Wireless microphone vendor Shure faces interference conundrum

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article that paints the conundrum Shure, the largest manufacturer of wireless microphones in the U.S., now finds itself in as a result of its very public opposition of license-free, white-space spectrum. Shure fears the potential interference devices operating in white-space spectrum could pose to wireless microphones. Interestingly enough, Shure's wireless microphones could be posing an interference threat to public-safety and commercial wireless operators when they move into the 700 MHz band--a fact Shure itself may have unwittingly exposed to the FCC in complaining about unlicensed devices. A number of wireless microphones today operate illegally on vacant channels without licenses while the FCC turns a blind eye. The FCC is going to change that, however, as public-safety partnering with commercial operators is moving into the band after TV broadcasters turn off their analog signals in February.

Shure says it began in 2001 focusing on new products that don't operate on the 700 MHz band, but many of Shure's legacy products still do operate in the spectrum. Public interest group Media Access Project filed a complaint with the FCC over wireless microphones operating illegally in the band. It estimates anywhere between 500,000 and 1 million illegal wireless microphone systems operate in the 700 MHz band. 

For more:
- check out this Wall Street Journal article

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