Free TV Australia

Review of OP-27 Operation of Wireless Microphones in TV Broadcast Channels

7 December 2012

Purpose of OP-27

• Provide guidance on permitted frequency range within broadcasting services band (BSB) spectrum for the operation of professional wireless microphones in major capital cities and some larger regional centres

• Provide information on class / apparatus licensing regime for the operation of wireless microphones

• Tabulate a list of frequency availability for wireless microphone use that is easy to understand by non-technical audiences (e.g. with reference to postcodes)

Low Interference Potential Device (LIPD)

• Radiocommunications (Low Interference Potential Devices) Class Licence 2000, as amended July 2011

• class licence for wireless microphone transmission must not exceed

– VHF 174-230 MHz: 3 mW maximum EIRP

– UHF 520-820 MHz: 100 mW maximum EIRP

• transmission exceeds the above maximum EIRP levels may subject to apparatus licence framework

What has now changed?

• BSB spectrum before restack

• BSB spectrum after restack (2015 onwards)

VHF Band III UHF Bands IV and V

Block A

174 – 230 MHz

Block B

526 – 568 MHz

Block C

568 – 610 MHz

Block D

610 – 652 MHz

Block E

652 – 694 MHz 6 7 8 9 9A 10 11 12 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

VHF Band III

174 – 230 MHz

UHF Band IV

526 – 582 MHz

UHF Band V

582 – 820 MHz

channels 6 – 12 channels 28 – 35 channels 36 – 69

wireless microphones / in-ear monitor

Background of OP-27

• Free TV Operational Practice OP-27 Operation of wireless microphones in the television broadcasting channels

– Issue 1 (superseded) September 1997

– Issue 2 (superseded) June 2007

– Issue 3 (current) December 2008

– Issue 4 (in review) date TBA

Background of OP-27 (cont.)

• First issue (September 1997)

– Illustration of intermodulation free channels for wireless microphone within one TV broadcast channel

• Second issue (June 2007)

– ACMA’s class / apparatus licensing regime for wireless mics

– EMR compliance regime (ARPANSA standard)

– Frequency coordination based on postcode restrictive method

• Third issue (December 2008)

– Update new DTV channels

– Inclusion of digital radio in VHF restriction for wireless mics

Review of OP-27 for post restack

• Retain existing postcode restrictive method

• Operation of wireless mic is NOT permitted in TV broadcast channels that are designated for digital TV transmission within its coverage area

• coverage area is defined as an area that receives the transmitted signal at a minimum median field strength of at least

– 50 dBμV/m (for Blocks B and C)

– 54 dBμV/m (for Blocks D and E)

DTTB minimum median field strength

VHF Band III (174-230 MHz)

UHF (Blocks B & C) (526-610 MHz)

UHF (Blocks D & E) (610-694 MHz)

Rural Suburban Urban Rural Suburban Urban Rural Suburban Urban

Min Med

Field

Strength (dBμV/m)

44 57 66 50 63 71 54 67 74

Review of OP-27 for post restack (cont.) • Wireless mic could reuse frequency in TV broadcast channels that are

designated for digital TV transmission if operating in a distance beyond the notification area of that digital TV transmission based on the specified maximum ERP of the digital TV transmitter

• Frequency reuse for area that is beyond the coverage area but within the notification area is possible, but subject to interference assessment

Maximum ERP of the DTV transmitter Notification area

less than 300 W 50 km

at least 300 W but less than 3 kW 90 km

at least 3 kW but less than 30 kW 140 km

at least 30 kW but less than 300 kW 200 km

at least 300 kW 300 km

Our concerns …

• Separation distances for frequency reuse – How to determine the demarcation point between

coverage area and notification area?

• Insufficient frequency for wireless mics due to spectral congestion – Especially in overlap TV licence areas in

Brisbane/Gold Coast, and (to a lesser extent) in Sydney/Central Coast

– What is the alternative for these areas?

Other issues …

• Sharing with biomedical monitoring equipment in 520-668 MHz

– span across Blocks B, C, D and lower half of Block E

– use extensively in hospitals to monitor the condition of seriously ill patients

– biomedical telemetry transmitter allows to operate up to maximum EIRP of 11 mW under current LIPD class licence

Where studies could be undertaken

• ITU-R Study Group 1 / Working Party 1B

– Short range radiocommunication devices (SRD)

• ITU-R Study Group 6 / Working Party 6A

– User requirements for wireless mics

– Specifications toward establishing harmonisation in design and for global roaming of professional wireless mics for ENG

References • Wireless microphone user requirements:

– Recommendation ITU-R BT.1871 (03/2010) User requirements for wireless microphones

– Report ITU-R BT.2069-5 (05/2011) Tuning ranges and operational characteristics of terrestrial electronic news gathering (ENG), television outside broadcast (TVOB) and electronic field production (EFP) systems

• Wireless microphone and in-ear monitoring unit specifications:

– ETSI EN 300 422-1 V1.4.2 (08/2011) Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters (ERM); Wireless microphones in the 25 MHz to 3 GHz frequency range; Part 1: Technical characteristics and methods of measurement

• Broadcasting Services (Technical Planning) Guidelines 2007, as amended in October 2009

References for Short-range Devices • Recommendation ITU-R SM.1896 (11/2011) Frequency ranges

for global or regional harmonization of short-range devices

• Report ITU-R SM.2153-3 (06/2012) Technical and operating parameters and spectrum use for short-range radiocommunication devices

• Report ITU-R SM.2154 (09/2009) Short-range radiocommunication devices spectrum occupancy measurement techniques

• Report ITU-R SM.2179 (09/2010) Short-range radiocommunication devices measurements

• Report ITU-R SM.2210 (06/2011) Impact of emissions from short-range devices on radiocommunication services

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

THANK YOU