Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Opponents Turn To Lawmakers

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 01:43:41 -0500

Opponents Turn To Lawmakers

March 15, 2004

WASHINGTON

Opponents of Nextel's 800 MHz "consensus plan" are getting some 
traction on Capitol Hill. As the rhetorical battle over the spectrum 
neared a fevered pitch, more than a dozen representatives signed a 
letter to FCC Chairman Michael Powell cautioning the commission 
on the Nextel plan and backed a plan by opponents to reserve the 
lower portion of the 800 MHz band for public safety and rebanding 
commercial providers to the upper portion.

FCC sources say a draft proposal on how to resolve the 800 MHz 
issue probably would be circulated among commissioners by mid-
March, and a decision isn't expected for several weeks after that.

The letter was signed by Vito Fossella, R-N.Y; Billy Tauzin, R-La.; 
Lee Terry, R-Neb.; George Radanovich, R-Calif.; Mike Ferguson, R-N.J; 
Mary Bono, R-Calif.; Nathan Deal, R-Ga.; Steve Buyer, R-Ind.; 
Charlie Norwood, R-Ga.; John Shimkus, R-Ill.; Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo.; 
Darryl Issa, R-Calif.; Joe Pitts, R-Penn.; Rick Boucher, D-Va.; 
Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.; Ed Towns, D-N.Y.; Chris John, D-La.; 
Bobby Rush, D-Ill.; Thomas Allen, D-Maine; Al Wynn, D-Md; 
Frank Pallone, D-N.J.; Gene Green, D-Texas and Ted Stickland, D-Ohio.

The bi-partisan group said it was troubled by the possibility of
economic 
"windfall" to one carrier if its plan were approved. They suggested the 
commission take a look at rebanding the spectrum, separating public 
safety users in the upper portions of the band and commercial users in 
the lower portion - the method preferred by carriers such as Verizon 
Wireless.

At the same time, Verizon Wireless called for Nextel to dump its 
controversial proposal to swap 800 MHz spectrum and suggested 
that the FCC auction off the spectrum that might have been offered 
to Nextel in a swap deal.

"Given that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Nextel for 
possible anti-trust violations in the push-to-talk market, the Federal 
Communications Commission should immediately take off the table 
Nextel's proposal to fix its interference problems with public safety 
communications by rewarding it with a multi-billion dollar spectrum 
windfall," says Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson.

"Verizon is ready, willing and able to participate in an immediate
auction 
of the 1.9 MHz spectrum," says Molly Feldman, Verizon Wireless
vice president for business development.

The congressional letter backed the auction. "In addition, we understand 
that several entities have expressed an interest in utilizing the 
1910-1915/1990-1995 MHz band for commercial mobile services. We 
would expect that if the commission were to conduct an auction of those 
licenses for use of the 1910-1915/1990-1995 MHz band, such an auction 
would be hotly contested and would raise billions for the U.S.
Treasury," 
the letter stated. 

-By Mark Rockwell

http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA403409?spacedesc=Departments&stt=000

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