Letters from readers
Rewriting history?
In response to your August 2001 editorial about Nextel, page 6 (In Sync, by Don Bishop, MRT)…
Lately, I’m seeing a lot of comments about Nextel that are trying to rewrite history. This time, you slam public safety groups for “taking advantage” of 800MHz frequencies. You’re trying to make it sound like the 800MHz band was designed for Nextel and we were just trespassing until Nextel showed up with their digital equipment.
As you point out, there were no compatibility problems when public safety and SMR users were using high sites with analog radio systems. However, you went on to say that the commercial channels “converted” to low-elevation, low power, digital modulation architectures. Let’s not forget, no one “converted”—they sold their trunking and conventional systems to a cellular company. It was Nextel’s decision to change to a modulation type, technology and site architecture never used before in this band. While they were trying to convince the FCC that they were just a two-way company with a nice interconnect, they were actually building a full-blown cellular system in a band where it was never planned or envisioned.
In talking to Nextel techs about interference, they almost refuse to use the term “channel” but instead say “bandwidth,” This speaks volumes about how they understand the band. We analog users are simply annoying gaps in their “bandwidth.” When you own all of the spectrum between Frequency A and Frequency B in a cellular band, you have two band edges to worry about, but that’s it. That same mentality doesn’t work when you’re on any other band.
Can I say that all my neighbors’ white houses clash with my purple house? At what point do I force them to paint purple too? Or do I just wait for the property values to go down so I can buy up all the houses in the neighborhood? Over time, Nextel has evolved into a cellular system every bit as dense as the cellular band cellular systems. You don’t win this game by simply out-numbering. Or do you when you have such good contacts with the FCC?
Now that you’re admitting 800MHz is a mess, you suggest everyone abandon it and go back to VHF, where they most likely came from. Don’t you think that’s a bit insulting to those of us still in 800MHz? I have a better idea: How about all the cellular systems go to bands designed for cellular.
While I know it took guts to insult public safety and SMR users in MRT, I think you’re way off-base here. You’re in a position to make a positive change here. Don’t waste your space trying to rewrite history. We have long memories.
—Ray J. Vaughan, MS, CBTE, CERT
Telecommunications consultant and SMR owner
Miami
We can overlook simpler means of interoperability
Your really hit the nail on the head with your article (“Interoperability Simplified,” Public Safety: 10-2, by Dave Dunford, August 2001). Having close to 30 years’ involvement in public safety communications, I also agree we sometimes overlook “a simpler means of interoperability.” Many in the public safety field abhor scanners and their users as “the devil.” While actually, they are an effective means for public safety personnel and private citizens to assist in “catching the bad guys.”
—Dave Nugent
Deputy directory of emergency management
Dubois County, Indiana State Police
Nextel doesn’t care
Hooray for the editorial in MRT June 2001 on Nexteland (“In Sync,” by Don Bishop). I have been telling my fellow radio dealers for years now that Nextel cares nothing about gobbling up their spectrum and putting them completely out of business, to further their bottom line.
Still, some of them have jumped in with the enemy and are under some mystical spell that the great commissions and residuals that they will make will offset the two-way business they are flushing down the toilet.
We have been mobile phone agents for about 10 years now, and I can tell you that before you purchase your house in Beverly Hills on those coming commissions, you better have back-up financing. Nextel has more agents selling their product in our area right now than there are vacuum cleaner salespeople. And I haven’t seen any of them driving a new Porsche either.
The only other thing I would be interested in knowing is where the billions of frequency spectrum dollars generated by the government went? Maybe Nextel can tell us?
—Jerry Becker
J.B. Electronics
A radio dealer’s plight
Congratulations on a concise, well written, and sadly, accurate analysis of the radio dealer’s plight. (MRT February 2001 “POS Perspective,” by Bob Urian.)
My 25+ years in the business, which started with 15 years at a major U.S. radio manufacturer, have prompted me to believe manufacturers expect the dealer to “heave to” despite low profit margins, lousy dealer support, semi- developed products and internal competition. Most firms I know are seeking alternatives (or at least additions) to their equipment portfolios to have some profitable equipment to sell.
Manufacturers feel they are the 500lb. canary. Few seem to understand they’d be squat without the dealers establishing and maintaining customer relationships, marketing and selling the product, doing the technical work, holding the receivable, and, in general, carrying the flag. Discussing the idea of their manufacturing products and our selling them at a profit is a battle of wits with an unarmed person.
—Name withheld by request
