A couple years ago the F.C.C. proposed a change in their regulations that would alter the use of the 700mHz range of frequencies. This was, at the time, used primarily for wireless electronic devices, most notably microphones and audio equipment. Their reasoning behind this change was to free up some digital space so that some could be sold to cellular providers and the rest could be used for emergency communication. Then in 2011 they passed a law that made these changes into a reality.
It would seem that there are obvious advantages to this: more space for cell phones meaning reduced cost, and an increased effective emergency network. However, there were some strong disadvantages that weren't readily made aware to the public before this change was made. The truth is that it put many individuals, small businesses, and organizations between a rock and a hard place as they struggled to adapt and meet the new guidelines. Under the change these people and places could no longer use wireless equipment that operated exclusively in this band, which is actually a lot of equipment considering for years most lower to mid-level equipment operated exclusively in it. Some wireless manufacturers such and Sennheiser and Shure offered some incentive to get new equipment such as buy-back policies where consumers would receive a portion of what they paid for an item back if they upgraded to equipment that operated outside the newly banned range.
Sadly, these incentives did not cover the full prices that had been paid, so many did not receive but a fraction of what their perfectly good items cost. I myself was stuck in this predicament as a wireless set that I owned was worth nothing to its manufacturer despite being new and unused. Many churches around the U.S. operated with equipment that was now banned, and the penalty for being caught using it regardless is $5,000.00 per transmitting device. At the time I was working with a theatre when a fellow performer notified me of their church receiving such fines; apparently a government official came into the church with citation in had for $10,000.00. I can only assume they monitor those frequencies for people using them illegally.
So how is it that the government doesn't support these people and organizations that were robbed of their equipment? How is it that such laws were changed without any great publicity? Well it seems clear that the powers that be avoided media spotlight so that opposition would be minimized. The cost effectiveness has yet to be seem, but the weakness of this change has hurt the pockets of thousands, if not millions, across the U.S.
The following meme is about the FCC but has nothing to do with this article:
I remember reading in a textbook about the FCC trying to free up some digital space but I didn't know that it would have an impact on microphones, etc. - you make a good point about people now struggling to cope with these changes. Even when US television switched from analog to digital, converter boxes were supplied for free, so it's surprising to hear that these frequency changes, which people can be penalized for if they do nothing and continue to use them, aren't helped to transition by the government.
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