Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Different Year, Same 800 MHz "Scam Plan" Story

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 06:48:31 -0400

Different Year, Same 800 MHz "Scam Plan" Story

Oct 10, 2003
WASHINGTON, D.C.

If anything's changed in the past year concerning proposals to eliminate
interference with U.S. public-safety radio operations, it's that proponents
and opponents of the so-called "Public Safety Consensus Plan" are more
entrenched in their positions.

At the Private Wireless Summit 2003 here Thursday, Nextel Communications
[Nasdaq: NXTL] maintained the stance it did at the 2002 event that the
Consensus Plan, which it proposed in conjunction with public safety and
private wireless groups, is the only proposed solution that is viable.
"Those of us who are dealing with it, and more important who are
experiencing it, have concluded that this is an effective solution," said
Larry Krevor, Nextel's vice president for government affairs.

Nextel has previously guaranteed that the Federal Communications Commission
would approve its plan. On Thursday, Krevor didn't go that far, but said the
carrier must get what it wants if it's going to give up spectrum and help
pay re-tuning costs. "Nextel, if we're going to put in money, has to come
out whole," he said.

However, the rest of the U.S. commercial wireless industry, represented
Thursday by Cingular Wireless, continued shaking its head over the
possibility of Nextel gaining 10 MHz nationwide in the valuable 1900 MHz
band in exchange for giving up space in the 800 MHz band to public safety.
Nextel also would pay up to $700 million to pay for re- tuning, or moving,
public safety and private wireless operations to new frequencies. Public
safety and private wireless operations should be careful what they ask for,
cautioned Brian Fontes, Cingular's vice president for federal relations. "If
[Nextel doesn't] get the 10 MHz nationwide, re-banding is off the table,"
Fontes said. "If the commission were to grant Nextel everything it wants, I
can assure you there will be a legal challenge," he added.

http://search.pbimedia.com/search97cgi/s97_cgi?action=View&VdkVgwKey=%2E%2E%2Fdocuments%2Farchive%2Fct%2Fct10100305%2Ehtml&DocOffset=1&Collection=archive&&ViewTemplate=new_tweb_view_wdn.hts

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Rent DVDs Online - Over 14,500 titles.
No Late Fees & Free Shipping.
Try Netflix for FREE!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/JYdFFC/XP.FAA/ySSFAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/