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 JOINT  STATEMENT  OF  CHAIRMAN  KEVIN  J.  MARTIN 
 AND  COMMISSIONER  DEBORAH  TAYLOR  TATE 


 Re:  Amendment  of  Parts  1,  21,  73,  74  and  101  of  the  Commission’s  Rules  to  Facilitate  the  Use  of  the  Universal  Licensing  System  in  the  2500-  2690  MHz  Band;  Part  1  of  the 
 Commission’s  Rules  –  Further  Competitive  Bidding  Procedures;  Amendment  of  Parts  21  and  74  to  Enable  Multipoint  Distribution  Service  and  the  Instructional  Television  Fixed 
 Service  Amendment  of  Parts  21  and  74  to  Engage  in  Fixed  Two-  Way  Transmissions;  Amendment  of  Parts  21  and  74  of  the  Commission’s  Rules  With  Regard  to  Licensing  in  the 
 Multipoint  Distribution  Service  and  in  the  Instructional  Television  Fixed  Service  for  the  Gulf  of  Mexico;  Promoting  Efficient  Use  of  Spectrum  Through  Elimination  of  Barriers  to 
 the  Development  of  Secondary  Markets;  Review  of  the  Spectrum  Sharing  Plan  Among  Non-  Geostationary  Satellite  Orbit  Mobile  Satellite  Service  Systems  in  the  1.6/  2.4  GHz 
 Bands;  Amendment  of  Part  2  of  the  Commission’s  Rules  to  Allocate  Spectrum  Below  3  GHz  for  Mobile  and  Fixed  Services  to  Support  the  Introduction  of  New  Advanced 
 Wireless  Services,  Including  Third  Generation  Wireless  Systems,  Order  on  Reconsideration  and  Fifth  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order,  and  Third  Memorandum 
 Opinion  and  Order  and  Second  Report  and  Order,  (WT  Docket  No.  03-  66,  IB  Docket  No.  02-  364,  ET  Docket  No.  00-  258),  FCC  06-  46 


 In  2004,  the  Commission  initiated  a  fundamental  restructuring  of  the  2500-  2690  MHz  band  to  give  educational  and  commercial  licensees  contiguous  spectrum  in  the  low  power 
 segments  of  the  band,  while  preserving  the  high  power  segment  for  video  uses,  such  as  long-distance  learning. 


 Today,  we  affirm  the  allocation  decisions  adopted  in  the  original  order,  including  the  reservation  of  spectrum  for  educational  users.  In  addition,  we  take  steps  today  to  ease  the 
 transition  for  relocating  licensees  to  the  restructured  band  plan,  including  reducing  the  size  of  transition  areas  from  Major  Economic  Areas  to  smaller  Basic  Trading  Areas.  We  also  modify  the 
 leasing  requirements  of  Educational  Broadcast  Service  licensees  to  balance  their  need  to  reserve  the  right  to  periodically  re-  evaluate  their  educational  needs  with  the  needs  of  commercial 
 operators  for  the  certainty  of  longer-  term  leasing  arrangements.  Encouraging  education  and  promoting  the  deployment  of  commercial  broadband  services  are  both  important  goals  of  the 
 Commission,  and  we  believe  the  leasing  provisions  the  Commission  adopts  today  will  support  them  both.  We  are  also  optimistic  that  this  item  will  help  enable  this  spectrum  band  to  fulfill  its 
 potential  as  a  home  for  innovative  broadband  and  educational  services. 
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