Save Our Spectrum - The UHF frequency spectrum
Why UHF?
The potential exists within the UHF frequency range to use the frequencies being freed up for new services. There are also technical advantages to UHF: at the moment, it is a frequency range that has relatively low levels of interference from technical equipment and propagation conditions are also good, achieving high ranges and effectively penetrating buildings.
These propagation conditions also apply to wireless microphones. They use very little power – 10 – 50mW (a mobile phone uses up to 2W) – and can achieve ranges of around 100m while retaining excellent audio quality, which is sufficient for reporting purposes and sports and cultural applications. On stage, these low power levels can still penetrate scenery, be picked up back stage and also maintain links with receivers without loss of quality when artists go out into the audience. This also applies to in-ear monitor links in particular.
Owing to the equipment’s low power, there are hardly any overlaps in urban centres since propagation of the high frequency emitted remains confined for the most part to the event venue, with it being possible to make use of similar frequencies more or less next door. This is the case particularly in the theatre strongholds of Broadway or London’s West End, as well in Hamburg, Munich, Berlin and other destinations frequented by tourists.
Switchover from analogue to digital transmission
The UHF waveband, 470 MHz and 862 MHz, is mainly used now for broadcasting TV programmes. In 1998, the German Bundestag decided to switch distribution from analogue to digital technology. This has now largely been completed, as will be the case in other countries within the next few years (by 2012).
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