Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Nextel Ups Offer for FCC Plan

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 10:39:44 -0500

Nextel Ups Offer for FCC Plan
Source: Newsbytes
Publication date: 2002-12-25
Arrival time: 2002-12-26

Nextel Communications Inc., trying to prevent its cell phones from
interfering with emergency response broadcasts, is offering a consortium of
phone carriers and public safety groups $350 million more to reorganize use
of the nation's radio frequencies.

The Reston wireless phone carrier yesterday committed $850 million, up
from $500 million proposed in August, to a proposal before the Federal
Communications Commission that would untangle crisscrossing radio
signals that can leave police officers, firefighters and ambulance drivers with
nonworking radios. The local blackouts are temporary but their frequency
has grown with ballooning cell phone use.

Nextel has worked with local emergency agencies that report trouble with
cell phone interference to try to alleviate problems in specific areas. But a
comprehensive reorganization of the bandwidth Nextel and other carriers
share with emergency workers is necessary, they say.

The costs of actually switching emergency responders off Nextel's
frequency will likely be more expensive than originally thought.

After a detailed analysis of the three-year plan, Nextel decided to bolster its
contribution, company spokeswomen Audrey Schaefer said. An FCC
spokesperson was unavailable for comment last night.

Nextel, the fifth-largest carrier in the United States with more than 10 million
subscribers, operates its wireless network mostly in the frequency range of
700 to 900 megahertz. Fire and police departments also use the 800-MHz
frequency, which sometimes mixes with Nextel's signal.

The funding for the FCC proposal is contingent on the commission approving
the plan to reorganize the 800-MHz band. All cellular providers must buy
FCC licenses for radio frequencies, which the agency controls. Once the
plan is approved, Nextel said the conversion will take about 42 months.

http://cnniw.yellowbrix.com/pages/cnniw/Story.nsp?story_id=35432217&ID=cnniw&scategory=Business+and+Finance&

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