was designed to enable television
broadcasters to address interference complaints if they were raised from secondary
users, which were wireless microphones,” says Brunner. “Those complaints
never materialized. We see ourselves as incumbent users and the burden of
any new entry should be on new users to not create interference with incumbent
users.”
Be Vigilant and Proactive
While the white space debate continues, there are precautionary steps theatres
can take to make sure they’re ready for any decision.
Brunner also advises theatre professionals to make their voices heard. “They
should feel at liberty to express the importance of wireless microphones in
their productions to the FCC. Write letters, contact politicians,” says
Brunner.
Joe Ciaudelli, consultant for professional products at Sennheiser, believes
we share common ground and says, "What we don't want is for the spectrum
to be randomly flooded with wireless devices. Because then it won't matter
if it's a white space device, or a wireless microphone or a wireless video
system for production, it will all interfere with each other, and no one wants
that."
But Fause thinks the wireless microphone users have an uphill battle. "There
are a lot more users of the Internet and home entertainment devices than there
are users of professional wireless microphones. Other than the few wireless
microphones licensed to motion picture/television users, the vast majority
of wireless microphones are unlicensed devices; which have no basis to demand
protection from another unlicensed device," says Fause.
We will have to wait until after February. According to Kenny, the FCC won’t
make a decision on the uses of the white spaces before February, 2009. Stay
tuned.
To talk up your wireless microphone concerns, visit the DramaBiz
Magazine forums at www.dramabiz.com/forum.
