Nextel-Sprint is mulling various technologies for their 2.5 GHz spectrum. Unstrung says they are looking at NextNet in addition to IPWireless and Flarion’s technologies. “We expect that we will build a network at some point on 2.5,” said Nextel CEO Tim Donahue on an analyst conference call. “We have no intent of selling it. It’s fantastically valuable spectrum.”
The funny (read sad) thing is that the Donahue quote could have just as easily come from 1998 as 2005. Meanwhile you still hear almost nothing about the WCS spectrum holdings of the likes of Comcast and Cingular even though this spectrum is aligned with WiBro in Korea and there are small commercial networks operating in it in the US (Meganet in MA, for example). I wish the FCC would let the carriers trade 2.5 and 2.3 GHz in for a bidding credit on 700 MHz and just make it unlicensed. Then, maybe the public would acutally see some benefit.