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 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  JONATHAN  S.  ADELSTEIN 
 Re:  Improving  Public  Safety  Communications  in  the  800  MHz  Band;  WT  Docket  No.  02-  55 
 The  interference  situation  in  the  800  MHz  band  is  one  of  the  most  challenging  wireless  issues  the  Commission  has  ever  faced.  We  are  trying  to  untangle  years  of  actions  that  have  created 
 unacceptable  and  dangerous  interference  problems  for  our  nation’s  first  responders.  I  am  pleased  to  support  today’s  item  because  it  puts  in  place  the  necessary  components  to  greatly  minimize, 
 and  hopefully  eliminate,  the  interference  currently  experienced  by  our  nation’s  first  responders  who  communicate  on  land  mobile  radio  systems  in  the  800  MHz  band,  particularly  during  times 
 of  emergency.  This  interference  is  an  unacceptable  crisis  that  must  be  fixed.  Today  we  give  our  licensees  what  they  asked  for  –  the  regulatory  tools  to  solve  the  problem  both  through  rebanding 
 and  enhanced  best  practices. 
 The  urgent  needs  of  the  public  safety  community  is  one  of  the  top  priorities  of  the  Commission,  and  certainly  this  Commissioner.  Public  safety  officials  put  their  lives  on  the  line  for  all  of  us 
 every  day,  and  their  situation  commands  the  highest  level  of  attention  and  priority  at  the  Commission.  The  very  first  paragraph  of  the  Communications  Act  charges  the  Commission  to 
 promote  “the  safety  of  life  and  property  through  the  use  of  wire  and  radio  communication.” 
 Today  we  step  up  to  that  responsibility,  and  it  is  important  that  in  doing  so  we  speak  with  one  voice  as  a  Commission.  The  stakes  here  are  as  high  as  in  any  proceeding  we  consider.  We 
 simply  have  to  get  this  right.  Throughout  this  proceeding,  I  have  worked  very  hard  with  my  colleagues  to  explore  all  aspects  of  rebanding,  including  different  mechanisms  for  funding  and  a 
 variety  of  spectrum  configuration  options.  We  worked  tirelessly  through  countless  options  to  find  the  approach  that  met  the  concerns  of  public  safety  while  remaining  within  the  bounds  of  the 
 authority  granted  to  us  by  Congress. 
 I  know  that  some  may  say  that  the  Commission  moved  too  slowly  to  take  this  action.  But  I  want  to  emphasize  that  the  time  has  been  very  well  spent.  Since  early  this  year,  my  staff  and  I,  in 
 conjunction  with  some  of  the  other  Commissioner  offices,  have  worked  extensively  with  the  Commission  staff  to  ensure  that  this  item  provides  the  best  blueprint  possible  for  800  MHz 
 rebanding.  There  simply  is  too  much  at  stake  to  get  this  wrong.  It  is  especially  important  that  we  put  in  place  an  appropriate  mechanism  to  ensure  that  all  necessary  resources  are  provided  to 
 meet  the  needs  of  public  safety  agencies,  and  that  any  incentives  to  limit  assistance  are  minimized.  I  also  am  pleased  that  the  item  puts  in  place  procedures  to  minimize  as  much  as 
 possible  the  impact  of  our  decision  on  800  MHz  licensees  not  directly  implicated  by  the  interference  problem. 


 Finally,  while  this  proceeding  likely  impacted  every  Bureau  and  Office  in  the  Commission,  I  want  to  acknowledge  the  extraordinary  efforts  of  the  staff  of  the  Wireless  Telecommunications 
 Bureau  in  tackling  this  once  in  a  lifetime  challenge.  I  want  to  specifically  thank  Michael  Wilhelm,  who  managed  this  project  from  the  beginning,  and  the  staff  of  the  Public  Safety  and 
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 Critical  Infrastructure  Division  for  their  outstanding  work  on  this  project  –  it  truly  has  been  a  fine  performance  of  government  service. 
 This  decision’s  primary  goal  is  to  protect  the  nation’s  police,  fire  and  emergency  medical  personnel  who  are  on  the  front  lines  of  our  country’s  public  safety  efforts.  Our  decision  today 
 puts  that  priority  front  and  center,  right  where  it  belongs. 
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