Ofcom sets standard for MP3 transmitters

Posted on 24 Nov 2006 at 07:09

Ofcom has formally announced that low power FM transmitters which connect portable music player to in-car audio systems will be legal in the UK from 8 December, as we revealed earlier this week.

The regulator notes that while the equipment that was previously available carried a high risk of interference to other broadcast services, new devices are designed to limit the potential of interference to other wireless devices. The FM transmitters that meet the new specifications will therefore be legal to use in the UK will carry a CE mark indicating approval for sale in the European Union.

The new regulations also remove the requirement for 20,000 Citizens' Band radio users to buy a licence and make more spectrum available to meet demand for other low power devices such as hearing aids, alarms systems, tracking and tracing systems and meter reading devices operating in the 169.4MHz to 169.8125MHz band.

The use of short-range FM transmitters without a licence is prohibited under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949; in July 2003, after seeking legal advice, AM Micro stopped selling the Griffin iTrip, a wireless transmitter for iPods. In May of this year European telecoms regulators began developing a common set of standards for these devices that would address interference concerns; by July Ofcom had set out the proposals that form the imminent change in the law.

Author: Simon Aughton

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