*Pages 1--1 from  FCC3992 Cover Congress Report*
 roadband  empowers  people  over 
 centralized  institutions.  Consumers 
 are  increasingly  choosing  how  to 
 communicate  instead  of  having  that 
 choice  dictated  to  them  by  regula-tors 
 or  monopoly  providers. 
 Personalized  applications  are  riding 
 atop  the  robust  deployment  efforts 
 of  the  stakeholders  described  in  our  Fourth  706 
 Report.  It  is  in  that  context  that  I  am  very  pleased  to 
 support  the  Report’s  finding  that  the  overall  goal  of 
 section  706  is  met,  and  that  first-  generation  advanced 
 telecommunications  capability  is  being  deployed  on  a 
 reasonable  and  timely  basis  to  all  Americans. 
 This  Report  will  serve  as  a  milestone  that  we 
 have  indeed  turned  the  corner  on  the  digital  migra-tion. 
 Innovative  entrepreneurs  are  replacing 
 yesterday’s  single-  purpose  networks  with  different 
 types  of  high-  speed,  full-  service  digital  networks, 
 using  such  technologies  as  Wi-  Fi,  fiber-  to-  the-  home, 
 broadband  over  power  lines,  and  satellite.  By  making 
 licensed  and  unlicensed  spectrum  available  for  wire-less 
 broadband  uses,  we  have  seen  an  explosion  of 
 wireless  access  points  using  technologies  (such  as 
 EvDO  and  WiMax)  that  allow  unfettered  Internet 
 access  around  the  country. 
 Since  I  became  Chairman,  36  million  Americans 
 have  signed  up  for  high-  speed  service.  Across 
 America,  the  availability  of  ubiquitous,  reliable 
 broadband  access  is  changing  the  way  we  work  and 
 live.  Overall,  48  million  adults  use  high-  speed  con-nections 
 in  the  home,  representing  growth  of  60 
 percent  from  a  year  earlier.  And,  as  the  Report  cata-logues 
 and  USA  Today  recently  trumpeted, 
 “Internet-  based  phone  services  are  taking  off  by  offer-ing 
 cut-  rate  prices  and  funky  features.”  Disruptive 
 VoIP  services  are  acting  as  a  demand-  driver  for 
 broadband  connections,  lighting  the  industry’s  fuse, 
 and  exciting  a  moribund  market. 


 The  Commission  has  taken  key  steps  to  promote 
 broadband  deployment.  We  removed  unbundling 
 requirements  on  newly  deployed  fiber-  to-  the-  home, 
 where  there  is  competition  from  cable,  which  clears 
 the  way  for  telephone  companies  to  deploy  infrastruc-ture 
 to  serve  the  broadband  and  video  needs  of  the 
 21st  century.  On  my  travels  across  the  country,  I  con-tinue 
 to  be  amazed  by  the  new  services  designed  for 
 rural  Americans.  Our  efforts  to  unlock  the  potential  of 
 the  rural  healthcare  program  by  expanding  the 
 Commission’s  eligibility  criteria  are  generating  results. 
 In  the  past  year,  I  witnessed  the  transformative  poten-tial 
 of  telemedicine.  Since  the  issuance  of  our  last 
 Report,  the  Commission  has  adopted  a  variety  of 
 measures  to  introduce  regulatory  flexibility  for  rural 
 licenses  to  increase  wireless  access  to  consumers.  The 
 Commission  also  has  proposed  amendments  to  make 
 efficient  use  of  the  3650  MHz  band,  which  may  effec-tively 
 support  telemedicine  in  rural  or  underserved 
 areas  as  well  as  on  Native  American  Tribal  Lands.  We 
 will  continue  our  ongoing  program  of  on-  site  forums 
 for  exploring  how  best  to  make  affordable  broadband 
 access  available  to  rural  America. 
 Our  work,  however,  is  not  done.  Americans 
 deserve  information  at  the  speed  of  light—  and  it  is 
 the  country’s  next  challenge  to  deploy  a  network  that 
 is  at  least  as  capable  as  any  other  nation’s.  The 
 Commission’s  role—  and  my  mission—  is  to  continue 
 to  champion  and  facilitate  higher-  speed,  more  capa-ble 
 platforms  that  can  run  the  applications  of 
 tomorrow.  As  regulators,  we  must  embrace  the  reality 
 that  the  torrent  of  change  from  new  broadband  tech-nologies 
 has  arrived,  is  unstoppable,  and  will 
 accelerate  over  the  years  ahead.  We  have  a  clear  vision 
 for  this  migration  to  advanced  platforms:  stimulate 
 investment  in  next-  generation  architectures,  apply  a 
 light  hand  and  let  entrepreneurs  bring  the  future  to 
 the  people.  This  Report  shows  that  our  digital  migra-tion 
 vision  is  working  for  America. 


 3 


 Statement  of  Chairman  Michael  K.  Powell 
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