STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER DEBORAH TAYLOR TATE Re: Improving Public Safety Communications in the 800 MHz Band; Petitions for Waiver of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Reading, Pennsylvania; Petitions for Waiver of Rockdale County, Newton County, City of Covington, Walton County, and Spalding County, Georgia; WT Docket 02-55; FCC Announces Supplemental Procedures and Provides Guidance for Completion of 800 MHz Rebanding, WT Docket No. 02-55; Memorandum Report and Order (07-167) and Companion Public Notice (FCC 07-168) As with our decision today on Enhanced 911 services, these two items on re-banding the 800 MHz band are both timely and important. The goal of this re-banding is to minimize interference between public safety and commercial users in this band. The public safety community uses this spectrum to fulfill its critical mission of protecting the lives, health, and property of all Americans, and to help ensure homeland security. Once re-banding is complete, public safety will be able to use this spectrum more effectively to support its mission, while commercial providers will be able to serve customers more effectively. It is, therefore, of utmost importance that the transition continues on schedule. I believe the guidelines established in these items will help in that regard, and I urge all the parties involved in this effort to continue to work to complete this re-banding. I thank the staff of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau for their work on this important item.