CALLING ALL RADIO MIC USERS

Unite The European Radio Microphone Spectrum

There is an EU consultation currently taking place in an attempt to provide a united radio microphone spectrum throughout Europe.  They need your help to complete a questionnaire to enable them to establish if the appropriate demand is there.  If this gets the go ahead it will be very beneficial to all radio mic users throughout the UK and the rest of Europe.

Please can you help by completing the questionnaire asap and emailing infso-b-4-ext@ec.europa.eu

You are also welcome to fill in a name and address and put your concerns and views in a letter if that is easier.

CLOSING DATE FOR COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES OR LETTERS IS THE 21st AUGUST 2012.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Information Society and Media Directorate-General
Electronic Communications Policy
Radio Spectrum Policy
Brussels, 24 May 2012
DG INFSO B4
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
CALL TO STAKEHOLDERS FOR THEIR VIEWS ON THE INTRODUCTION OF OPTIONS FOR HARMONISATION OF SPECTRUM AVAILABLE FOR WIRELESS MICROPHONES AND CORDLESS VIDEO-CAMERAS (PMSE EQUIPMENT)

Scope of the Call
The European Commission is launching this public consultation in order to collect views of stakeholders on the options for the possible introduction of EU-wide harmonisation of spectrum and its technical harmonisation conditions, available for wireless microphones and cordless video-cameras. This equipment is used in the context of Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE). Regarding wireless microphones the Commission is currently looking into the frequency ranges 821-832 MHz and 1785-1805 MHz (see Commission's Mandate to CEPT)1, whereas specific frequency ranges for cordless video-cameras use will be identified at a later stage.

The Commission invites all stakeholders to provide comments. Annex 1 contains a questionnaire for the collection of socio-economic information and views. All interested parties are invited to contribute.

The closing date for comments is 21 August 2012. Responses are to be sent to the Radio Spectrum Unit Secretariat (infso-b-4-ext@ec.europa.eu). Respondents should indicate their contact details, name, role and the organisation or company (if any) on whose behalf they are providing the contribution. Responses will be published on the European Commission's website on radio spectrum policy2 unless otherwise requested by the respondent.
Background and purpose of the Call

The European Parliament and Council recently adopted the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme (RSPP), which sets out policy orientations and objectives up to 2015 for Member States and institutions of the
1 See - http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/ecomm/radio_spectrum_copy(1)/_document_storage/mandates/111215_mandate_cept_pmse.pdf
2 See http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/radio_spectrum/index_en.htm
2
Union. Article 8.5 of the RSPP states that Member States shall, in cooperation with the Commission, seek to ensure the necessary frequency bands for PMSE, in accordance with the Union's objectives to improve the integration of the internal market and access to culture. Article 6.6 states that Member States shall examine ways and, where appropriate, take technical and regulatory measures, to ensure that the freeing of the 800 MHz band does not adversely affect programme making and special events (PMSE) users.

In that context it is considered that spectrum harmonisation and a harmonisation of technical conditions for the use of wireless microphones and the use of cordless video-cameras could provide long term and sustainable core bands for these types of use, giving certainty for manufactures and reducing costs for the users of equipment, professional and non-professional.
Programme Making and Special Events is a domain of activity which covers a wide variety of applications in the field of social, cultural and entertainment events. It includes supporting broadcasting activities, musical and theatrical performances, social, cultural and sporting events in the professional and non-professional field, from a local up to EU-wide events. The applications include the use of wireless microphones and in-ear systems, remote control systems to control spotlights, for example, and the use of cordless video-cameras for Electronic News Gathering (ENG) and Outside Broadcasting (OB).

Access to radio spectrum for the use of wireless microphones and of cordless video-cameras has been affected in recent times by the reduction of the amount of 'white spaces' and the introduction of electronic communications services in spectrum bands which were up to recently usable for wireless microphones and cordless video-cameras.
Most of the usage of wireless microphones and cordless video-cameras is expected to be of a local or temporary nature over time, and is best addressed on a case by case basis at a national and local level, on the basis of appropriate equipment standards that specify tuning ranges for the equipment. However some events or types of use take place on an EU-wide level, on a professional but also on a non-professional scale. These spectrum requirements, but also the need to find sustainable long-term solutions, could possibly justify making EU harmonised spectrum available for wireless microphones and cordless video-cameras. This would not be done to satisfy all the spectrum requirements of the relevant users, but rather to create a baseline for economies of scale and the functioning of the internal market and its social benefits.

