CTIA opposed plan by Nextel to reconfigure several bands to ameli...

not provide adequate long-term solutions to resolve the problems being experienced in the 800 MHz band.” CTIA raised particular objection to part of proposal that would assign 2.1 GHz of mobile satellite service spectrum to Nextel in exchange for making additional spectrum available for public safety at 800 MHz. Group said it was concerned that that part of plan would undermine efforts to gain spectrum for advanced wireless services, including proposal now under consideration by NTIA that involves 1710-1770 MHz paired with 2110-2170 MHz. Separately, Motorola estimated Nextel band reconfiguration proposal would cost $2.8 billion for equipment changes needed by private wireless and public safety. Competing proposal by National Assn. of Mfrs. (NAM) and its frequency coordinator MRFAC would cost $1.6 billion, Motorola said. It submitted comments to FCC on notice of proposed rulemaking adopted last month that weighed alternatives for curing interference caused by commercial operators to public safety at 800 MHz. Motorola said Nextel plan, which would reconfigure systems at 700, 800, 900 MHz and 2.1 GHz, would cost public safety $1.1 billion to retune and partly replace equipment and would cost private wireless users $1.7 billion for equipment replacement. NAM proposal, criticized by public safety community this week as not addressing relocation costs for those operators (CD May 7 p4), would cost public safety $1.1 billion and private wireless $500 million, Motorola said. Equipment manufacturer also included upper end estimates for each plan based on factors such as whether some systems could be moved more than once or whether labor costs were higher than expected. Motorola estimated upper end of Nextel plan at $3.9 billion and for NAM proposal at $2.2 billion. Meanwhile, several large wireless carriers urged FCC to move public safety operators to 700 MHz. AT&T Wireless proposed 2-part plan that would relocate public safety operators to upper 700 MHz band and fund relocation. In interim, because AT&T said relocation couldn’t occur immediately, carrier proposed steps to alleviate interference such as modifying public safety handsets to include additional filters and adherence by wireless licensees creating interferences to already established best practices guidelines. AT&T Wireless urged FCC to reject part of Nextel proposal that would provide mobile satellite service spectrum at 2 GHz without auction. “Nextel fails to demonstrate any public interest benefit that would warrant grant of this spectrum grab, and the fact that none of the other plans proposes free spectrum for commercial operators indicates that there is none,” AT&T Wireless said. Like other carriers, AT&T acknowledged that legislation would be needed to relocate public safety to 700 MHz. Bill ensuring that broadcasters now in that band would move by Dec. 31, 2006, or sooner “is being pursued by AWS and other operators,” carrier said.