Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Nextel charges CTIA members hold majority of 2.1 GHz licenses

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 17:05:34 -0400

Nextel charges CTIA members hold majority of 2.1 GHz licenses

by Heather Forsgren Weaver
May 17, 2004 1:55 PM EST

WASHINGTON-Nextel Communications Inc. late Friday charged that the 
CTIA Compromise Plan to solve public-safety interference in the 800 
MHz band favors the association's cellular members because they hold 
the licenses that would have to be relocated for Nextel to make use 
of the 2.1 GHz band. 

"Verizon Wireless, Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and AT&T Wireless 
Services Inc. alone hold licenses for approximately 40 percent of the 
microwave links, and this percentage holds true for each of the three 
potential 2.1 GHz replacement downlink blocks: 2165-2170 MHz, 2170-
2175 MHz and 2175-2180 MHz. Nextel's competitors now are advocating 
assigning inferior replacement spectrum to Nextel that would give 
them the opportunity to directly affect the cost and timing of 
clearing the 2.1 GHz spectrum band," said Nextel. "It is beyond 
comprehension that the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet 
Association and Verizon (the holder of more than 20 percent of 
incumbent microwave licenses at 2.1 GHz) failed to inform the FCC of 
these facts. The Federal Communications Commission is dependent on 
the candor and veracity of its licensees in its proceedings, as well 
as the associations that represent them." 

Nextel's filing continued a tit-for-tat between it and CTIA that 
began late last month when CTIA presented its Compromise Plan to the 
FCC. The plan calls for Nextel to pay $3 billion to cover the re-
banding costs of the 800 MHz band, but instead of getting spectrum in 
the 1.9 GHz band, it would get spectrum at 2.1 GHz. Nextel would get 
the 2.1 GHz spectrum only as the retuning in the 800 MHz band is 
completed. The money would be deposited in a third-party trust fund 
with protections against bankruptcy. 

Earlier in the week, Tim Donahue, Nextel president and chief 
executive officer, said that 2.1 GHz would be an unacceptable option 
for replacement spectrum as part of any 800 MHz rebanding effort. 

Nextel is the major sponsor of the Consensus Plan. The Consensus Plan 
would shuffle the 800 MHz band to eliminate the current situation 
where public safety, private wireless, Nextel, other SMRs and 
cellular carriers are intermingled. In exchange for giving up 
spectrum in the 700 MHz, 800 MHz 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. The plan is also supported by the 
Industrial Telecommunications Association, which represents private-
wireless interests, and some public-safety advocacy groups. Other 
public-safety advocacy groups have expressed concern about the 
Consensus Plan. 

http://rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=18129

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