Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Motorola data leads to questions about Nextel’s 800 MHz relocation figure

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 05 Nov 2003 19:52:51 -0500

Motorola data leads to questions about Nextel’s 800 MHz relocation
figure
By Heather Forsgren Weaver
November 05 13:31:00, 2003

WASHINGTON—The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association
Wednesday used a Nov. 3 filing from Motorola Inc. to question whether
the $850 million Nextel Communications Inc. has committed to retune
public-safety radios in the 800 MHz band will be sufficient if the
Federal Communications Commission adopts the Consensus Plan for solving
the interference in the band.

“Motorola’s cost estimates illustrate the enormous burden public safety
will have to bear should the rebanding plan be approved,” said CTIA
President Steve Largent. “This is a difficult time for state and local
governments and asking for more money is not feasible.”

The FCC asked Motorola to estimate how many public-safety radios would
have to be retuned if the Consensus Plan is adopted.

“Whether the radio can be reprogrammed or must be replaced is an
estimate based on the Consensus Plan channel arrangement for the
non-border areas of the continental United States and assumptions about
final FCC rules. The actual impact may vary depending on final details
of the plan, and in particular, the final resolution of plans in the
border areas,” said Motorola. “Because of the durability of and resale
market for equipment produced for the public-safety community, it is
extremely difficult, if not impossible to accurately determine which
products are in current use or what percentage of the total embedded
equipment sold over the last 10 years although the actual replacement
cycle for products, generally in the seven- to 10-year range, will vary
from licensee to licensee and may be either less than or greater than
average.”

On the same day that Motorola questioned that only 1 percent of the
embedded radios would need to be retuned—part of the analysis that led
to the $850 million figure—Nextel told the FCC it would deposit $100
million in an escrow account and secure irrevocable lines of credit for
the other $750 million to pay for the relocation of public safety and
private wireless.
The Consensus Plan would shuffle the 800 MHz band to eliminate the
current situation where public safety, private wireless, Nextel and some
cellular carriers are interwoven. Nextel said that $850 million will be
sufficient to pay for the necessary retuning of public-safety and
private-wireless radios. Previously, Nextel had agreed to place $25
million in escrow with the remainder to be dispersed according to a
complicated process outlined in the Consensus Plan.

In exchange for giving up spectrum in the 700, 800 and 900 MHz bands and
for paying to retune public safety and private wireless, Nextel has
asked for 10 megahertz in the 1.9 GHz band.

RCR Wireless News first reported Oct. 27 that FCC staff is contemplating
a proposal that would give Nextel no more than 6 megahertz of spectrum
in the 1.9 GHz band.

CTIA favors the balanced approach proposal, also sponsored by the United
Telecom Council. The balanced approach calls for timely resolution of
current interference at the expense of the interferer, coupled with
technical rules, notification and coordination procedures to prevent new
interference.

http://rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=15801

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

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