Martin to Offer Ban on Sale of Wireless Mics for 700 MHz Band
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin appears to be setting up for a vote at the Dec. 18 commission meeting an order that would ban the manufacture, import, sale or shipment of wireless microphones that use the 700 MHz band. But some details of the proposed order aren’t clear. Martin is to circulate Wednesday evening other orders, too, for what probably will be his last major meeting as chairman.
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Also expected to circulate are rules for auctions of the 700 MHz D-block and AWS-3 spectrum, revised E-911 location accuracy rules and an order that resolves a lengthy interference dispute between the wireless communications service and satellite radio in the 2.3 GHz band.
The CTIA, APCO, the National Emergency Number Association, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council and the Rural Cellular Association sent a letter to the FCC Tuesday calling on the commissioners to issue an order this year clearing wireless mics from the 700 MHz band. Representatives of the groups made the rounds at the FCC Tuesday to make their case.
“The undersigned associations, on behalf of public safety and commercial wireless 700 MHz licensees, support the Commission’s tentative conclusion that this spectrum must be cleared” of all low power auxiliary station devices, the letter said. “While developing and implementing a comprehensive plan for clearing the spectrum may take additional time, we ask the Commission to issue an order by year’s end to reduce further risk of harmful interference.”
The group said the FCC should ban the sale or import of the devices and “expressly require” retailers to remove any remaining from “inventory and store shelves.” The FCC also should clarify that devices already in use are allowed to operate on a secondary basis only and are “prohibited from causing harmful interference to new commercial wireless and public safety licensed operations in the 700 MHz band.”
Mark Brunner, director of global marketing for wireless microphone maker Shure, said in an interview Tuesday his company’s main worry is that the FCC will try to prohibit the “manufacture” of the devices. “There’s a lot of language about prohibiting the manufacture of these devices,” Bruner said, commenting on the industry letter. “The 700 MHz spectrum is perfectly useful and legal in other parts of the world. We manufacture devices for export. It’s important that we be able to continue doing that.”
Brunner said Shure recognized long ago that the U.S. would limit the use of wireless mics in the 700 MHz band and has been “migrating” its product line to other spectrum. “We're not offering these products for sale here,” he said. “It’s possible these are some legacy products in inventory, but it’s doubtful … . We are trying to help our customers and this industry through this transition.”
“It'll be interesting to see how this circulates and how the matter gets resolved,” an FCC official said. “It didn’t sound like a high priority.” Though it’s a concern for carriers, “it’s of equal or greater concern for public safety,” said a wireless industry source. “The real risk is interference from these wireless mics to commercial 700 MHz devices once carriers start deploying … . From the carrier perspective, they don’t want someone who bought a new innovative device having interference problems and blaming the carriers.”