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 August  6,  2003  SEPARATE  STATEMENT  OF 
 CHAIRMAN  MICHAEL  K.  POWELL 
 Tremendous  Opportunities  to  Build  Digital  Communications  Capabilities  of  Rural  America 


 The  digital  migration  has  the  potential  to  touch  the  lives  of  every  American—  from  young  to  old,  from  rich  to  poor  and  from  urban  to  rural  America.  At  the  forefront  of 
 the  Commission’s  digital  migration  agenda  is  fostering  the  ubiquitous  deployment  of  digital  technologies  to  all  Americans.  Today,  the  digital  migration  takes  us  to  rural 
 America—  home  to  a  fifth  of  the  nation's  population  and  eighty-  three  percent  of  the  nation’s  land.  1 


 Today’s  series  of  orders  and  reports  illustrate  our  continued  commitment  to  bring  the  benefits  of  competition,  digital  technology  and  innovation  to  rural  America.  These 
 items,  which  address  everything  from  enhanced  financial  assistance  for  rural  carriers  to  reduced  regulatory  burdens  on  satellite  earth  stations  located  in  the  Alaskan  bush, 
 represent  only  a  portion  of  our  agenda  to  bring  communications  services  and  opportunities  to  Americans  who  live  in  rural  and  underserved  areas  of  the  country. 
 Advances  in  communications  technology,  including  digital  television,  wireless  phones,  satellite-  fed  services  and  unlicensed  devices,  offer  the  opportunity  to  improve  the  quality 
 of  life  and  to  promote  economic  development  in  rural  America.  The  reports  and  initiatives  adopted  today  will  help  us  not  only  ensure  that  rural  Americans  can  realize  the 
 opportunities  of  the  digital  communications  revolution,  but  also  fulfill  our  statutory  mandate  to  improve  communications  access  and  innovation  throughout  the  country. 


 We  are  committed  to  bringing  the  benefits  of  21  st  Century  communications  capabilities  to  rural  Americans.  Over  the  next  few  months,  we  will  launch  public 
 education  efforts  in  three  areas  of  the  country  –  Alaskan  Native  Villages,  the  Mississippi  River  Delta,  and  Appalachia  -  typified  by  significantly  lower-  than-  average  telephone 
 penetration  rates.  We  will  build  on  our  success  with  tribal  governments  to  craft  public  outreach  efforts  to  ensure  that  all  Americans  benefit  from  programs  such  as  Lifeline  and 
 Link  Up.  Here  at  the  Commission  our  rural  liaisons  will  serve  as  central  points  of  contact  for  those  looking  for  information  about  the  Commission’s  rural  policy  work.  In  addition 
 to  these  outreach  activities,  we  will  continue  to  explore  policy  changes  that  may  encourage  deployment  of  communications  infrastructure  in  rural  America.  Our  Rural 
 Wireless  Internet  Service  Provider  Showcase  and  Workshop  on  September  17  will  highlight  some  of  the  success  stories  of  wireless  broadband  deployment  in  rural  America. 
 And  there  are  more  innovative  policy  approaches  on  the  way. 
 The  digital  migration  is  for  all  Americans.  I  look  forward  to  working  with  my  colleagues  to  continue  to  bring  its  promise  to  rural  America. 


 1  Economic  Research  Service,  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  Enhanced  Quality  of  Life  for  Rural 
 Americans,  available  at  <http://  www.  ers.  usda.  gov/  emphases/  rural/>  (last  visited,  Aug.  5,  2003). 
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