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 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  MICHAEL  J.  COPPS 
 RE:  Inquiry  Regarding  Carrier  Current  Systems,  including  Power  Line  Broadband  Systems,  ET  Docket  No.  03-  104,  Notice  of  Inquiry  (adopted  Apr.  23,  2003) 


 We  could  be  making  some  history  here  this  morning.  We  could  be  on  the  cusp  of  bringing  new  competition  to  the  deployment  of  broadband  and  doing  so  via  technology 
 with  tremendous  potential  to  reach  not  only  the  easily  reachable,  but  also  our  hard-  to-reach  fellow  citizens  living  in  rural  areas.  Electric  power  infrastructure  is  near  ubiquitous 
 across  the  country  and  turning  this  asset  into  a  powerful  new  communications  technology  could  bring  huge  benefits  to  all  of  us.  We’re  not  there  yet,  of  course,  but  just  catching  a 
 glimpse  of  what  this  could  mean  in  terms  of  the  great  broadband  infrastructure  challenge  of  the  21  st  Century  is  exciting.  So  I  strongly  support  today’s  NOI,  and  I  applaud  the 
 effort  to  gather  information  critical  to  assisting  the  Commission  to  play  a  constructive  role  in  making  this  a  reality  without  causing  problems,  such  as  unacceptable  interference, 
 to  existing  radio  devices. 
 Certainly  we  need  to  be  quick  about  the  task  of  gathering  data,  assessing  the  technical  challenges  and  developing  the  requisite  measurement  procedures. 


 I  believe,  however,  that  it  is  also  time  to  begin  looking  at  some  of  the  policy  implications  that  we  will  surely  face  before  power  line  broadband  deployment  becomes  a 
 reality.  The  implications  of  this  technology  are,  in  fact,  wide-  ranging,  and  to  ask  commenters  to  begin  exploring  how  power  line  communications  fit  into,  or  challenge,  our 
 existing  rules  strikes  me  as  both  prudent  and  timely.  Important  questions  include:  How  do  we  avoid  cross-  subsidy  from  a  corporation’s  regulated  energy  businesses  to  its 
 communications  business  and  resulting  price  hikes  for  energy  customers  in  non-competitive  markets?  What  are  the  implications  of  power  line  communications  to 
 universal  service?  To  rural  communications?  Are  there  pole  attachment  or  rights-  of-  way  issues  we  should  address? 


 I  am  not  suggesting  that  we  need  to  answer  these  questions,  and  I  am  sure  many  others,  right  now.  We  do  not  have  anywhere  near  enough  information.  But  I  believe  that 
 the  FCC  works  best  when  it  tackles  the  tough  questions  early  on.  If  we  ignore  these  issues  now,  we  will  just  be  pushing  the  challenge  down  the  line  for  another  Commission 
 to  deal  with.  And  when  they  face  the  questions  we  didn’t  ask,  they  will  not  have  the  advantage  of  the  time  for  reflection  that  we  have  now. 


 So  I  will  vote  to  approve  in  part  and  to  concur  in  part,  and  I  look  forward  to  working  with  the  industry,  the  Bureau  and  my  colleagues  to  nurture  this  exciting  potential 
 into  early  reality.  It  really  might  be  a  history-  maker. 
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