ANNEX 10: RADIO MICROPHONE APPLICATIONS INCLUDING ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES (ALD), WIRELESS AUDIO AND MULTIMEDIA STREAMING SYSTEMS

Scope of annex
This annex covers frequency bands and regulatory as well as informative parameters recommended for radio microphone applications (also referred to as wireless microphones or cordless microphones), Assistive Listening Devices (ALD) (also referred to as aids for the hearing impaired) and wireless audio and multimedia streaming systems. It covers professional and consumer radio microphones, both hand-held and body-worn, in-ear monitoring devices and Assistive Listening Devices (ALD). Radio microphones are small, low power (typically 50 mW or less) transmitters designed to be worn on the body, or hand held, for the transmission of sound. The receivers are tailored to specific uses and may range from small and portable to rack mounted modules as part of a multichannel system. ALD are specific radio microphone applications which capture an acoustic signal that is transmitted by radio to the hearing aid receivers. It also covers wireless audio and multimedia streaming systems used for audio/video transmissions and audio/video synchronisation signals including cordless loudspeakers; cordless headphones; Band II low power FM transmitters operating in the FM Broadcast band 87.5 MHz to 108 MHz are used for the provision of an RF link between a personal audio device, including mobile phone, and the in-car or home entertainment system etc. Assistive Listening Systems (ALS) are for use by the hearing impaired in public spaces such as airports, railway stations, churches and theatres, where the transmitter is connected to the audio programme or public address system and the receiver is worn by hearing-impaired users, or integrated into users’ hearing aids. Frequency band limits for radio microphones should be regarded as tuning ranges within which a device can be designated to operate. In most cases, Appendix 3 indicates those parts of the range that are not available in individual countries but this does not apply to the broadcasting bands at 174-216 MHz and 470-862 MHz where national geographical and licensing restrictions are likely to exist and the national administration should be contacted. The sub-bands below are intended for the following applications: - ALD: sub-bands b), c1), c2), d), g), - Radio microphones: sub-bands a1), e), f1), f2), f3), f4), g),h1), h2), h3), j1), j2), j3), - Wireless audio and multimedia streaming systems: sub-bands g), and j2), - Band II low power FM transmitters: sub-band a2), - ALS: sub-band i), - Inductive loop systems intended to assist the hearing impaired: sub-bands a0).

Frequency Band		Power / Magnetic Field	Spectrum access and mitigation requirements	Modulation /occupied bandwidth	ECC/ERC Deliverable	Notes
a0	100Hz  -  9kHz	120 dBµA/m at 10 m	No requirement	Not specified		Inductive loop systems intended to assist the hearing impaired. Antenna size of < 1/20 λ (see note 3)
a1	29.7MHz  -  47MHz	10 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	≤ 50 kHz		Radio microphones. On a tuning range basis. Individual licence may be required
a2	87.5MHz  -  108MHz	50 nW e.r.p.	No requirement	200 kHz		Band II low power FM transmitters (see note 4)
c1	169.4MHz  -  169.475MHz	500 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	≤ 50 kHz	ECC/DEC/(05)02	Assistive Listening Device (ALD)
b	169.4MHz  -  174MHz	10 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	≤ 50 kHz		Assistive Listening Device (ALD). On a tuning range basis
c2	169.4875MHz  -  169.5875MHz	500 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	≤ 50 kHz	ECC/DEC/(05)02	Assistive Listening Device (ALD)
d	173.965MHz  -  216MHz	10 mW e.r.p.	See Notes 1 and 2	≤ 50 kHz	ECC Report 230	Assistive Listening Device (ALD). On a tuning range basis. Individual licence may be required
e	174MHz  -  216MHz	50 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. On a tuning range basis. Individual licence may be required
f1	470MHz  -  786MHz	50 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. On a tuning range basis. Individual licence may be required
f2	786MHz  -  789MHz	12 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. On a tuning range basis. Individual licence may be required. See technical conditions for PMSE (including radio microphones) in Annex 3 of Decision ECC/DEC/(09)03 section 3.1
f3	823MHz  -  826MHz	20 mW e.i.r.p. / 100 mW e.i.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. Individual licence may be required. 100 mW restricted to body worn equipment. See technical conditions for PMSE (including radio microphones) in Annex 3 of Decision ECC/DEC/(09)03 section 3.1
f4	826MHz  -  832MHz	100 mW e.i.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. Individual licence may be required. See technical conditions for PMSE (including radio microphones) in Annex 3 of Decision ECC/DEC/(09)03 section 3.1
g	863MHz  -  865MHz	10 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones, wireless audio and multimedia streaming devices. The frequency band is also identified in Annex 1
h1	1350MHz  -  1400MHz	20 mW e.i.r.p. / 50 mW e.i.r.p.	No requirement/SSP (see notes column)	Not specified		Radio microphones. Individual licence may be required. 50 mW restricted to body worn equipment or equipment with Spectrum Scanning Procedure (SSP) implemented for the 1350-1400 MHz band
h2	1492MHz  -  1518MHz	50 mW e.i.r.p	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. On a tuning range basis. Individual licence required. Restricted to indoor use
h3	1518MHz  -  1525MHz	50 mW e.i.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. On a tuning range basis. Individual licence required. Restricted to indoor use
i	1656.5MHz  -  1660.5MHz	2 mW/ 600 kHz e.i.r.p	No requirement	Not specified	ECC Report 270	Assistive Listening Systems. Individual licence may be required. See conditions in Annex 4 of ECC Report 270
j1	1785MHz  -  1795MHz	20 mW e.i.r.p. / 50 mW e.i.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. Individual licence may be required. 50 mW restricted to body worn equipment or equipment with Spectrum Scanning Procedure (SSP) implemented for the 1785-1804.8 MHz band
j2	1795MHz  -  1800MHz	20 mW e.i.r.p. / 50 mW e.i.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones including wireless audio and multimedia streaming devices. Individual licence may be required. 50 mW restricted to body worn equipment or equipment with Spectrum Scanning Procedure (SSP) implemented for the 1785-1804.8 MHz band
j3	1800MHz  -  1804.8MHz	20 mW e.i.r.p. / 50 mW e.i.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. Individual licence may be required 50 mW restricted to body worn equipment or equipment with Spectrum Scanning Procedure (SSP) implemented for the 1785-1804.8 MHz band

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Note 1	A threshold of 35 dBµV/m is required to ensure the protection of a DAB receiver located at 1.5m from the ALD device, subject to DAB signal strength measurements taken around the ALD operating site.
Note 2	The ALD device should operate under all circumstances at least 300 kHz away from the channel edge of an occupied DAB channel.

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