Subject: [NEXTEL-1] "Scam Planners" says CTIA proposal is time waster - Charles Werner Say's- Boycot Nextel

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 21 May 2004 18:16:58 -0400

"Scam Planners" says CTIA proposal is time waster -
Charles Werner Say's- Boycot Nextel

Public safety says 
CTIA proposal is a time waster 

By Glenn Bischoff
May 21, 2004

This week Nextel responded to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet
Association's counterproposal to the 800 MHz rebanding plan favored by
the wireless carrier. The CTIA proposal calls for Nextel to receive
replacement spectrum in the 2.1 GHz band in lieu of 1.9 GHz spectrum the
carrier covets. CTIA said it is trying to forestall a lengthy court
battle that almost certainly would ensue should the FCC award the 1.9
GHz spectrum outside of an auction. 

In its filing with the FCC, Nextel pointed out that CTIA has avoided
mentioning that several of Nextel's competitors currently reside in the
2.1 GHz band and would have to vacate the band before Nextel could take
possession (see story below). Nextel assumes these competitors won't
vacate willingly -- a reasonable assumption given the hyper-competitive
state of the commercial wireless sector -- and that it will cost
considerable time and money to move them out. That would make the 2.1
GHz spectrum even less valuable in the eyes of Nextel compared to the
1.9 GHz spectrum it seeks. 

None of this matters to public safety, which just wants the FCC to
approve an adequately funded rebanding plan and believes CTIA is
unnecessarily slowing the process. "I don't see why CTIA believes it has
a dog in this fight," said Harlin McEwen, retired chief of the Suffolk
County (N.Y.) police department and chairman of the International
Association of Chiefs of Police Communications and Technology Committee.
"All CTIA has accomplished with this proposal is to bring us back to a
position of no movement." 

Some in public safety fear the damage could end up being worse. "The
CTIA proposal is a potential danger to any kind of rebanding plan," said
Charles Werner, deputy chief of the Charlottesville, Va., fire
department and a member of several public-safety communications working
groups. "If Nextel walks away from the table over this -- because
they've made a business decision that they can't afford to reband
[without the 1.9 GHz spectrum] -- then we're dead because no one else is
going to reband." 

Werner echoed a suggestion made in this space last week that public
safety band together and threaten a boycott of Nextel, Verizon Wireless
or any other entity that stands in the way of rebanding. Not only is it
feasible, Werner predicted public safety's wrath would come down upon
whichever entity challenged the FCC's final order in court. "Public
safety will take a very hard stance against whomever litigates an FCC
order that helps public safety," he said. 

In addition to a boycott, Werner envisions a public relations campaign
to smear the name of the offending party. That would be particularly
painful for Verizon Wireless, whose parent -- Verizon Communications --
earned high marks from government and public-safety officials for its
performance on Sept. 11 and in the aftermath. "There are a lot 

http://enews.primediabusiness.com/enews/mobileradiotech/mrt_bulletin/2004_may_21_5212004/view.html

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