LATEST - Initial cabinet decision on Digital Futures released. Click here for more details. The battle-lines have been drawn.....in a nutshell, the government plan to sell-off the existing radio mic band, 694-804MHz with digital TV occupying 502-694MHz.

WE NEED TO MAKE SOME NOISE!!

The WUNZ Committee have completed their submission on the Digital Futures Discussion Document - you can download a copy and show your support here.

Wireless Users New Zealand Trust is incorporated 22nd September 2009.
See our shiny (?) new certificate here!!

Are you involved or interested in any of the following?

Outside Broadcast

Sporting Events

Electronic News Gathering

Film & TV Production

Conference & Exhibition Production

Theatre Production

Concert Production

Product Demonstration

Education

Religious Organisations

If the answer is 'yes' then there's a good chance that radio microphones are in use at some point in the process...and very soon, those radio mics MAY BE UNUSEABLE if we don't ACT NOW!

In a nutshell, the NZ Government is seeking to reallocate the radio spectrum to accomodate Digital Terrestrial Television. As part of this process, some parts of the spectrum are being freed-up as the old analogue transmitters are switched off.

This may sound good for radio mic users like us, but sadly there's worse to come. Digital TV broadcasting leaves less 'gaps' for us to use our radio mics - the way we've used in the past. So we'll have less spectrum within our current stomping-ground.

Then, as if that's not bad enough, the big telecommunication companies want to buy all that freed-up old "analogue" space for mobile devices...

What could happen?
In Auckland alone there are going to be 22 licences for Digital Terrestrial Television - each one needs a 8MHz block of bandwidth (176MHz total).

Vodafone & Telecom want another 150MHz of bandwidth for the next breed of Raspberries etc

That will leave us with....CABLED MICS!!

What can we do?
WUNZ firmly believes that the NZ Government doesn't grasp the scale of the disruption this will cause to New Zealand life. We must act together, representing all those affected, to ensure that those who make the decisions about the future of New Zealand's airwaves are aware of our contribution to the community.

What are we doing about it?
WUNZ are in regular contact with the Ministry Of Economic Development (the Government Department responsible for the radio spectrum re-shuffle) and have made some progress. We have submitted our concerns in accordance with the consultation process. Our aim is to secure sufficient space within the spectrum for ongoing, reliable use of radio microphones.

What can YOU do to help?
Register your support for WUNZ today and add your voice to the battle. We urgently need to make Government aware that their current plans will effectively bring reliable radio mic usage to and end within five years.

 

With sincere thanks (and apologies) to BEIRG - our UK counterparts in the fight for the future of radio mic use,

Please consider it the highest form of flattery...!