Dave Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 See both earlier in this thread for the press release, and in the recent thread 'how do I persuade the client that he wants 3000 series instead of evo stuff'. I found the latter thread, but there was nothing concrete in it, and I couldn't find the press release you mentioned - can you point me in the right direction? Thanks, Dave EDIT: See this post for info obtained from Sennheiser. £200+VAT for band conversion on Evo 300 G2. Sounds like it involves a board swap. However, none of their current models operate on ch 38 so it's not yet possible! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendon Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I for one think its hilarious that ofcom think that the best time for an entire industry to be beta testing new technology and the implications of new frequancy allocation is at the 2012 Olympics in london with the entire world watching :P <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I believe that they have made the current spectrum available until after the Olympics. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinS Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 The US is currently going through the whole digital TV switchover experience as well.There are repercussions for radiomic users there also but the FCC seems to have a more open-minded (and less money-grabbing)approach than OFCOM. However - like our Ch69 issue - it does mean the loss of their current bit of spectrum. It's interesting to see how radiomic manufacturers there are dealing with the retuning issue and could give an indication of how it will be handled in the UK/EU - though we are a smaller market.There have been several acticles in the US Live Sound International mag over the past few months. You need to sign up to read them but there are some links to these (for free) from the ProSoundWeb site. (Go to the front page - not the forums) On the plus side..... at least we have a bit of license-free spectrum in Ch70 - something I don't think they have ever had (officially) over there. K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesC Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Ofcom Confirms Clearance of 800MHz Spectrum for Mobile Broadband FromISP Review Ofcom has today confirmed plans to clear the 800MHz band (790-862MHz) of radio spectrum, which is currently being used for the old analogue television (TV) services. The move opens the way for next generation Mobile Broadband services to utilise the frequency, thus delivering faster and cheaper wireless Internet access over an even wider coverage. This is all part of the regulators 'Digital Dividend', which has seen a re-organisation of various spectrum bands to be more in line with modern uses and demands. Much of this frequency has been freed because newer digital services take up less room in the airwaves than analogue, leaving space for other uses. Ofcom Statement: We believe that freeing-up the whole 800 MHz band for new uses will provide large benefits to citizens and consumers. These include lower equipment prices for consumers, more efficient use of spectrum, improved opportunities for new generations of Mobile Broadband and more scope for competition and innovation in new wireless services. The net benefits to consumers could be worth at least £2.5-3 billion. There will also be some changes to the spectrum used by digital terrestrial television (DTT) services and wireless microphones. Ofcom has plans to ensure that this is done with the minimum disruption. Download FULL .PDF Reporthttp://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/80...nt/clearing.pdf It's anticipated that mobile operators, such as Three (3) UK, will now be able to bid for space on the 800MHz band. This could allow them to deploy both enhanced forms of existing Mobile Broadband services and possibly also future Long Term Evolution (LTE / 4G) technology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howartp Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Ofcom Confirms Clearance of 800MHz Spectrum for Mobile Broadband Ofcom has today confirmed plans to clear the 800MHz band (790-862MHz) of radio spectrum, which is currently being used for the old analogue television (TV) services. The move opens the way for next generation Mobile Broadband services to utilise the frequency, thus delivering faster and cheaper wireless Internet access over an even wider coverage.Does anyone know what's happening with Channel 70? I've spent two hours this evening reading Ofcom's latest Statement (and previously read the consultations etc) but there's no mention tonight of Channel 70. Is it staying license-exempt and available for small PMSE users, or do they also need to switch to channel 38 (or interleaved spectrum)? We recently bought 19 Radio Mics in channels 67-70, of which 10 belong to individual churches and are currently used license-free in Ch70. The other 9 are on a Ch69 shared license which expires mid-January; we'll renew that for two years which takes us to Jan 2012 by which time we'll have switched/upgraded our equipment (thank you Government) and moved license to Ch38 ready for our annual show in Feb 2012. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Does anyone know what's happening with Channel 70?My understanding is that the small chunk of ch.70 that has up until now been available for us will remain licence exempt for us but may also be opened up to any other users to also do what they wish with. Which may make it useless for our purposes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan Hope-Streeter Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 <b>Ofcom Confirms Clearance of 800MHz Spectrum for Mobile Broadband</b><br /><br />Ofcom has today confirmed plans to clear the 800MHz band (790-862MHz) of radio spectrum, which is currently being used for the old analogue television (TV) services. The move opens the way for next generation Mobile Broadband services to utilise the frequency, thus delivering faster and cheaper wireless Internet access over an even wider coverage. Interesting that they seem to think it perfectly reasonable