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 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  DEBORAH  TAYLOR  TATE 
 Re:  Amendment  of  Part  15  Regarding  New  Requirements  and  Measurement  Guidelines  for  Access  Broadband  over  Power  Line  Systems,  Carrier  Current 
 Systems  including  Broadband  over  Power  Line  Systems,  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order 


 About  three  years  ago,  I  first  had  the  opportunity  to  hear  about  the  potential  for  a  new  technology  –  called  Broadband-  over-  Power-  Lines  (BPL)  –  being  tested  in  a  small 
 rural  area  in  Tennessee.  Over  the  past  few  months,  I  have  witnessed  BPL  in  action  in  Texas  and  Maryland.  Each  time,  I  am  struck  by  the  impact  this  technology  could  have  on 
 reaching  our  goal  of  ubiquitous  broadband  deployment  in  the  United  States.  It’s  an  exciting  prospect,  and  I  am  pleased  to  support  this  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order 
 today  in  support  of  this  technology. 
 In  2005,  24%  of  rural  Americans  had  broadband  access  at  home,  more  than  double  the  9%  reported  in  2003,  according  to  the  Pew  Internet  and  American  Life 
 Project.  BPL  technology  could  increase  that  number  in  no  time  at  all  if  and  when  it  is  able  to  be  deployed  on  a  nationwide  basis.  When  you  consider  the  effect  this  could  have 
 on  Americans  in  terms  of  everything  from  entertainment  to  education  to  health  to  job  productivity  and  just  about  every  other  aspect  of  American  life,  you  truly  begin  to  realize 
 how  important  BPL  might  be.  I  hope  that  the  FCC  can  continue  to  be  a  part  of  the  effort  to  make  this  technology  available  to  more  and  more  Americans. 


 BPL  is  another  regulatory  question  requiring  us  to  balance  regulatory  humility  with  our  oversight  responsibilities.  The  FCC  has  and  will  continue  to  struggle  with 
 finding  an  appropriate  balance  between  regulation  to  mitigate  potential  negative  “side  effects”  that  accompany  BPL  and  a  hands  off  approach  that  gives  BPL  the  room  it  needs 
 to  develop  in  a  free  market.  I  believe  that  today’s  Opinion  and  Order  strikes  the  right  balance  with  minimal  regulatory  burdens.  I  also  hope  we  will  continue  to  be  cognizant  of 
 the  impact  our  regulations  have  on  the  industry,  and  I  welcome  a  continuing  dialogue  regarding  some  of  the  potential  concerns  noted  in  the  record. 
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