*Pages 1--1 from  Microsoft Word - 23651.doc*
 1 
 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  MICHAEL  J.  COPPS 
 December  11,  2002 
 RE:  Additional  Spectrum  for  Unlicensed  Devices  Below  900  MHz  and  in  the  3  GHz  Band. 


 We  are  all  excited  about  the  potential  of  unlicensed  spectrum  and  the  benefits  it  can  bring  to  American  consumers.  There  is  no  question  that  our  Part  15  rules  and 
 unlicensed  technologies  are  extremely  important  to  the  future.  Hopefully  they  will  contribute  to  more  innovative  management  of  the  spectrum.  So  I  most  definitely  support 
 exploring  ways  to  make  more  spectrum  available  for  unlicensed  devices. 
 The  Commission  is  struggling  with  how  to  address  what  looks  like  a  spectrum  crunch  that  gets  more  dire  every  day.  Our  Part  15  rules  and  unlicensed  technologies  are 
 extremely  important  to  the  future  of  the  Commission’s  management  of  the  spectrum  because  they  may  provide  us  with  spectrum  resources  that  our  current  spectrum 
 management  paradigm  doesn’t  recognize. 
 At  the  same  time,  we  must  find  a  way  to  balance  the  need  to  provide  spectrum  resources  for  innovators,  entrepreneurs,  and  new  technologies  with  the  equally  important 
 need  to  avoid  unacceptable  levels  of  interference  to  incumbent  users  and  consumers.  The  Part  15  rules  and  the  use  of  unlicensed  devices  will  play  a  central  role  in  addressing  this 
 challenge.  I  hope  that  we  will  be  able  to  determine  the  wisdom  of  the  suggestions  in  this  NOI,  and  then  move  quickly  from  ideas  to  action. 


 Thanks  to  OET  for  its  role  in  getting  us  to  today.  I  am  pleased  that  the  Commission  is  charting  this  new  path. 
1