Neko
Supreme Overlord
Dec 30, 2003, 1:31 AM
Post #1 of 1
(1502 views)
|
RESTON, Va. Dec. 16, 2003 - Nextel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL) filed comments today with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) demonstrating that the regulatory body has full legal authority to approve the radio spectrum realignment called for under the Consensus Plan. Attempts that claim otherwise reflect a misunderstanding of the FCC's authority to govern the public airwaves and divert attention away from the real issue at hand - bringing an end to radio interference at 800 MHz that continues to place the lives of public safety professionals at risk.
Lawrence R. Krevor, vice president of Government Affairs at Nextel Communications said, "The record on this matter is clear and the voices of our nation's first responders continue to speak loudly. The Consensus Plan will eliminate the dangerous problem of public safety radio interference and we look forward to CTIA rallying to the cause."
In the final weeks before the FCC resolves the matter of interference in the 800 MHz band, opponents of the Consensus Plan have unleashed a campaign of misinformation, audaciously twisting the application of regulation to serve their myopic interest. As part of an ex parte filing with the FCC on December 4, 2003, CTIA alleged that the Consensus Plan would violate the competitive bidding provisions of Section 309(j) of the Communications Act of 1934.
The Consensus Plan calls for separating incompatible public safety communications channels from commercial wireless operations, thus eliminating interference before it occurs and providing additional spectrum capacity for enhanced public safety communications; all at no cost to government or the public safety community. In exchange for surrendering spectrum to make realignment possible, Nextel would receive replacement spectrum at 1910-1915/1990-1995 MHz.
CTIA asserts the replacement spectrum is an "initial license" that must be awarded through an auction. The record is clear, however, that 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 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.
|
