Subject: [NEXTEL-1] The FCC works to solve disputes between Verizon Wireless and Nextel.

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 08 Mar 2004 22:12:14 -0500

March 08, 2004

The Crunch Is On For Wireless Spectrum

The FCC works to solve disputes between Verizon Wireless and Nextel.

By William David Gardner

The FCC is slowly and inexorably moving towards resolving some important
dispositions of wireless spectrum as mobile phone service providers
argue their respective cases before the regulatory agency.

The most important is likely to involve the long-shelved spectrum of
NextWave Telecom, which has been laboring quietly in bankruptcy, while
the most visible is likely to be a petition by Nextel to swap 10.5 MHz
of spectrum in the 800 MHz band in return for 10 MHz of bandwidth at 1.9
GHz.

NextWave's stock has been rising lately " usually a harbinger of
important coming attractions. NextWave recently struck a vein of gold by
selling off $1.4 billion of spectrum licenses to Cingular Wireless.
NextWave still owes the FCC more than $4 billion and it is hoping the
remainder of its spectrum will bring in enough to pay off the bill and
leave something to boot. That may explain why the stock has been
ascending.

Verizon Wireless is widely viewed as a potential bidder for NextWave
spectrum. Verizon's new BroadbandAccess high-speed data network has been
attracting subscribers and the firm will need more spectrum to keep
delivering to its growing list of subscribers.

Nextel, too, needs more spectrum, but for different reasons. (Its
high-speed data network is in regional trial in the Raleigh area.)
Nextel uses the 800 MHz channel, which it wants to swap for replacement
spectrum at 1910-1915/1990-1995 MHz. The company's proposal, which it
calls the Consensus Plan, would eliminate any potential interference
with public safety channels.

"The replacement spectrum would be a modification of Nextel's existing
licenses as provided for by the FCC's statutory authority to amend
licenses," the company said in a statement. "The replacement licenses
would give Nextel the same rights and duties it has under its existing
licenses and is fully consistent with the FCC's prior channel swaps to
achieve important public and societal benefits."

Verizon Wireless, in particular, begs to differ, claiming that Nextel's
proposal represents "a give-away worth $7.2 billion." The debate " it's
beginning to look like a vendetta " is spiced up by the presence of
former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who is representing Nextel
in the deliberations.

The two firms are engaged in bitter litigation elsewhere particularly
over "push-to-talk" service that was pioneered by Nextel. The service
rocketed Nextel forward for years while its competitors tried to emulate
it. Verizon Wireless and Nextel sued each other over the technology and
now the Justice Department's Antitrust Division is examining Nextel and
its handset supplier, Motorola. All parties deny they have done anything
wrong.

http://www.commweb.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=JH2Z2JEH5DIF0QSNDBCSKHY?articleId=18311451&printableArticle=true

--
    "NEXTEL-1 IT'S NOT JUST NEXTEL"
  Note The New address
Subscribe to Nextel-1: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL-1

  "NEXTEL2 FOR iDEN SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS"
Subscribe to Nextel2: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL2

  "WIRELESS FORUM HOMELAND SECURITY GROUP"
     The Complete Resource for Wireless Homeland Security.
Subscribe to WFHSG:  http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/WFHSG