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Technology Stocks : NEXTEL
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To: Al Gutkin who wrote (4732)2/19/1998 3:10:00 PM
From: ray smith  Read Replies (5) of 10227
 
I've been lurking out here for weeks but maybe I can answer some of your questions:

1. Nextel uses the same basic frequency band as cellular (800MHz). The PCS carriers like Sprint and Primco use the 1.8GHz band.

2. All communications in these bands above 400MHz is line of sight

3. Antenna placement is primarily a function of system design. How closely antennas are spaced is basically determined by terrain and obstructions. As the number of subscribers increase the requirement for "frequency re-use" increases. This causes the "cells" to be split into smaller and smaller coverage areas and thus requires more antennas and transmitters. As the cells are "split" the carriers turn down the power going to each antenna to reduce the liklihood of a customer locking onto a cell that is not close to them. Dropped calls result if this happens.

Coverage down the interstate highways of sparsely populated areas is achieved by turning the antenna transmitter power way up and beaming the coverage in a very narrow pattern down the highway (go far off the highway in either direction and you are out of coverage)

4. Antenna cost for cellular and Nextel is about the same because they use the same frequency band. Cellular, in the beginning, used omni-directional radiation patterns but as subscribers increased they were forced to use "directional radiators". The cost of a directional antenna is higher than omni and also as directional antennas are used there are more of them required.

5. The ability to add more traffic per channel is a function of digital (both TDMA and CDMA). The theory is that both of these digital platforms will allow more traffic (conversations) per channel. The old analog cellular only allows one call per channel. It's interesting that the consumers are led to believe that this new technology is for their benefit... in reality the carriers would love to be able to handle more calls per channel because it reduces the number of towers, antennas, land, leases etc for them. The digital benefits for the customer are no static (which means "quality disconnects" <BG> and higher security from eavesdropping)

6. See 4.

7. The placement of the antennas is not critical as long the the facilities exist for the co-location of the cell site equipment.

Hope you're not offended by my butting in.... I'm long in Nextel.

Back to lurking,

ray
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