At a meeting on 13 February, representatives of the programme making and special events (PMSE) sector agreed their common position on Ofcom's latest proposals for the future of the 'Digital Dividend' spectrum. These stakeholders included equipment manufacturers, end users, rental users and trade associations.
Alan March, representing manufacturer Sennheiser, is a member of the British Entertainment Industry Radio Group (BEIRG), the sector's campaign group formed to represent the interests of PMSE users to Ofcom. He said it was "unfair, unreasonable and impractical" of Ofcom to expect the industry to move to "new spectrum which is undetermined, the capacity of which is unproven and in a timeline which is yet to be determined or is at best vague in its nature."
March said that PMSE stakeholders know they will have to vacate channel 69 - but this is the only certainty in Ofcom's proposals so far. While the move to channel 38 remains a proposal, the uncertainty for the sector continues. Manufacturers will not begin production of channel 38 compatible equipment until they are certain that channel will be available.
Deepening the confusion are concerns over Ofcom's reported "compensation" for the sector. A clause in Ofcom's proposal document says that users will not be compensated for equipment bought after 2 February 2009. While radio equipment is usually expected to have a lifetime of 10 years, anyone buying now will have to re-equip in three or four years without compensation. "If you want to buy equipment today and get the maximum return on investment, what do you do? We get asked that by our customers every day and can't give them an answer. This has really increased the concern and the insecurity within the industry," says March.
A further difficulty comes from the spectre of White Spaces devices being allowed to operate unlicensed in the interleaved spectrum, potentially interfering with PMSE equipment. March said the PMSE sector will suggest to Ofcom that the lower band of cleared spectrum, channels 30-37, be kept free "until we are sure there is enough capacity in 38 and interleaving for PMSE to carry on doing what it is doing".
"There is a long way to go and a lot to be discussed but it's important we get replacement spectrum confirmed as soon as possible, so we can all be ahead of the game come 2012," he concluded.
Ofcom has called a stakeholders-only meeting for 25 February.
(Lee Baldock)
