Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Scam Plan To Clear the Air for Police Radios Hits Snag

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 17:54:01 -0400

Scam Plan To Clear the Air for Police Radios Hits Snag

By Paul Davidson
June 16, 2003

"You've got to fix the underlying problem," says Nextel's Larry Krevor.
He says interference is more widespread than critics say, and it's
growing. He says only a swap can cleanly address all the causes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A proposed swap of airwaves to cut cell phone  interference with dozens
of police and fire radio systems nationwide has been held up by a less
complex proposal from others in the industry.

The rival proposals have vexed and divided the staff of the Federal
Communications Commission  as few issues have, in part because each plan
would in some ways benefit the party proposing it.

The impasse threatens to delay resolution of a problem that has been
hampering emergency response capabilities since the mid-1990s.

The FCC appeared headed toward approval of the airwave swap -- proposed
last December by Nextel (Nasdaq: NXTL)  Communications and a coalition
of public-safety agencies -- until Motorola (NYSE: MOT)  and a group of
wireless companies stepped in with an alternative plan last month.

The root of the interference problem is that frequencies used by public
safety agencies, Nextel and other mobile radio services are interlaced.
As a result, the far more numerous antenna towers Nextel uses for its
cell phone service sometimes drown out public-safety radios, resulting
in "dead spots" in coverage in several dozen cities, including Seattle
and Miami.

In fall 2001, Nextel first proposed giving up spectrum that would allow
creating an interference-free public safety block. In trade, Nextel
would get contiguous airwaves in a band now reserved for satellite phone
services. Nextel agreed to pay $850 million toward costs for public
safety and private carriers to reprogram equipment or buy new gear.

But mobile phone carriers say the plan unfairly hands Nextel prime
spectrum that otherwise could be sold at auction by the FCC for billions
of dollars.

Critics of the Nextel plan also say the spectrum swap would disrupt
about half the nation's 2,200 public-safety agencies, even though
interference incidents are isolated. In addition, it would take nearly
four years to complete, and it might not fully eliminate the
interference.

Last month, Motorola, which makes most public-safety radios, told the
FCC it has developed a device that can filter out Nextel's signals while
still receiving public-safety transmissions. "We think there's a
technical solution," says Motorola's Steve Sharkey.

Public-safety agencies can get the device when they upgrade to new
radios, which could take years, or they can retrofit existing radios. A
group of wireless firms backs that plan in tandem with stronger
interference protections.

But the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials calls the
proposal "reactive" to interference events. And it's unclear who would
pay for the upgrades under the alternative plan.

"You've got to fix the underlying problem," says Nextel's Larry Krevor.
He says interference is more widespread than critics say, and it's
growing. He says only a swap can cleanly address all the causes.

Some observers suggest Motorola may be opposing a swap because that
could open its market to rival radio makers. But others say Motorola
would benefit from equipment upgrades in either case.

http://www.wirelessnewsfactor.com/perl/story/21735.html

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---

From: "sparkie_rf" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 22:14:26 -0000

--- In [email-masked], Marcel <Marcelrf@B...> wrote:
> growing. 

Hello!!! The gall of this guy is almost too much to bear.

The underlying problem is (drum roll please) NEXTEL!!!

The company that cried wolf, give me a break.

Marcel, please tell me that Nextel is not so arrogant so as to not 
have a backup plan/strategy ready to go, when the SCAM-PLAN fails???

---

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 18:42:57 -0400

Oh yea............

Nextel has a back-up to the "Scam Plan". For several months they have been
quietly seeding the market with dual band 800/900mhz base radios and portables.
Thanks to a Nextel insider who shared Nextel's strategy and deployment schedule I
have been able to forward the information to affected 900 MHz operators, so they
can beware of interference issues.

There has been some discussion about iDEN deployment on frequencies below 512
Mhz. Nothing firm but it is on the table.

To quote one 900 Mhz operator reaction

"Give those B#$&^@ an inch they take a mile, it's nobody's fault but our own. Ten
years from now there will be no SMR"