In early 2017, we published an article about why you should care that the FCC Wireless Spectrum auction sold off a portion of the wireless mic spectrum to make space for wireless broadband and cell phone uses.
Once the bidding closed in March 2017 and the 616MHz–653MHz and 663MHz–698MHz frequency bands were sold off, the FCC issued new TV channel assignments to accommodate the spectrum’s new owners. Any stations that didn’t relinquish their spectrum rights have been scheduled for repacking into the remaining TV band spectrum below TV channel 37.
What does that mean to you?
To survive the airwaves transition, you’ll need the right wireless system. So what’s the right system for you? For starters, it can’t operate between 616MHz–653MHz and 663MHz–698MHz — none of these older systems are in compliance with the new law. In fact, you can’t sell a noncompliant system without providing full disclosure about its July 13, 2020 (or earlier) expiration date, as these systems will have zero value in the US market at that point. Incidentally, Sweetwater stopped selling 600MHz-range systems, so anything you buy from us today will continue to work in the available spectrum.
If you need a small system
If you only need a couple of channels, a system that operates in the license-free bands (902MHz–928MHz or 2.4GHz) is a good choice. But if you need to operate more than 8–10 channels simultaneously, a 2.4GHz system won’t cut it. That’s where things start to get a bit more complicated.
If you need a large system
There’s no way around it — to run a large number of channels, you’ll need a sophisticated wireless solution. While high-tech wireless gear has always been desirable, many customers were previously able to make lower-end wireless work for them. Unfortunately, those days are over, thanks to the narrowing range of available frequencies. Instead, you’ll need a spectrally efficient wireless system that can fit a lot of channels into a small frequency range.
Spectral efficiency in a nutshell
After the transition, the remaining open TV channels available for wireless microphones will be fewer than ever, so space will be at a premium. The amount of room available varies by location. Using a large number of wireless systems in an area without a lot of radio spectrum congestion, such as Cleveland, won’t be terribly challenging (fig. 1).
But if you want to use lots of wireless mics in a crowded RF environment like Miami, Florida, that’s another story (fig. 2). In those situations, you’ll need a system that utilizes the spectrum more efficiently.
A good example of spectral efficiency is the Shure ULX-D’s High Density mode. This feature reduces transmission power and occupied bandwidth to allow systems to operate closer together without interfering. This allows channel spacing to be reduced from 350kHz to 125kHz. High Density mode accommodates up to 47 transmitters in a single 6MHz TV channel. Using this mode doesn’t degrade your audio quality, but it does reduce the operating range from 330 feet to approximately 100 feet. High Density mode works well in confined areas where transmission distances are short, like large-scale corporate conferences with a large number of speakers in multiple breakout rooms.
When do I need to act?
The repacking for Phase 1 has already begun and will be complete by November 30, 2018. The final phase, Phase 10, will be completed by July 13, 2020. As soon as a phase ends, the new owner may start operating on the new channel, and you’ll no longer be able to use your 616-698MHz-range wireless system. So if you’re using a wireless system that operates in this range, the clock is ticking. Depending on where you’re located, you may only have a few months before you have to permanently retire your system.
Below is a list of markets that will be affected and when, with the markets in alphabetical order. Some cities are listed twice because portions of cities may move at different phases. If your market is listed twice, then go with the earlier date. The easiest way to find your market is to search in your browser by city name, since the list is long. To find out IF you will be affected, read this article.
Take Advantage of These Limited-time Trade-in Offers
We want you to know that Shure, Sennheiser, and Audio-Technica are offering limited-time trade-in plans that allow you to buy a new system and return an eligible 600MHz wireless system for a rebate. So if you need to replace your current wireless systems, now is the time to act while your old systems still have some value. Call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700 for more details.
March 30, 2017
Bidding in the auction closed, and the 616MHz–653MHz and 663MHz–698MHz bands were acquired by T-Mobile, Comcast, Dish Network, and several other telecommunications companies.
