Nextel opposed a request for a 30-day extension of an April 18 co...

week by the United Telecom Council, the National Assn. of Mfrs. and MRFAC, the Assn. of American Railroads, the American Petroleum Institute, the National Rural Electric Co-op Assn. and the Enterprise Wireless Alliance (CD April 7 p7). Nextel said Tues. that a longer comment period would cause delays that could affect “the successful and timely implementation of the Commission’s 800 MHz band reconfiguration plan.” The plan adopted in the 800 MHz order provides for Nextel to retune its 800 MHz facilities twice as part of clearing incumbent licensees from channels 1-120 in the 800 MHz band and retuning NPSPAC licensees to those channels. It said lifting restrictions on use of 900 MHz white space and auctioning that spectrum would give Nextel a chance to acquire “much-needed” access to more 900 MHz spectrum. “Time is of the essence,” Nextel said, noting that initial retunings under the 800 MHz band reconfiguration plan commence June 27. “The Commission should move expeditiously to afford Nextel the opportunity to obtain this spectrum in a timely manner by adopting the proposed rule changes and scheduling a 900 MHz white space auction as soon as possible,” Nextel said. It said it was willing to discuss with the associations the issues raised by the rulemaking and would cooperate in filing joint proposals with the FCC if “mutually agreeable positions on any of these issues” were reached.