--- title: Share this blog post on Twitter description: UHF spectrum for wireless mics and IEMs is tightening in the US, UK and Europe. What rental and production companies should check in their RF fleet now. image: https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_25_wireless_spectrum_squeeze_preview.webp --- [Pro AV](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/pro-av) [Industry News](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/industry-news) [Live Events Industry](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/live-events-industry) # The Wireless Spectrum Squeeze Is Now a Rental Planning Problem ![Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg?width=45&name=IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [Share this blog post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+found+this+interesting+blog+post&url=https://gearsource.com/blog/blog/wireless-spectrum-squeeze-rental-planning-2026) [Share this blog post on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://gearsource.com/blog/blog/wireless-spectrum-squeeze-rental-planning-2026) [Share this blog post on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://gearsource.com/blog/blog/wireless-spectrum-squeeze-rental-planning-2026) ![Two white directional RF antennas and a paddle antenna clamped to aluminium truss at the side of an outdoor festival stage at dusk, with an empty field and delay towers behind](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_25_wireless_spectrum_squeeze_preview.webp) *By Marcel Fairbairn, founder of GearSource. 24 years buying, selling, and brokering pro-AV gear globally.* Wireless microphones, in-ear monitors and UHF intercoms are competing for a shrinking slice of UHF spectrum, and how that band is shared is under active discussion in the US, the UK and Europe. For rental and production companies, thisxhnj shapes which wireless systems you buy, how you quote large jobs, how early you start coordination and which racks can cross a border with a tour. Shops that treat spectrum as part of fleet planning will have fewer surprises on show day. ## What changed this year In the United States, the Wireless Microphone Spectrum Alliance recently met with aides to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty, according to an October 5 report in [Communications Daily](https://communicationsdaily.com/article/2026/10/05/wireless-mics-need-access-to-more-spectrum-ahead-of-la-olympics-industry-group-2610020026). The group told the FCC that wireless microphones, in-ear monitors and UHF intercoms had the most frequency assignments of any service at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and that it expects those devices to need even more spectrum at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The background is the 600 MHz incentive auction, which moved much of that band to mobile broadband. The [FCC](https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/operation-wireless-microphones) still allows wireless microphones on TV channels 2 to 36 and on some 600 MHz guard band and duplex gap frequencies. The alliance has said the remaining TV spectrum is shared with broadcasters, white space devices and other users, and that medium and large events lean more and more on Special Temporary Authority grants, which it calls ad hoc and unpredictable. In the UK, Ofcom opened a review of spectrum for programme making and special events in January. Its [call for input](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/radio-equipment/call-for-input-sector-spectrum-review-programme-making-and-special-events-pmse) says licensed assignments for coordinated wireless microphones and in-ear monitors rose 32 percent between 2018 and 2024. Demand is also concentrated: in 2024, 95 percent of the locations licensed for wireless mics and IEMs peaked below 10 percent of the peak daily demand at Glastonbury. Responses closed in April, and Ofcom lists the review as pending a statement. Across Europe, the 470 to 694 MHz band is the core range for professional wireless audio, and it is also home to digital terrestrial TV. The next World Radiocommunication Conference, WRC-27, runs from October 18 to November 12, 2027 in Shanghai. A preliminary item proposed for the conference after that, WRC-31, would review use of 470 to 694 MHz. In a September 11 position paper, the [EBU](https://www.ebu.ch/files/live/sites/ebu/files/News/Position_Papers/open/2026/ec_callforevidence_wrc27_eburesponse_11092026.pdf) said it does not support adding that review to the WRC-31 agenda. ## Why this lands on the rental side Event producers and artists rarely think about spectrum until a channel drops out. The rental house usually owns the inventory, so it carries the risk. A rack of receivers tuned to a crowded range is harder to deploy on a busy weekend in a major city than the same rack in a quiet regional market. Frequency coverage has become a real spec, sitting next to channel count and battery life when a client asks what you can supply. Touring adds a second layer. Permitted frequency ranges and licensing rules differ from country to country, so a system that is legal and clean in one market may need a different band or a licence in the next. Shops that send gear across borders, or rent into incoming international productions, need to know which ranges each rack covers and where those ranges can be used before the gear ships, not when the RF tech reaches the venue. ## What WMAS changes and what it does not Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems, or