Nextel on Fri. rebutted a proposal Verizon Wireless made to the F...

latest effort to improve its bottom line at the expense of public safety communications,” Nextel said. In part, Nextel assailed the Verizon Wireless proposal as “vague and incomplete,” saying it left out important details about implementation. Nextel raised concerns about Verizon’s argument that the FCC can compel Nextel to cover all the relocation costs of incumbents, citing PCS band- clearing efforts and 800 MHz specialized mobile radio overlay decisions. “In these cases, the Commission gave new licensees the right, at their own discretion and expense, to relocate affected site-licensed incumbents within their licensed geographic areas,” Nextel said. “In contrast, Verizon’s proposal would require incumbent licensees to move to alternative channels to effectuate a Commission-mandated 800 MHz spectrum band realignment made necessary by an out- of-date Commission-adopted band plan; in this process, Nextel itself would be displaced and relocated to alternative spectrum.” Nextel cited arguments Verizon Wireless made in 2002 at the FCC, when it said relocation funding obligations for commercial mobile radio service operators at 800 MHz couldn’t be justified on the basis of requiring applicants for a new service, as a licensing condition, to agree to pay band-clearing costs. “Verizon had it right then -- the Commission cannot force Nextel or other commercial licensees to pay for retuning private wireless and public safety incumbents in a realignment of the 800 MHz Land Mobile Radio band, whether wholly in-band or otherwise.”