The FCC’s Spectrum Auction and Your 600MHz Wireless Mics — Time’s Up!

Dateline: September 10, 2018

Maybe you’ve heard about the FCC Spectrum Auction since it happened in March 2017. When the FCC auctioned off the 600MHz spectrum, we knew that wireless mics in that range would have to be replaced. At that time, the 39-month transition period that would start in late 2018 seemed like a long way off. Not anymore. It’s here. It’s now.

If you’ve wondered “How soon will I need to replace my 600MHz wireless systems?”, it may be time. Phase 1 (of 10 Phases) begins in certain markets on September 14, 2018. That’s this week.

Check the list below for your local market, and see when the transition begins in your area. You can search the lists below for the name of your city/market using the Find function (Control+F on a PC, or Command+F on a Mac). The start date listed for your market is the date you should cease using your existing 600MHz wireless systems.

So if you’ve been procrastinating and haven’t replaced those systems yet, give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700. We’ve got trade-in programs on Shure, Sennheiser, and Audio-Technica wireless (for a limited time) and wireless systems in stock, so we can hook you up fast.

These other articles go into greater detail about the history and impact of the FCC Spectrum Auction:

The FCC’s Wireless Spectrum Auction: Why You Should Care
The FCC’s Wireless Spectrum Auction: When Will It Impact You?

FCC’s 600MHz Transition Schedule

Sorted by Phase (1–10) and alphabetically by local markets

Phase 1

Start Date — 9/14/2018
End Date — 11/30/2018

Phase 2

Start Date — 12/01/2018
End Date — 4/12/2019

Phase 3

Start Date — 4/13/2019
End Date — 6/21/2019

Phase 4

Start Date — 6/22/2019
End Date — 8/02/2019

Phase 5

Start Date — 8/03/2019
End Date — 9/06/2019

Phase 6

Start Date — 9/07/2019
End Date — 10/18/2019

Phase 7

Start Date — 10/19/2019
End Date — 1/17/2020

Phase 8

Start Date — 1/18/2020
End Date — 3/13/2020

Phase 9

Start Date — 3/14/2020
End Date — 5/01/2020

Phase 10

Start Date — 5/02/2020
End Date — 7/03/2020