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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  February  7,  2005  David  Fiske  at  (202)  418-  0513 
 E-  mail:  david.  fiske@  fcc.  gov 


 STATEMENT  OF  FCC  CHAIRMAN  MICHAEL  K.  POWELL  REGARDING  ACCEPTANCE  OF  NEXTEL  OF  800  MHz 
 INTERFERENCE  SOLUTION 
 Today  is  a  major  milestone  –  a  very  important  day  --  and  I  am  grateful  that  it  has  arrived.  As  I  said  last  summer,  the  Commission  took  a  bold  action  in  the  interest  of  homeland  security, 
 because  lives  depended  on  it,  and  our  police  and  firefighters  deserve  nothing  less.  This  has,  indeed,  been  the  most  difficult,  complex,  and  challenging  issue  I  have  faced  in  seven  years  at  the 
 Commission.  It  is  gratifying  on  so  many  levels  to  see  the  plan  coming  to  life. 
 We’ve  come  quite  far  since  adopting  the  plan  several  months  ago:  the  committee  to  choose  the  Transition  Administrator  was  formed,  they  evaluated  applicants  and  chose  an 
 Administrator,  and  the  Administrator  has  formulated  a  plan  for  the  transition  and  submitted  it  to  the  Commission.  We  should  see  the  long-  term  band  reconfiguration  solution  start  rolling  out 
 within  a  few  months. 
 The  commitment  that  Nextel  made  today  is  major.  We  should  measure  its  significance  in  more  than  just  dollars.  Nextel  made  a  choice  in  the  best  interests  of  its  shareholders  and  in  the 
 best  interest  of  the  American  people.  I  applaud  Nextel  for  exercising  well  its  custodianship  of  the  public  spectrum  and  for  its  leadership  in  advancing  a  solution  to  this  difficult  problem. 


 While  Nextel’s  effort  has  been  key,  this  success  was  earned  by  the  work  of  so  many  people.  I  deeply  appreciate  how  the  public  safety  community  worked  with  us  as  full  partners  in 
 finding  a  comprehensive  solution,  and  I  know  that  they  will  continue  to  be  as  we  move  forward.  I  am  enormously  proud  of  the  Wireless  Bureau  staff  who  have  dedicated  so  much  of  their  lives 
 over  the  course  of  years  now  to  get  us  here.  And  of  course,  I  thank  my  fellow  Commissioners  for  their  unanimous  support  and  their  staffs.  Thank  you  all  for  what  you  have  done  to  get  us  to 
 this  point  and,  more  important,  for  your  commitment  to  see  this  through. 
 I  am  confident  that  we  have  set  in  motion  a  real  solution.  I  can  think  of  no  better  mark  to  leave  than  protecting  the  lives  of  the  men  and  women  who  wear  the  shield,  and  it  has  been  a 
 privilege. 
 --  FCC  – 
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