WASHINGTON-Public-safety agencies with a request for 800 MHz retuning planning funding that equals less than $55 per subscriber can take advantage of a new fast-track process announced last week by Sprint Nextel Corp., the 800 MHz Transition Administrator and public-safety representatives.
The issue of planning funding has been bubbling under the surface of the 800 MHz rebanding process for months. Public-safety licensees say it is difficult for them to enter negotiations unless they know they will be reimbursed for their troubles.
“We knew from speaking with hundreds of licensees and from monitoring the pace of negotiations that something significant needed to be done,” said Brett Haan, managing director of BearingPoint, a member of the 800 MHz Transition Administrator team. “We commend both parties for thinking outside the box and coming together to make this happen. We expect this will significantly benefit licensees and the overall reconfiguration program.”
The Transition Administrator is an outside team selected by government to manage the 800 MHz rebanding.
More than half of the licensees requiring planning funding will be able to use the fast-track option, according to TA estimates.
The FCC in 2004 said it wanted to reconfigure the 800 MHz band. Sprint Nextel is paying to retune public-safety and private-wireless licensees in the band.
