Subject: [NEXTEL-1] 800 MHz fight continues

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 13:13:28 -0500

800 MHz fight continues

by HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER
Nov. 26, 2003 11:57 AM EST

WASHINGTON—The 800 MHz fight is heating up again as both sides argue 
that public-safety communications must be the overarching concern in 
any negotiation. 

The city of Baltimore weighed in against the Consensus Plan, while 
Nextel Communications Inc. produced two studies that claim the 
Consensus Plan is the best way to address harmful interference at 
800 MHz. 

"We see the plan to change everyone's frequency as an approach that 
hopes to solve the problems of entities that have not upgraded their 
equipment or have not installed state-of-the-art systems, while 
putting those who have done the job properly at risk. We cannot 
provide more money, and we cannot put the operational or financial 
integrity of our public-safety system in the hands of a private 
entity. Our police officials see no possibility that any retuning 
plan advanced so far would build a redundant second system that 
would not require the shutdown of our existing equipment until a new 
system with the same capability were fully operational. That is the 
only acceptable way to protect our citizens. Any other system is 
courting disaster at a time when our nation's security has never 
been more at risk," said Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley. 

The Baltimore letter is in direct contrast with two studies 
submitted by Nextel, which claim the benefits to society outweigh 
the benefits Nextel would receive. 

`The valuation arguments of Nextel's competitors are a trap intended 
to misdirect the FCC's focus from solving the very real and very 
urgent problems facing public-safety communicators. The commission's 
public-interest analysis should focus on the costs and benefits of 
the Consensus Plan in terms of remedying the 800 MHz interference 
problem and promoting improved public-safety communications 
capabilities," wrote Kostas Liopiros, founder and principal of Sun 
Fire Group, a technology consultant firm based in Alexandria, Va., 
hired by Nextel. "Consensus Plan opponents ask the FCC to reject the 
plan because it may indirectly affect their relative spectrum 
positions and their corporate interests. They totally ignore the 
pressing public-interest issue before the commission: remedying 
interference to public-safety systems in the 800 MHz band and 
enhancing public-safety communications." 

While there are a variety of different options that could be used, 
there are only two plans on the table. 

The Consensus Plan splits the 800 MHz band into two parts. The 800 
MHz band would be rebanded to separate cellularized and non-
cellularized systems, Nextel has said it needs 10 megahertz of 
spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band because it is giving up spectrum in the 
700, 800 and 900 MHz bands. Nextel also is willing to set aside $850 
million—in both escrow and lines of credit to help pay for the 
necessary retuning. 

The balanced-approach proposal calls for timely resolution of 
interference at the expense of the interferer. 

Not surprisingly, the Nextel studies did not persuade those in favor 
of the balanced approach. 

"No matter how they slice or dice it, it is still a broad windfall 
for Nextel," said Brian Fontes, vice president of federal affairs 
for Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and a leading opponent of the 
Nextel/private-wireless/public-safety proposal to shuffle the 
licensees at 800 MHz. "It is convenient that they can wrap 
themselves in the flag of public safety but a windfall is a 
windfall." 

http://rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=16071

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