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Technology Stocks : NEXTEL -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Al Gutkin who wrote (3569)	12/9/1997 9:05:00 PM
From: Mark McLeod	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10227

Press release from Nextel re FCC auction. Good, Good, Good news. This release, coupled with Akersons appearance on CNBC's Bull Session today, should help the stock. Note that Nextel is now starting operations in Argentina. Peru could be next. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tuesday December 9, 5:41 pm Eastern Time Company Press Release SOURCE: Nextel Communications, Inc. Nextel Strengthens Spectrum Position in FCC Auction Company Now Owns Approximately 10 MHz of Radio Frequency Throughout the U.S. MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Nextel Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTL - news) today announced that it won 475 Economic Area (''EA'') licenses in the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio auction that closed December 8, 1997. In the auction, 10 MHz of spectrum in the 800 MHz band was auctioned off in the form of three license blocks (one block of 6 MHz, 3 MHz and 1 MHz) in each of the 175 EAs in the United States. By auctioning geographic licenses of contiguous spectrum in this band, the FCC moved one step closer to achieving regulatory parity between specialized mobile radio operators, such as Nextel, and other similarly situated commercial mobile radio service (''CMRS'') providers, such as cellular and PCS. In the auction, Nextel bid $88.8 million for 475 of the 525 Economic Area licenses being auctioned by the FCC. On average, Nextel won rights to almost 10 MHz of spectrum in areas covering all 50 states and approximately 98% of the U.S. population. In order to gain full use of the license blocks won in the auction, Nextel would need to relocate certain incumbent licensees to other portions of the 800 MHz band pursuant to established FCC rules. ''As a result of the auction, Nextel has enhanced its overall spectrum position in three ways,'' said Dan Akerson, Nextel's chairman and chief executive officer. ''First, it has gained flexibility in licensing and re- using its existing owned frequencies, which enables Nextel to more efficiently design, deploy and operate its network. Second, Nextel will have the ability to re-tune all other licensees currently operating in the license blocks won by Nextel in order to achieve a contiguous spectrum position. Contiguous spectrum also increases operating efficiencies and provides Nextel with the flexibility to potentially access digital transmission technologies that require contiguous spectrum. Third, Nextel gained an estimated 30,000 additional usable frequencies throughout the U.S. as a result of the auction. This results directly in additional capacity to serve Nextel's growing subscriber base.'' Overall, including the frequencies secured as well as other frequencies owned by Nextel in adjacent 800 MHz ranges, Nextel now owns on average 15 MHz of usable spectrum in major markets in the United States and approximately 10 MHz in the entire U.S. Nextel Communications, based in McLean, VA, is the leading provider of fully integrated wireless communications and has built the largest guaranteed all-digital wireless network in the United States. The Nextel National Network offers a fully integrated wireless communications tool with digital cellular, paging capabilities and Nextel Direct Connect(SM) -- a unique two- way radio feature. Nextel International, Inc. has wireless operations and investments in Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines and Shanghai. To learn more about Nextel, visit our website at nextel.com. To order Nextel service, call 1-800-NEXTEL9. Nextel, the logo and Nextel Direct Connect are trademarks and/or service marks of Nextel Communications, Inc. SOURCE: Nextel Communications, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------