CONSUMER
Regulator to scrap iTrip legal obstacle
05-09-2006
by Maxim Kelly
The legal stumbling block which outlaws the popular short range iTrip device in Ireland is set to be removed by ComReg.
The iTrip is perhaps the most well-known radio transmitting device which allows an MP3 music player to wirelessly connect to a car stereo or home entertainment system. They work by broadcasting music as a short-range radio broadcast to any normal FM receiver, and are technically banned -- or necessitate a licence -- in Ireland because of fears they may interfere with commercial or other radio broadcasts.
In a statement, ComReg said it is expecting to have the devices legalised by the end of the year. If their legal status is normalised in time for Christmas then the devices, which retail for around EUR40, could become a must-have stocking filler for the estimated tens of thousands of Irish iPod and other MP3 owners
ComReg is looking to drop the iTrip ban as part of its latest submission to the European Commission on radio services in Ireland.
"The purpose of the [EC] notification is to provide information on the requirements for the operation of different radio applications in specific frequency bands, which have been stipulated by ComReg for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective use of the radio spectrum," said the ComReg statement.
ComReg is aiming to get the rules changed so devices which use low power, short-range transmitters can broadcast in the 87.5-108 Mhz range without a licence.
The iTrip is manufactured by US firm Griffin Technology. It is a small cylindrical device which slots into the headphone socket of a music player. Although popular -- and legal -- in the US, it currently falls under the EU's 1999 Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Directive.
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