2012 Change to UK Radio Frequencies - How does it affect you?

You may have heard about the Government / OFCOM plan to change the allocation and use of radio frequencies in the UK, planned for mid/late 2012.
This re-shuffling of radio frequencies will mean that the current REGULATED radio frequency space is moving from 'channel 69' to 'channel 38'. This is to allow for the expansion of mobile broadband transmissions etc. in the UK.

Radio Mic systems that have been purchased from DM Music for use in Church will normally be used in the DEREGULATED frequency band 'channel 70' (863.1 - 864.9 Mhz) this will remain unchanged in 2012, meaning the majority of our customers will be unaffected by the changes.

If you do currently use radio systems requiring licences or are using 5 or more radio systems at your church please see our brief guide to the 2012 changeover below or call us for further advice on any of the above.



DEREGULATED Bands (free to use on Channel 70: UHF 863.1 - 864.9 MHz)

· Current radio microphone systems on the DEREGULATED (free to use) bands (on channel 70: 863.1 - 864.9MHz) will remain unchanged. This will be the vast majority of our current and past customers who do not currently require a licence to operate their radio systems. You do not need to change your equipment*.

· You may run up to 4 radio systems simultaneously on the deregulated bands (863.1 - 864.9MHz).

· The new Sennheiser G3 radio systems may run up to 6 radio systems simultaneously on specific frequencies – details on request.

· The vast majority of radio mic systems supplied in the past or currently sold by DM Music will be able to run on the deregulated bands.

*One thing to note...
A potential problem that faces Churches using the Deregulated Channel 70 post 2012 could be overcrowding of this narrow frequency space. This will be particularly the case in urban or built up areas where there is the possibility of interference from other radio mic users (likely migratating from the unusable [post 2012] Channel 69). Again, for the majority of Church users this will hopefully have little or no impact. For those that do experience interference it could be as simple as a conversation with the nearby fellow user to coordination frequencies or times of use, however it may require systems using other frequencies entirely. Please feel free to call or email for help and advice: 01582 761122.


REGULATED Bands (requiring a licence on Channel 69: 854.9 - 861.75 MHz)

· Current radio microphone systems on the REGULATED bands (requiring a licence on channel 69) will be currently paying for a licence per system. From 1st Jan 2012 your equipment will not be able to tune to channel 38 (606.5 - 613.5 MHz) and therefore you will be required to upgrade to new radio systems compatible with channel 38.

· Some radio mic manufacturers are offering technical and financial assistance with radio equipment upgrades – details on request / listed below.

· The Joint Frequency Management Group (JFMG) is the UK radio licencing body who allocate radio licences – see www.jfmg.co.uk for details.

A Quick Guide

Do you operate no more than 4 systems on UHF channel 70 (863-865 MHz)?

YES: you do not need to change anything for 2012

NO: If you have more than 4 systems or operate on Channel 69 you need to look at new / upgrade equipment for 2012. Please contact us to discuss the options.


Do you currently have a radio licence from JFMG?

NO: Check you are running no more than 4 radio systems on the deregulated bands 863-865 MHz – you do not require to change anything

YES: If this is for equipment using Channel 69 your current equipment will not tune to the new Channel 38 so you do require to look at new equipment for 2012.


Should I wait until 2012 before I buy radio microphones?

NO: Deregulated bands 863-865 MHz will not change so current gear will be unaffected. For Channel 69 operation some manufacturers are offering help come 2012 with upgrades and cash back schemes. Nearly all manufacturers now have Channel 38 systems that can be used now and for the forseeable future.

Fixed Frequency Licences

Channel 69 and it's replacement Channel 38 are really designed for 'roaming' wireless systems ie. radio mics going from location to location. For fixed locations (generally most churches), where more than 4 Radio Systems are needed then a Fixed Site Licence is recommended. There are more details in our DM Quick Expert Guide to the 2012 Radio Mic Changes - link above.


DIGITAL SWITCH OVER 2012 (DSO)

2012 changes to radio microphone licencing

Briefly, any radio microphone systems tuned within UHF 863.000 – 865.000Mhz are free of charge on channel 70, also called the DEREGULATED band. The vast majority of churches can and do use this as it requires no licence to operate on – you will be able to run up to 4 radio systems simultaneously within the DEREG bands. This will officially be unaffected post 2012.

Channel 69 is a range of frequencies below 863.000MHz (between 854.000 - 863.000MHz) and require a licence to use in the UK, usually around £75 per year.

We would advise that you check your existing radio mics are within the DEREG range. If DM Music installed these they would have been tuned within DEREG freqs unless we advised otherwise that you should get licences for these.

The Government/OFCOM compensation scheme, should this be relevant to yourselves, requires that you currently use licences in Channel 69, and that your equipment is within a certain age and also that you register by a certain date – see the points below for a brief outline of the criteria:

Users who will be eligible for funding under the proposals are:
Users who purchased before 2nd February 2009 equipment capable of tuning to Channel 69 but not Channel 38 and were in possession of a valid Channel 69 licence after 2nd February 2008.
Licensed users who needed to buy Channel 69 equipment between February 2009 and 30 June 2009.
and Rental companies

Users who will not be eligible for funding under the proposals are:
Ch31 – 37 and Ch60 – 68 users.
Users whose equipment does not tune to Channel 69.
Users whose equipment tunes to Channel 69 but also tunes to Channel 38.
Users who have never held a licence to operate Channel 69.
Users who purchase Channel 69 equipment after 30 June 2009

VHF / Older radio systems
Older radio mics often operate on VHF bands (rather than UHF) – again these have the option of DEREG or licencable frequencies. For DEREG you need these systems to operate between 173.7 - 175.1 Mhz to require no licence.


Useful Links:

Audio Technica
http://eu.audio-technica.com/en/news

http://eu.audio-technica.com/en/support/FAQ.pdf

Sennheiser
http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/globals.nsf/resources/WirelessSystemsFAQ.pdf

Joint Frequency Management Group (JFMG)
www.jfmg.co.uk

OFCOM
www.ofcom.org.uk