for licecce fees to increase at 40% per year. That means our £135 licence will cost £3905 in ten years' time, and our £168 licenses will be £4860. Do they seriously think anyone will pay these figures? It seems inevitable that there will be widespread piracy, effectively "deregulation by default"(even more so than at present). This means that whoever gets the concession to sell licences won't be able to make any money. Consequently this artificial market, like so many others in Brave New Britain, will end up as a disaterous failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Playing a bit of devil's advocate: The base question which Ofcom are asking (in attempting to use AIP pricing) is what is a radio link use worth? How much would Star X be prepared to pay to not have to have a corded microphone? If the answer is £lots then welcome to wireless. If its £5 then off to the licence free flea pit you go. The general response - world-wide - to this question in the PMSE space has been that really you should just give us the spectrum we want for free. In the USA traditionally there are no costs to wireless use from the powers that be. In the UK, JFMG have managed the limited space available to the benefit of the users, and charged a fee for that management service, but there has never been a cost to use the spectrum itself. With a few hundred exceptions(!), pretty much every other user of wireless spectrum has to pay for the privilidge, and that dosh goes into the government's coffers. The obvious question is why should PMSE not also have to pay for the privilidge? There have been arguments that the entertainments business that use PMSE are "worth" £15 billions per year to the country. There are arguments that wireless is an essential component of that turnover, and there would be significant damage if wireless were not available. Therefore, if wireless is so important, then surely the privilidge of wireless is worth (say) 1% of that turnover? The corollary to this is that if PMSE really think that the spectrum has no value (ie they are just willing to pay administrative management fees, and then with a grumbling) then there are plenty of other users who will be willing to pay for what is prime spectrum real estate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howartp Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Interesting that they seem to think it perfectly reasonable for licecce fees to increase at 40% per year. That means our £135 licence will cost £3905 in ten years' time, and our £168 licenses will be £4860. Do they seriously think anyone will pay these figures?Although I recall the section on fees which you're talking about, I also think I read in a later publication (possibly yesterdays?) that PMSE users shouldn't expect to pay the 40% increases. I believe there were three categories of usage of the spectrum under consideration, with wireless microphone users being in a band who will see a very minimal rise in costs. I worked it out at the time that our license would be approximately £20 more expensive per year, which works out at around £350 extra in 10 years, not £4,000+ We are certainly covered by the FRND (Fair, Reasonable and Non-Discriminative) terms in the Band Managers license until 2018 at a minimum. I may be wrong on anything I've said here, but this is certainly what I understood as I read it all. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkPAman Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Apologies if somebody has already posted this: "A new spectrum information sheet has now been published and will be included in all new licence documentation. The sheet currently focuses on the impact of Digital switch-over for users of 470-862MHz and the PMSE band manager award." Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkPAman Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Licensees were notified today by letter that from 4 January 2010, channel 38 will become available on a shared use basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulsparrow Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 We've known it's possibly been on the cards for a long time, and it has made more sense in the last couple of years to hire, rather than buy. Anyone selling you ch69 should have pointed this out. I'm pretty sure the compensation will be minimal, and a lot of systems will not be retunable. Licensees get regular posts from jfmg, here's an extract from today's'With this in mind Ofcom has now announced that Channel 38 will become available for shared use of wireless microphones and personal monitors from 4 January 2010, subject to specific geographic restrictions. From this date onwards the current UHF UK Wireless Microphone Licence will not only include specified Channel 69 frequencies, it will also include access to Channel 38.' I've talked to them on the phone a few times (usually about bands from other countries requiring temporary licences for their own kit, usually outside 69), and they are always very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedd Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Licensees were notified today by letter that from 4 January 2010, channel 38 will become available on a shared use basis.What's quite nice is that if you read the release on the JFMG website, Ch38 is being issued as a block of spectrum, rather than specific spot frequencies. Bit more freedom to do my own frequency plan subject to interference on a site or whatever. So, we can use the spectrum from 2010 - any sign of any equipment (other than that from Trantec) that will be able to be used yet? I guess not as manufacturers had nothing concrete up until now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 The one downside to all this is the dealer perspective. They'll have to chose to stock low or high band kit - or both - which is bound to be passed on in increased prices. Also I'd surmise many dealers may not want to keep kit in stock, preferring to have them delivered direct from the manufacturer - I can't say I'd blame them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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