The Nextel shift

Federal Communications Commission officials' frequency-allocation decision last week dates back to 1980, when the government first designated the 800 MHz band for public safety wireless communications.

Despite that designation, some communications companies retained the right to frequencies in and around that band, causing increasing interference with public safety communications.

The new agreement will not only move Nextel Communications Inc. out of the band, but bring together all of the public safety channels in one block.