The 600Mhz Band Takeback is Starting Earlier Than Expected ...

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steve149

Shine on you crazy diamond
Staff member
Sep 26, 2011
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Connecticut
T-Mobile to Enter 600 MHz in August
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Posted on Jul 21, 2017
By Clive Young

New York, NY (July 21, 2017)—Pro-audio RF wranglers and wireless users may be in for a surprise next month, as T-Mobile announced yesterday that it will make its first in-roads into 600 MHz next month, far head of the original FCC-based transition timeline of 39 months from now, and even ahead of T-Mobile’s news earlier this week that it planned to enter the space by Halloween.

The FCC permits the new licensees to displace “protected” low power TV and translator stations with just 120 days’ notice, and incumbents are already receiving notification letters from T-Mobile. However, while the company plans to fire up its first 600 MHz sites in August, there’s no specifics available yet as to where those sites are in fact located.

The announcement came Thursday as part of the company’s Q2 2017 earnings release, and signaled that the mobile provider plans to make get down to business in the 600 MHz range immediately. In 2017 alone, the company will clear and prep for use a minimum of 10 MHz, covering 1.2 million square miles.

Looking to start making the most of its investment earlier this year when it bought up spectrum in the FCC’s Incentive Auction, T-Mobile will offer its customers 600 MHz-compatible phones in Q4, it reported, and announced further plans to create a 5G network in the newly acquired spectrum within two years.
 
I signed up for T-Mobile updates ... they sent out a list of all counties and city areas that they have started in or ones coming up soon. Once they start, you are supposed to vacate the band (except for the 2 gap/guard bands which can still be used - 614-616 and 657-663MHz).

Here is their current list of activity by county ... https://howmobileworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/FIPS-Notification-by-county-051518.xlsx

I luck out .. only 4 states not scheduled yet and I'm one.
 
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I am wondering if it will be worthwhile to get wireless mics, or stick with good old reliable, non fcc regulated corded mics.
At least 1 cordless is helpful for toasts, speeches, etc. You're OK for a while in the 500 MHz band as well as the digital bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz).
 
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Fargin Bastages!

GJ
...lousy corksuckers, have violated my fargin rights.

This sum in a batching country was founded...
...so that the liberties of common patriotic citizens like me...
...could not be taken away by a bunch of fargin iceholes...
Thank you very much.
<iframe width="550" height="301" src="
View: https://www.youtube.com/embed/dv8tVxk6Nj4
" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
In all serious-ness (yes, I realize that notion in this forum is a bit foreign), what are you guys planning to do about this? Are you going to replace your wireless mics?

I only had one system operating in the 600 MHz band; I upgraded it and took advantage of a $150 buy-back program on the old system (not much of a consolation, but it's something).

All of my other wireless systems are in the 500 MHz band, so I'm good.
 
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All my AT 3000 systems are in the 600MHz band and I have 1 Shure in the 500MHz band. I plan on using the 600s as long as I can .. I only use 1 or 2 and should be able to stay in the 2 gap bands for now.
 
Update from T-Mobile ... here is the county lists for 600MHz band use ...
 

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  • FIPS-Notification-by-county-091718.pdf
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They have rolled out alot - and Q4 will be massive. I have to imagine the infrastructure isn't changing much for them to be pushing this fast.
 
Thankfully nothing in CT as yet ..
 
Kinda weird... the county I live in isn’t on that list, but the county I generally DJ in is.[emoji37]
Still, with 2 gap bands, unless you use more than 2 wireless mics and/or everyone else within range is using up the frquencies at the same time, the 600MHz band should still be usable for small ops for a bit. I think any new purchase should be thought out however.

There are some new tools for folks that use wireless often and in crowded use areas. A small company makes a frequency scanner for reasonable $$s and there is software available for reporting. Here is their basic model .. RF Explorer and Handheld Spectrum Analyzer model WSUB1G 240 - 960 MHz 841454103912 | eBay - (https://www.ebay.com/itm/RF-Explorer-and-Handheld-Spectrum-Analyzer-model-WSUB1G-240-960-MHz/302800164677?epid=2256028612&hash=item46804bd745:g:6hUAAOSwVTNbRBeF)


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update : $139 on Amazon ... https://www.amazon.com/Explorer-Han...ie=UTF8&qid=1538239751&sr=8-1&keywords=wsub1g
 
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