By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
THOUSANDS of Geelong small businesses, schools and community groups will be forced to replace wireless audio equipment after the Federal Government sold their radio frequency.
Pro-Sound Studio Productions owner Chris Koblitz said he would have to “chuck out a few thousand dollars-worth of equipment”.
“We’ve bought new equipment that will hopefully be okayed for use in Australia but I feel nervous that whatever we buy might also become obsolete,” Mr Koblitz said.
The majority of wireless audio equipment in Australia uses frequencies in the high 700 MHz and low 800 MHz bands, which mobile phone companies will control after 1 January 2015.
Federal Government sold the sprectrum covering the bandwidths to the companies last year for $1.8 billion.
“All the gear people are using now, unless it was very new equipment using a different frequency, will become unusable,” Mr Koblitz said.
“We’ve put off repurchasing equipment to find out what frequency we’re going to change to because it’s still not guaranteed.”
Music workshop’s Daniel Bee said the business had anticipated the change, but would still be impacted.
“We’d still have 40 pieces of affected equipment in our inventory with a capital investment between $1500 and $2000 each.
“The main impact will be on the end user because all of a sudden they’ll be using a bandwidth they’re not supposed to be using anymore.
“The telecommunications act has significant penalties for interference with other users.”
Mr Bee said the public was still unaware of the lost bandwidth.
People buying wireless audio equipment on the internet could also be caught out, he warned.
“I reckon online might account for 50 per cent of the number pieces of equipment out there.
“It’s all up in air and we’re only a small voice in the scale of things. This information has not provided to anyone – you have to go and look for it.”
Marriage celebrant Bronwyn Davie was upset at the cost of the equipment she had to replace.
“Last quote I had was about $1500 for a basic model. Celebrants are required by law to ensure that everyone can hear our ceremonies, so we need sound systems.
“Given the increase in the number of celebrants and the many who will have just invested thousands on sound equipment to comply, some sort of heads up would have been appreciated.”
The change caught Club Excec fitness centre owner Robyn Reimers by surprise.
She estimated that changing her gym’s two wireless sound systems would cost at least $2000.
“It’s typical, isn’t it. The government gets us every which way and as a smaller club it hits you hard.
“If they hit us again with this it’s ridiculous.”
