Wireless Mics Already In White Space Frequencies without Calamity (Duh!)
Intel senior research fellow Kevin Kahn, in an interview with Epicenter, points out that there are already is a group using White Space television frequencies to broadcast data—the very same wireless microphones that manufacturers are claiming will be disrupted by the technology.
While Kahn admits that the low power, mobile white space proposition -- the one that would allow these various unlicensed devices to intermittently jump in and out of bands depending on how heavily they are being used -- is a bit more complicated, he does point out that, in a way, there's already been a small case study.
"Today, this space is actually heavily used with wireless mics and nobody seems to notice," he says. "Not the TV people, no one. If you look at wireless mics that people like Shure make (Shure is one of the companies lobbying against opening this space up), they actually operate on these TV channels, the ones that are only supposed to be run by people in studios. Well, nobody seems to notice when these things are turned on so I don't see how you can argue there's going to be this massive interference problem."
Intel Fellow Calls BS on White Space 'Interference' Claims [Epicenter]
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Wait a DUH second. These whitespace devices are FCC regulated, and require licenses (though not all users know/comply). If you own a wireless mic in Denver that operates in a slice of (locally) unused TV channel 16 and you go to a market that has a TV channel 16, you can't use it.
Part of prep for any sporting event is wireless frequency coordination. The beef that broadcasters and owners of these regulated whitespace devices (usually the very same broadcasters) is they will now have to deal with NON licensed users attempting to use the same channels.
I know I'm just one guy, but I use wireless mics professionally on a regular basis, and you definitely do get the interference. I've had to troubleshoot the hell out of it. I really hope Shure and others win... else it'll just be making it harder to create the very content people want to transmit in the whitespace.
AFIK, wireless mics don't require a license but some wireless mic users (*cough*ESPN*cough*) are licensed to use certain frequencies and licensed users take priority over non-licensed use. That is, ESPN comes in to town and kicks people off the frequencies.
Wireless mics are used in virtually all entertainment industries, live music, musicals, plays, sporting events, tv and film production, etc, and at all levels, from high school productions to multi-million dollar films.
Right now, you select you frequencies by working around local broadcasters. If the FCC lets spread-spectrum data transmission into the "whitespace" it is going to totally screw up live performance, tv and film production big time. As it is, certain kinds of cell phones can interfere with UHF wireless mics.