Microsoft Raises Concerns on FCC Wireless Mic Proposal

vote at next week’s FCC meeting, Microsoft said. The company met with aides to all three commissioners, it said in a filing in docket 14-166. “Licensed wireless microphone users now have access to almost 160 MHz of additional spectrum that the Commission made available less than two years ago -- more than the entire new 84 MHz of spectrum for LTE in the 600 MHz band and the necessary 18 MHz of White Spaces channels combined,” Microsoft said. “These new frequencies can accommodate expanded classes of wireless microphone licensees without the need to displace wider consumer broadband access by the public in the White Spaces.” Mic companies disagreed. “In a last-ditch effort to obtain more white space spectrum for its unique purposes, after failing to achieve that during earlier proceedings, Microsoft incorrectly portrays wireless microphone technologies as antiquated and professional wireless microphone users -- entities that include the Ford’s Theater and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra -- as untrustworthy,” emailed Joe Ciaudelli, director-spectrum affairs for mic-maker Sennheiser. “Microsoft completely misunderstands wireless microphone technology and the Commission’s licensing processes.” CP Communications, which sells mics and related equipment, fired back in a filing at the FCC Wednesday. “Microsoft attempts to paint a picture whereby the Commission is opening up new spectrum that will fully accommodate the needs of wireless microphone users of all sizes, but it neglects to mention how much television spectrum that is now used and relied on by wireless microphones is being taken away by reallocation of Channels 38-51 away from TV broadcasting,” the company said.