Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Nextel Listen up- White House opposes Northpoint provision giving it free spectrum-"Scam Plan" Has No Chance With Bush.

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 13:48:05 -0500

Nextel Listen up- White House opposes Northpoint provision giving it free
spectrum-"Scam Plan"  Has No Chance With Bush.
By Jeffrey Silva
November 11 13:13:00, 2003

WASHINGTON—The White House opposes a spending measure provision enabling
Northpoint Technology Ltd. to acquire
wireless licenses free rather than competing for licenses at a government
auction next year, objecting to what
congressional budget experts say would amount to a $100 million giveaway to one
firm.

“Auction-based spectrum policy has been a mainstay of wireless services for a
decade. Interfering for the efficient
allocation of federal spectrum licenses by directing the award of licenses to a
particular company would undermine the
federal auction systems and establish a damaging precedent,” stated the Bush
administration Monday.

The amendment is included in an appropriations bill funding the Federal
Communications Commission, Commerce
Department and other agencies. The administration also told Congress it wants
funding restored to enable a small
portion of wireless license sales to underwrite the FCC’s auction program.

Previously, the White House issued a veto threat to a spectrum relocation fund
bill that includes an identical Northpoint
rider. Northpoint argues the FCC has not used auctions to award other satellite
licenses.
http://rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=15878