The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) finalized spectrum auction results last month, reallocating the 620-694 MHz band from broadcast/wireless microphone use to mobile broadband. That’s on top of the 694-820 MHz band they auctioned in 2024.

For anyone not in live sound engineering, this sounds like bureaucratic spectrum management. For venues and touring production, it’s a crisis that’s going to cost hundreds of thousands in equipment replacement and cause significant operational headaches.

Here’s what’s happening and why most of the industry hasn’t woken up to it yet.

What UHF Spectrum Does

Wireless microphones, in-ear monitors, and wireless instrument systems use UHF radio frequencies to transmit audio from performers to mixing desks (or from desks back to performers’ ears via IEMs).

Professional wireless systems operate in specific frequency bands where they won’t interfere with broadcast television, mobile phones, or other RF users. For decades, the 520-820 MHz range was reasonably stable for wireless audio use in Australia.

That stability is gone. Mobile carriers successfully lobbied to have the 694-820 MHz band reallocated in 2024 (the “700 MHz band clearance”). Now they’ve taken 620-694 MHz as well. What’s left for wireless audio is fragmented, crowded, and significantly more complex to coordinate.

Who’s Affected

If your venue or production company uses wireless microphone systems purchased before 2023, there’s a good chance some or all of your gear operates in bands that are now illegal (or will be within 18-24 months once grace periods expire).

This affects:

• Mid to large live music venues with house wireless systems
• Touring productions carrying FOH and monitor wireless rigs
• Theatre companies with large casts using wireless lavs
• Corporate AV companies doing conferences and events
• House of worship installations with wireless systems

I talked to a mid-sized venue in Brisbane that runs 24 wireless channels (16 mics, 8 IEM packs). They checked their system: 18 of the 24 channels operate in now-prohibited spectrum. Replacement cost: ~$85K.

They found out about the spectrum changes when I mentioned it at an industry meetup. ACMA sent notification letters to licensed spectrum users, but most venues don’t license their wireless systems (they operate under class licenses that don’t require registration). So they never got the warnings.

The Technical Problem

It’s not just about buying new gear. The remaining legal spectrum for wireless audio is:

• 520-618 MHz (still available, but getting crowded)
• Small portions of 1.8 GHz and 2.4 GHz (digital systems only, more prone to interference)

Coordinating 16-24 wireless channels in the reduced available spectrum is significantly harder than it was with the full 520-820 MHz range available. Frequency coordination (making sure all your wireless devices don’t interfere with each other) requires more sophisticated planning and often external software tools.

For festivals and multi-artist events where you’ve got three stages each running 30+ wireless channels plus artist IEMs, this is a nightmare. You used to be able to space systems out across a wide frequency range. Now you’re cramming everything into narrower bands and dealing with intermodulation products (when multiple transmitters create interference patterns that mess up unrelated channels).

Professional RF coordinators who manage festival wireless systems are reporting they can’t reliably coordinate above 40 channels in the reduced spectrum without running into conflicts. Previous systems handled 60-80 channels without major issues.

What Venues Should Do

Inventory your gear immediately. Check the frequency ranges of every wireless system you own. If anything operates above 620 MHz, it’s either already illegal or will be once grace periods expire.

Most wireless systems have the frequency range printed on the body or in the manual. If you can’t find it, the model number usually indicates the frequency band. Shure’s website has a spectrum compatibility tool that’ll tell you if your gear is affected.

Budget for replacements. Wireless mic systems aren’t cheap:

• Entry-level professional handheld system: $800-1,200
• Mid-tier system (Shure ULXD, Sennheiser EW-D): $1,500-2,200
• High-end system (Shure Axient, Sennheiser Digital 6000): $3,500-6,000
• In-ear monitor systems: $1,200-2,800 per channel

If you’re running 12-24 channels, you’re looking at $20K-60K to replace everything.

Consider digital systems. Newer digital wireless systems (operating in 2.4 GHz or 1.8 GHz) aren’t affected by UHF spectrum changes. They’re also generally more expensive and have different performance characteristics (shorter range, more susceptible to WiFi interference, harder to deploy in metal-heavy venues).

But they future-proof you against further spectrum reallocations. If ACMA decides to auction off more UHF spectrum in 2028, traditional analog UHF systems might get squeezed again.

Get proper RF coordination. If you’re running more than 8-10 wireless channels, invest in professional frequency coordination software (like Shure Wireless Workbench or RF Venue’s Vantage) and learn how to use it properly. The days of just picking channel presets and hoping for the best are over.

The Industry Response

Professional audio associations (like the Audio Engineering Society) and equipment manufacturers have been lobbying ACMA to preserve spectrum for wireless audio, with limited success. Mobile broadband is worth billions. Wireless microphones are a rounding error in economic value.

Some manufacturers are transitioning to digital wireless systems that use different spectrum. Shure’s Axient Digital, Sennheiser’s Digital 6000, and Audio-Technica’s System 10 all use frequency ranges that aren’t currently threatened.

But adoption is slow because:

• Digital systems are more expensive
• They require retraining for engineers used to analog systems
• Range and reliability characteristics are different
• There’s reluctance to abandon functional gear that cost $40K but is now spectrum-illegal

What Happens Next

ACMA’s current grace period allows operation of legacy wireless systems in prohibited spectrum until December 2027. After that, operating non-compliant gear is technically illegal and subject to fines (though enforcement in practice is minimal unless you’re causing interference).

But even without enforcement, you can’t tour internationally with non-compliant gear, and insurers are starting to ask questions about whether venue equipment complies with spectrum regulations.

My prediction: most mid-sized venues will limp along with non-compliant gear until something breaks or they’re forced to upgrade for a specific event/tour. Then they’ll discover replacement costs are 2-3X what they budgeted and either cancel wireless systems entirely (relying on wired mics) or cobble together minimum viable systems with cheaper digital options.

Larger venues and professional production companies will bite the bullet and upgrade to compliant systems in 2026-2027, taking the financial hit but maintaining professional capabilities.

The losers are small venues and emerging touring artists who can’t afford $20K+ for compliant wireless systems and end up stuck with wired mics or consumer-grade gear that sounds terrible and fails during shows.

Practical Advice

If you’re running a venue or production company:

1. Check your wireless gear frequencies this week
2. Start budgeting for replacements now, even if you’re not buying immediately
3. If you’re buying new wireless systems, only buy spectrum-compliant gear (520-618 MHz or digital systems)
4. Learn RF coordination basics or hire someone who knows what they’re doing
5. Consider whether you actually need wireless or if wired solutions work for some applications

I’ve been in live sound for three decades, and this spectrum squeeze is the biggest operational change I’ve seen outside of the shift to digital mixing consoles. It’s expensive, it’s technically complex, and most venues haven’t figured out they have a problem yet.

You’ve got about 18 months before non-compliant gear becomes a serious legal and operational liability. If you haven’t started planning for this, start now. Because the spectrum isn’t coming back, and the problem isn’t going away.