700 MHz Wireless Transition

As many of you are aware the FCC sold off much of the frequency space that is used by wireless microphones and in ear monitoring products.  For a detailed explanation of that decision by the FCC please take a moment and read the “FCC Selling Frequency Space” post about it we did back in February.  This action has caused many churches and other organizations to rethink how they are using wireless technology in their facilities.

What does the law currently say?

As of right now the law still allows wireless units (microphones and in ear monitors) to operate in these frequencies.  I know this is information that is contradictory to what most of the information out there about this subject is saying.   There are many people that point to a proposal that the FCC had presented to disallow the use of wireless microphones with in the 700MHz band.  If this proposal had been approved, use of the microphones in this frequency range would have been prohibited, as of the Digital Television Deadline date (June 12, 2009).  This proposal was presented to the FCC on Nov. 4, 2008.  After reviewing the proposal they decided not to vote on it, which also means that it is only a proposal and not actually law, yet.

What did Mars Hill Church do and why?

Many wireless microphone companies have been watching this issue since it first surfaced over 5 years ago.  They came to the conclusion that the passing of the above proposal will eventually happen at any point in time.  Consequently they stopped selling wireless products in the 700 MHz band a couple of years ago.

After reviewing a lot of the information out there, and what the wireless companies are doing, Mars Hill Church decided to do the same.  We had 12 wireless units (headset mics, hand held mics, and in ear monitors) scattered across four of our six (at the time) campuses.  We now have all of your campuses operating in frequency bands that are not the 700 MHz band (over 80 frequencies (includes mics, IEM, wireless Comm, and radios) across 10 locations).

We have kept the units we swapped out (mostly because we couldn’t get any money for them in the rebate programs) and currently use them as a rental type of situation for each of our campuses.  We do regularly do frequency scans of each location, and are happy to report that so far, not much of the 700 MHz frequency space is seeing use.  As of now those units that we replaced are not yet illegal, but it appears that the writing is on the wall for them to become illegal to operate.  (They are also for sale if anyone wants to purchase them.)

So now we only have to worry about the TVBD’s that the FCC hasn’t figured out yet…  We will cross that bridge when the appropriate time comes.