Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Cingular Responds To Nextel- "Nextel’s comments are totally without merit and appear to be motivated by Nextel’s unhappiness with Cingular’s objection to Nextel’s attempt to obtain spectrum for free through its spectrum SWAP SCHEME.”

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 06 Nov 2003 18:40:39 -0500

Nextel disputes NextWave, Cingular waiver on PCS licenses
By Dan Meyer
November 06 13:32:00, 2003

Nextel Communications Inc. filed comments with the Federal
Communications Commission disputing NextWave Telecom
Inc.’s and Cingular Wireless L.L.C.’s plans seeking a waiver concerning
$170 million in interest on 34 C- and F-block PCS
licenses Cingular is attempting to acquire from NextWave for $1.4
billion.

Nextel claims the waiver “violates both the spirit and the rules of the
C and F block licenses that were designed for small
business enterprises.” In addition, Nextel noted Cingular’s parent
companies, SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth
Corp., both “aggressively opposed previous proposals before the
commission to provide C and F block licensees with
relief from the conditions laid out in the commission’s rules.”

Nextel also contends that Cingular’s conduct raises concerns about its
“character” qualifications to acquire the licenses
and cited Cingular’s reported failure to cooperate in resolving
interference to a public-safety communications network in
Maryland.

In a statement to RCR Wireless News, Cingular said it was reviewing the
comments challenging its purchase, noting on
initial review “Nextel’s comments are totally without merit and appear
to be motivated by Nextel’s unhappiness with
Cingular’s objection to Nextel’s attempt to obtain spectrum for free
through its spectrum swap scheme.”

Cingular added that the NextWave transaction has already been approved
by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and has been
publicly supported by the FCC and the Department of Justice.

http://rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=15820