ANNEX 10: RADIO MICROPHONE APPLICATIONS INCLUDING ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES (ALD), PERSONAL CORDLESS AUDIO DEVICES

Scope of annex
This annex covers frequency bands and regulatory as well as informative parameters recommended for radio microphones, both hand-held and body-worn, (also referred to as wireless microphones or cordless microphones), in-ear monitors, Assistive Listening Devices (ALD) (also referred to as aids for the hearing impaired) and personal cordless audio devices. Whenever this Annex refers to radio microphones this also includes in-ear monitors. 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 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. 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 ALD 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), f3), f4), f5), f6), g),h1), h2), h3), j); • Personal cordless audio devices: sub-band g); • 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	Not specified	ECC/DEC/(05)02	Assistive Listening Device (ALD)
b	169.4MHz  -  174MHz	10 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Assistive Listening Device (ALD). On a tuning range basis
c2	169.4875MHz  -  169.5875MHz	500 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified	ECC/DEC/(05)02	Assistive Listening Device (ALD)
d	173.965MHz  -  216MHz	10 mW e.r.p.	See Notes 1 and 2	Not specified	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  -  694MHz	50 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. On a tuning range basis. Individual licence may be required
f5	694MHz  -  703MHz	50 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. On a tuning range basis. Individual licence may be required
f6	733MHz  -  757.5MHz	20 mW e.i.r.p. / 100 mW e.i.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. On a tuning range basis. Individual licence may be required. 100 mW restricted to body-worn equipment
f3	821.5MHz  -  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
f4	826MHz  -  832MHz	100 mW e.i.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones. Individual licence may be required
g	863MHz  -  865MHz	10 mW e.r.p.	No requirement	Not specified		Radio microphones and personal cordless audio 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	Not specified		Radio microphones. Individual licence may be required. 50 mW restricted to body-worn equipment or equipment implementing Spectrum Scanning Procedure (SSP)
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 ECC Report 270, annex 4
j	1785MHz  -  1805MHz	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 implementing Spectrum Scanning Procedure (SSP)

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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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