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 SEPARATE  STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  KATHLEEN  Q.  ABERNATHY 
 Re:  Auction  of  Licenses  in  the  747-  762  and  777-  792  MHz  Bands  (Auction  No.  31)  Postponed  Until  January  14,  2003;  Auction  of  Licenses  in  the  698-  646  MHz  Band 
 (Auction  No.  44)  Will  Proceed  as  Scheduled  (adopted  May  23,  2002) 
 The  compromise  resolution  we  reach  today  is  far  from  elegant,  but  I  believe  it  best  balances  the  conflicting  demands  placed  on  us  by  the  statute,  congressional  activity, 
 sound  spectrum  management,  and  the  public  interest. 
 I  look  forward  to  holding  the  lower  700  MHz  auction  on  time  and  the  deployment  of  new  services  into  the  “white  space”  in  those  bands.  Unlike  the  upper  band,  where 
 band  clearing  seems  more  viable,  the  lower  700  MHz  band  is  not  likely  to  clear  in  the  short  term.  In  the  interim,  I  believe  there  is  a  valid  public  interest  in  allowing  new 
 services  into  the  “white  spaces”  rather  than  allowing  that  spectrum  to  remain  fallow  indefinitely.  In  turn,  we  have  adopted  a  licensing  scheme  that  facilitates  this  goal.  As  I 
 have  stressed  repeatedly  in  recent  weeks,  spectrum  management  in  this  age  requires  a  diverse  set  of  tools  —  including  initial  allocations  in  all  shapes  and  sizes.  Here  we 
 adhere  to  that  principle  and  will  auction  spectrum  in  large  regions  and  MSA/  RSAs,  in  paired  and  unpaired  blocks.  I  am  particularly  pleased  that  we  are  moving  forward 
 because  of  the  potential  for  rural  providers  to  access  an  additional  12  MHz  of  spectrum  via  MSA/  RSA  licensing. 


 Regarding  the  upper  700  MHz  band,  I  support  the  brief  delay  we  adopt  here.  As  I  have  stated  for  months,  it  serves  the  public  interest  to  hold  both  auctions  before  the  end 
 of  the  year  absent  a  change  in  the  statute.  Recently,  some  key  advocates  in  the  public  safety  community  sought  a  short  delay  of  this  auction.  One  of  my  primary  policy 
 motivations  for  going  forward  with  the  upper  700  MHz  auction  was  to  promote  public  safety  access  to  the  critical  spectrum  resources  in  that  band  —  particularly  the  vital 
 interoperability  channels.  The  public  safety  community’s  interest  in  delay,  combined  with  the  activity  on  Capitol  Hill  and  the  brevity  of  the  delay,  convinced  me  that  we  are 
 pursuing  the  proper  course. 
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