Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Nextel Whines About Critical Public Safety Needs Must Be Addressed, But Brings Nothing New To The Table

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 20:02:49 -0400

Nextel Whines About Critical Public Safety Needs Must Be Addressed, But
Brings Nothing New To The Table
Thursday April 22, 4:41 pm ET

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 2004--Nextel Communications Inc.

(NASDAQ:NXTL - News) today submitted a letter to the Federal
Communications
Commission ("FCC") in support of the Consensus Plan that solves the
critical problem
of public safety interference. Filed in WT Docket 02-55, Improving
Public Safety
Communications in the 800 MHz Band, Nextel's letter highlights numerous
technical and
legal reasons why the FCC cannot substitute replacement spectrum at 2.1
GHz for the
1.9 GHz spectrum identified in the Consensus Plan. The letter also
highlights a number
of fundamental problems with Verizon's purported offer to bid $5 billion
for 10 MHz of spectrum at 1.9 GHz.

As part of the Consensus Plan,
Nextel has committed to funding
public safety and private wireless
relocation costs and surrendering
spectrum rights to facilitate the
realignment process and to provide
public safety much-needed
additional spectrum. In return for its
substantial contributions, Nextel
must be made whole with
replacement spectrum. In Nextel's
original filing in November 2001,
Nextel identified possible
replacement spectrum at 2.1 GHz;
however, when the FCC issued its
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in
March 2002, it proposed
replacement spectrum in the 1.9
GHz band, among other alternatives.

After months of negotiations among public safety participants, private
wireless interests and Nextel, the Consensus Plan included assigning to
Nextel 10 MHz at 1.9 GHz in return for Nextel making the financial and
spectral contributions necessary to implement 800 MHz realignment and
eliminate public safety interference. In the more than 18 months since
the Consensus Plan was filed at the FCC, all possible technical, legal,
economic and other factors concerning granting Nextel replacement
spectrum at 1.9 GHz have been extensively evaluated and considered in
the exhaustive record of this proceeding.

In contrast, the record contains no discussion of the technical, legal,
economic and
policy issues surrounding substituting 2.1 GHz channels (2020 -
2025/2170 - 2175
MHz) for 1.9 GHz spectrum as part of the spectrum swap necessary to
implementing
800 MHz realignment. Nextel's letter states that the limited information
available
indicates that using 2.1 GHz would require clearing not only Broadcast
Auxiliary Service
incumbents but nearly 1,000 Fixed Microwave licensees in the 2170 - 2175
MHz
channel block, significantly higher network deployment costs, higher
handset
development costs, and possible interference between and among mobile
users of the
2.1 GHz spectrum and existing adjacent licensees. For example, in an
April 2003 FCC filing, Verizon Wireless stated, "there is no optimal
band pairing arrangement available for the 2020-2025 MHz band that would
make it particularly suitable for (advanced wireless services)."

These many issues remain undeveloped and unresolved; the time needed to
fully explore and resolve them would unacceptably delay the
comprehensive interference solution public safety demands and deserves -
and which has already awaited FCC action for more than two years.
Further delay would benefit only those who seek to derail for their own
economic interests the Commission's only solution to the public safety
interference problem.

Verizon's purported $5 billion bid for spectrum at 1.9 GHz also does
nothing to further the interests of public safety in this critical
proceeding. It would do nothing to achieve the FCC's objectives -
solving the critical public safety interference problem, providing
much-needed additional spectrum for public safety and doing so at no
cost to the government. In at least eight different positions that
Verizon has articulated throughout this proceeding, it has yet to offer
a single proposal that would realize even one of the Commission's public
interest goals.

Verizon contends that the FCC must auction replacement spectrum in this
proceeding to provide revenue to the U.S. Treasury. Yet, in an October
2002 filing, Verizon stated, "the Commission's primary concerns in
auction matters cannot be the generation of revenue to the Treasury."
Verizon also understands that auction receipts could not legally be used
to benefit the public safety community. If Verizon's position were
adopted, police, fire and EMS officials would be left without a solution
and would continue to struggle with interference hindering their
operations and putting lives at risk.
First and foremost, this proceeding is about eliminating a potentially
life-threatening danger to our nation's first responders - public safety
radio interference. The Consensus Plan is the only solution that
achieves that objective.
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