[RFI] Mobile phone expansion could disrupt key weather satellites

[Peter Laws]

On Thu, Jul 14, 2016 at 7:55 AM, EDWARDS, EDDIE J <eedwards at oppd.com> wrote:
>
> 1. Nextel iDEN on interlaced 800MHz SMR channels interfering with public safety users.


Nextel got bailed out (I guess) by Sprint and they wasted NO time in
getting rid of the iDEN based system.  We had Nextel PTT "phones" at a
previous employer over a decade ago now and they were damn handy in
our particular IT environment.

But not handy enough to force hundreds (thousands?) of public safety
users in the 866-869 MHz band to move ("Gee, Mr Radio Customer, you're
actually going to need a totally new system because, um, we can't get
crystals for your antiquated gear that you bought 5 years ago") ...
And apparently not profitable enough to continue as a competitor to
actual cell phones either.

So what happened to that network?  I've seen a Retired In Place Nextel
site (the heliax was hack-sawed off at the container and the container
left in place, sadly locked) but is anyone actually using that
spectrum now?  I know there was another IDEN based system in the
Southeast (run by an electric utility?).  Is that still up?

LOTS of bother for, ultimately, nothing it seems.





-- 
Peter Laws | N5UWY | plaws plaws net | Travel by Train!