Nextel Strikes Deal With FCC Over Bandwidth Use

Nextel Communications and the Federal Communications Commission have reached agreement on a spectrum swap, ending lengthy negotiations and resolving a conflict over use of airwaves that compromised public-safety operations, NewsFactor reports.

]Nextel has agreed to relinquish rights to some of its licenses in the 800-MHz band and all of its licenses in the 700-MHz band. In exchange, the wireless operator gets conditional access to a different part of the spectrum for US$4.8 billion, minus the cost of relocating its incumbent users.

Nextel, which is in the process of merging with Sprint, is conducting a high-speed wireless broadband trial in the Research Triangle Park region.

For details of the agreement with the FCC, see: www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_title=Nextel–FCC-Complete-Spectrum-Deal&story_id=30337