By combining, Sprint and Nextel would be able to deploy next-gene...

They said after the merger one of the joint company’s primary goals would be ubiquitous deployment of the CDMA push-to-talk function, supported by EV-DO Revision A. They said they had moved to create gateways permitting interoperability between push-to-talk functions on the Sprint Nextel iDEN and CDMA networks. Sprint and Nextel called IP technology critical to their plans; integrating Sprint’s fiber and IP resources with the combined company’s wireless networks would “improve the efficiency and availability of the company’s services.” They said the “expanded geographic breadth and depth” of the merged company’s spectrum holdings in the 2.5 GHz band would provide the “necessary scale to justify the cost and risk” of offering new services there. Meanwhile, fixed wireless broadband service provider SpeedNet said the deal would “help resolve the technological hurdles that have plagued the 2.5 GHz band” and “drive the development of economically- viable technologies for this band.” The U. of Ariz. called the proposed transaction “an extremely positive development for the future of 2.5 GHz spectrum,” used by educational institutions for EBS radio services. It said the deal would “facilitate the deployment of the kind of services that have been envisioned for this spectrum.” But Anderson Communications urged the FCC to deny the merger applications with respect to all spectrum subject to the 800 MHz Rebanding Order. It said Sprint and Nextel had failed to show the deal was in the public interest in the context of the nationwide frequency allocation awarded to Nextel. Sprint and Nextel have said such issues should be addressed in the 800 MHz order rather than as part of the merger review. But Anderson said “the circularity that would arise from adoption of that position only further highlights the need for resolution of the merits of the issues before the Commission can deem the proposed merger to be in the public interest.” Consumer groups again asked the FCC to reject the Sprint/Nextel merger. They claimed the combined company would hold “significantly more than the 80 MHz per market” previously allowed by the Commission. Otherwise, they said, the FCC should require the combined entity to divest itself of the 2.5 GHz band spectrum. “Sprint would like to have it both ways,” the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and Consumers Union (CU) told the FCC Mon. On one hand, the groups said, Sprint and Nextel say the 2.5 GHz band is just “an input, not a service or market itself,” meaning more spectrum soon would be available for broadband wireless services. But, the groups said, Sprint and Nextel also say they need 2.5 GHz band to provide wireless interactive media services rather than voice telephony and the companies said the Commission shouldn’t assess the combined company’s market power over that market. “Although the FCC has not considered the 2.5 GHz band part of the broadband mobile wireless market before, it should now,” CFA and CU said: “In the past, it may have been unclear whether this spectrum would be used for broadband mobile wireless services. It is now evident that the band will be used for precisely that purpose.”