As you may have already heard The US government as yet again authorized the Federal Communications Commission to auction off a portion of the wireless spectrum (TV bands) to make those frequencies available for future wireless broadband and cell phone usage. These frequencies are where many professional wireless mics and in-ear monitor systems have been operating for years. So what does this auction mean to you, the wireless audio gear user? I have compiled a short list of resources regarding the issue.

It’s only been 6 years since we had to deal with the auctioning off of the 700MHz band. Now the 600MHz band has been listed as the next to go. We are seeing a high demand for these frequencies to be utilized in other areas of technology such as radio communications for emergency responce although the largest reason is likely because of the popularity of cellphones. You can bet that 500MHz will be affected sometime in the unforeseeable future so plan accordingly.

There’s a good chance that if you have purchased a system within the past few years you are safe with a 900MHz or one of those that are not currently affected. From my experience, integrated AV systems and sound systems that were installed by a contractor tend to have affected equipment even if it was installed after the FCC’s announcement. This is likely due to supply houses and contractors trying to unload inventory before they themselves end up with nothing much more than an expensive paper weight. I saw this with the 700MHz reallocation a few years ago and am seeing it again now. Make sure to check you wireless frequencies and budget to replace if needed. Luckily the 3 largest manufactures offer trade-in rebates on affected wireless systems. You must have proof of purchase and file for the trade-in rebate before the deadline. Sennheiser’s deadline is June 30th, 2018 and Shure’s deadline is July 30th, 2018. Audio Technica’s deadline for rebate is set for sometime in 2019. You can refer to each manufacturer on trade-in specifics and how to collect your rebate.

The affected frequency bands are 616–653MHz and 663–698MHz. Wireless systems that operate within these frequencies will need to be replaced before the end of 2018. The exact change over date is a little confusing and each region in the country is operating on it’s own timeline. If you are a touring musician or travel with wireless equipment then you’ll need to know that each state is set to go into affect at different times. It’s safe to say that you should replace your system before the end of 2018 in most parts of the country. The FCC’s auction concluded on March 27,2017 and was given a 39 month transition window before the frequencies are reallocated for different use. All transitions are expected to be completed by 2020. I live in the mid-west and don’t travel much outside of these boundaries so I really only care about this region. Indianapolis, Chicago, and Nashville are part of Phase 6 of the transition and is set to conclude on October 18, 2019. By comparison Las Vegas is set to conclude transition on November 30th, 2018. July 13, 2020 is the final day of the transition. After this date you cannot legally operate a wireless device in the 616–653MHz and 663–698MHz band.