Therefore, the Commission is examining the possible introduction of harmonised spectrum and its harmonised technical conditions at EU level in the frequency ranges 821-832 MHz and 1785-1805 MHz for the use of wireless microphones, which can include in-ear systems and control systems. With regard to cordless video-cameras, harmonisation of frequency ranges has to be identified, if necessary. This could be done in the form of a Commission Implementing Decision, so that stakeholders, such as manufacturers and distributers of PMSE equipment and its users, professional and non-professional, are in a position to deploy technologies and services within a defined spectrum range and thus achieve efficient and effective utilisation of spectrum resources.

To support the development of this proposal, the Commission will carry out an impact assessment, in order to ensure that the proposal meets the objective of maximising the benefits for manufactures, distributers and users in the field of wireless microphones and cordless video-cameras.
In preparation of this impact assessment the Commission will contract a preparatory study. The preparation of any Commission Implementing Decision will therefore be based on the analysis and evaluation of this study and on stakeholder feedback, including the comments received through this public consultation, as well as the impact assessment that will accompany the proposal.

Prior to this public consultation, the Commission issued a Mandate¹ to the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) in December 2011 concerning technical conditions regarding spectrum harmonisation options for wireless radio microphones and cordless video-cameras (PMSE equipment). CEPT will provide reports by the end of 2012 on wireless microphones en mid of 2013 on cordless video-cameras, in response to this Mandate.

ANNEX 1
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE INTRODUCTION OF OPTIONS FOR HARMONISATION OF SPECTRUM AVAILABLE FOR WIRELESS MICROPHONES AND CORDLESS VIDEO-CAMERAS (PMSE EQUIPMENT)
The below questions are related to the aspects of a possible harmonisation of spectrum for the benefit of the use of wireless microphones respectively cordless video-cameras.
Contributions are to be provided for wireless microphones and/or cordless video-cameras. Please indicate clearly to which type of use of PMSE equipment your answers apply.
Respondents should indicate their contact details, name, role and the organisation or company (if any) on whose behalf they are providing the contribution. Please indicate one of the following categories:
o Public authority
o Equipment manufacturer/supplier
o Professional equipment user, indicating broadcast, live performance or other (please specify)
o Non-professional equipment user (please specify)
o Other (please specify)
Please note that all the responses will be made public, unless a contributor is clearly stating that certain parts of the inputs are to be regarded confidential.
It is also noted that there is no requirement to respond to each individual question.

1. Which frequency bands is (your) equipment using?

2. To what extent is the use of (your) equipment at a local, national or European level (cross-boarder and EU-wide)?

3. What is a typical spectrum requirement to guarantee sustainable service levels? Please give reasons and distinguish between an average use of wireless microphones and/or cordless video-cameras and "hot-spots" in case of a concentration of live performances and large social/sporting events.

4. In your view, which frequency bands are needed for long term future operation (please distinguish between wireless microphones and cordless video-cameras)? Please explain why.

5 What would be the impact/added value of EU harmonisation of the frequency bands 821-832 MHz and 1785-1805 MHz to the use of wireless microphones (which can include in-ear systems and control systems) in comparison to national allocation and bilateral coordination between EU Member States? Please motivate your answer in terms of costs, benefits and timing.

6. Concerning the bands 1900-1920 MHz and 2010-2025 MHz, what would be the impact/added value if these bands were designated for harmonised use by cordless video-cameras in the EU? Please motivate your answer in terms of costs, benefits and timing.

7. How could EU harmonisation through specific standardisation measures on specific bands contribute to an efficient use of spectrum by PMSE equipment? Substantiate and motivate. Please distinguish between wireless microphones and cordless video-cameras.

8. How and in which way could technological improvements allow a more efficient sharing with other spectrum users (please indicate relevant frequency bands) in the case of:
o Wireless microphones;
o Cordless video-cameras.

9. What impact would digitalisation of PMSE equipment have in terms of spectrum efficiency, costs and deployment in professional and or non-professional environments? Please substantiate your answer.

10. Which approaches, other than an increase of spectrum supply, could best contribute to meet future growth in demand by wireless microphone and/or cordless video-camera users? What would be the feasible time scale for implementation?

11. What other measures excluding spectrum harmonisation could sustainably enable an EU-wide use of wireless microphones and/or cordless video-cameras? Please motivate your answer.

12. Could you provide quantitative information on the use of wireless microphones and/or cordless video-cameras, such as the number of equipment in use in your EU Member State or the EU as a whole; an indication of the yearly turnover of equipment or other relevant socio-economic information related to the use of wireless microphones and/or cordless video-cameras?

13. Would you have any additional relevant comment for the purposes of this public consultation?