October 25, 2017
TV stations that relinquished their spectrum rights ceased all operations.
January 23, 2018
TV stations that relinquished their spectrum rights and entered into channel-sharing agreements ceased operating on their pre-auction channels. Channel-sharing agreements allow different stations to use the same broadcast frequency — it’s an efficient way to utilize bandwidth.
November 30, 2018
End of Phase 1 — Affected markets include
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Fresno, California
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Salt Lake City, Nevada
- Springfield, Missouri
- Toledo, Ohio
- Tucson, Arizona
April 12, 2019
End of Phase 2 — Affected markets include
- Bristol, Pennsylvania
- Columbus, Ohio
- Denver, Colorado
- Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Houston, Texas
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Los Angeles, California
- Miami, Florida
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Portland, Oregon
- San Diego, California
- Shreveport, Louisiana
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
- West Palm Beach, Florida
June 21, 2019
End of Phase 3 — Affected markets include
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Austin, Texas
- Dallas, Texas
- Detroit, Michigan
- Flint, Michigan
- Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Jackson, Mississippi
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Portland, Oregon
- San Antonio, Texas
August 2, 2019
End of Phase 4 — Affected markets include
- Albany, New York
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Buffalo, New York
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Hartford, Connecticut
- New York City, New York
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Rochester, New York
- Syracuse, New York
- Washington, DC
- Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
September 6, 2019
End of Phase 5 — Affected markets include
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Columbia, South Carolina
- Greensboro, North Carolina
- Greenville, North Carolina
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- Mobile, Alabama
- Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
- Richmond, Virginia
October 18, 2019
End of Phase 6 — Affected markets include
- Charleston, West Virginia
- Chicago, Illinois
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Dayton, Ohio
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Paducah, Kentucky
- South Bend, Indiana
January 17, 2020
End of Phase 7 — Affected markets include
- Burlington, Vermont
- Champaign, Illinois
- Hartford, Connecticut
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- Mobile, Alabama
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Orlando, Florida
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Savannah, Georgia
- Seattle, Washington
- Spokane, Washington
- Tampa, Florida
March 13, 2020
End of Phase 8 — Affected markets include
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Buffalo, New York
- Chicago, Illinois
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Columbus, Ohio
- Detroit, Michigan
- El Paso, Texas
- Ft. Meyers, Florida
- Huntsville, Alabama
- McAllen, Texas
- Portland, Oregon
- Richmond, Virginia
- Sacramento, California
- San Francisco, California
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Syracuse, New York
- Toledo, Ohio
- Waco, Texas
- Wichita, Kansas
May 1, 2020
End of Phase 9 — Affected markets include
- Austin, Texas
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Champaign, Illinois
- Denver, Colorado
- Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Greensboro, North Carolina
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Madison, Wisconsin
- McAllen, Texas
- New York City, New York
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Orlando, Florida
- Paducah, Kentucky
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
- Roanoke, Virginia
- Sacramento, California
- San Antonio, Texas
- San Francisco, California
- Savannah, Georgia
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Tampa, Florida
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Waco, Texas
- Washington, DC
- Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
July 3, 2020
End of Phase 10 — Affected markets include
- Albany, New York
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Burlington, Vermont
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Charleston, West Virginia
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Columbia, South Carolina
- Fresno, California
- Ft. Meyers, Florida
- Greenville, North Carolina
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Jackson, Mississippi
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Rochester, Minnesota
- Shreveport, Louisiana
July 13, 2020
This is the final day of the spectrum reallocation. On this date, every wireless system that operates in the 616MHz to 698MHz band cannot be used legally in the US.
In conclusion
This is a lot of information to digest. If you need help finding the right system for your needs, your Sweetwater Sales Engineer will be happy to help. Give us a call at (800) 222-4700 and we’ll point you to the wireless gear that’s best for you.
Note: Thanks to our fine friends at Shure for the information and charts and helping us all understand this very complicated transition.