WMAS, carry many audio channels inside one wider RF channel instead of giving each microphone its own narrow carrier. The FCC adopted rules permitting WMAS in February 2024, and it says the approach can let more microphones operate in a given amount of spectrum. Ofcom's call for input also lists WMAS among the developments that could change how future wireless demand is met. It is not an instant fix. A WMAS platform is a system decision rather than a single product swap. Transmitters, base stations, antennas and software all have to work together, and your engineers need time with the platform before a client show depends on it. Touring deployments have been reported in Europe this year, which is useful evidence, but most shops will run mixed fleets of conventional and wideband systems for some time. ## Five things to do before next season None of this needs a big budget to start. It needs a clear view of what you own and where it can work: 1. Build a frequency map of your fleet. For every wireless mic, IEM and intercom system, record the model, the tuning range and the countries or regions where that range can be used. 2. Quote RF coordination as its own line. Large shows need planning time, scans and sometimes licences or temporary authorisations. Put that work in the quote instead of absorbing it. 3. Start coordination earlier on big jobs. Ask the client up front about the venue, other wireless users on site and any broadcast presence, then confirm what spectrum is realistic. 4. Check frequency ranges before you buy. Before adding wireless channels, ask where you expect to use them over the next several years and whether that range is likely to stay usable there. 5. Keep a wired fallback. Where the show allows it, a wired vocal mic and a wired monitor feed on standby are cheap insurance if a channel drops. ## Where this goes next None of these processes has reached a final decision. Ofcom's statement is still pending, the US alliance is still making its case to the FCC, and the question of whether 470 to 694 MHz goes on the WRC-31 agenda will be considered at WRC-27 in late 2027. That uncertainty is the point. Access to spectrum can change within the working life of a wireless system, so the shops that track these decisions now will make better buying and quoting calls. Spectrum is shared infrastructure, and the live events industry has a real stake in how it is divided. Support the trade groups and frequency coordinators doing this work, respond when regulators ask for evidence, and keep your own records of what you deployed and where. Real usage data from working shows is the strongest argument this industry has when the next allocation decision comes around. At GearSource, we will keep following how these decisions affect the wireless gear rental companies buy and sell. Current pro AV listings are on [GearSource](https://gearsource.com/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Why is UHF spectrum for wireless microphones getting tighter? In the US, the 600 MHz incentive auction moved much of that band to mobile broadband, leaving wireless microphones mainly on TV channels 2 to 36 plus some 600 MHz guard band and duplex gap frequencies. That remaining spectrum is shared with TV broadcasters and other users, while large events keep adding wireless mics, in-ear monitors and intercoms. ### What is WMAS? WMAS stands for Wireless Multichannel Audio System. Instead of each microphone using its own narrow channel, a WMAS carries many audio channels over one wider RF channel. The FCC adopted rules permitting WMAS in February 2024 and says the technology can let more microphones operate in a given amount of spectrum. It is aimed at high channel count productions. ### What is Ofcom's PMSE spectrum review? Ofcom opened a call for input in January 2026 on future spectrum needs for programme making and special events, focusing on wireless microphones, in-ear monitors and wireless cameras. It reported that coordinated wireless mic and IEM assignments rose 32 percent from 2018 to 2024. Responses closed on April 15, 2026, and Ofcom lists the review as pending a statement. ### Is the 470 to 694 MHz band at risk in Europe? No decision has been made. A preliminary item proposed for WRC-31 would review use of 470 to 694 MHz, the core band for professional wireless audio and digital terrestrial TV in Europe. Whether it goes on the WRC-31 agenda will be considered at WRC-27, held October 18 to November 12, 2027. The EBU has said it does not support including it. ### What should a rental company do about spectrum changes now? Start with a frequency map of every wireless system you own, showing tuning ranges and where each range can be used. Quote RF coordination as a separate line on large jobs, start coordination earlier, check frequency ranges before buying new wireless channels, and keep wired fallbacks ready where the show allows. Then track regulator decisions in your main markets. ![Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg?width=150&name=IMG_1339.jpeg) #### Marcel Fairbairn [Follow me on my website](http://www.GeezersOfGear.com) [Follow me on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/GeezersOfGear) [Follow me on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelfairbairn/) [Follow me on Twitter](https://twitter.com/marcelfairbairn) Marcel is the Founder and CEO of GearSource. He has been a leader in the Live Events "gear" space for more than 30 years. 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