Prepared Remarks of Chairman Julius Genachowski Federal Communications Commission One Economy 10th Anniversary Celebration The Newseum Washington, D.C. October 7, 2010 On Receipt of the Metcalfe Digital Opportunity Award for the FCC’s Broadband Team Thank you, Rey. And on behalf of the present and former staff of the FCC, the ones who have earned this recognition, thank you One Economy for the Metcalfe Award. It’s a particular honor for the FCC to receive this award on the 10th anniversary of One Economy. I think the traditional gift for the 10th is diamonds. Being a practical nonprofit, I see that One Economy instead got a sparkling new CEO. Congratulations to Kelley Dunne on your appointment. Kelley was a great help to our broadband team, and I am pleased to see him take on this new role. Kelley, you’ve got a high bar to clear. Ten years ago Rey Ramsey and a small group including Alec Ross, Ben Hecht and David Saunier, launched a start-up in a basement. Today One Economy is one of the most vital non-profits in the technology space, a real leader in expanding economic opportunity through Internet connectivity. As I’ve visited communities around the country, talking to local residents about broadband, it’s amazing how often I hear about One Economy’s great work. Putting together partnerships that bring computers and broadband to people who can’t afford them. Developing localized content with real meaning to underserved communities. Training teenagers to use computers, giving them the digital skills to participate in the 21st century economy. Teaching these teenagers how to teach others. 1 That’s One Economy. Creating accomplishments out of nothing, and then building on those accomplishments. Creating real opportunities for so many Americans, community-by-community – across the country. One Economy is a technology startup as successful as any from Silicon Valley, but with the sole focus of enriching the lives of others I applaud you for that. And I encourage you to double down on your successes. As One Economy celebrates its 10th anniversary, your mission has never been more vital. Our economy is struggling. People are suffering. One Economy is built on a proposition I couldn’t embrace more strongly: That technology is key to the American dream, key to a bright future for the United States and for all of our people. Back in 2000 when One Economy started, you understood that Internet access would go from being a luxury to a necessity. And you were right. Broadband benefits our society more every day, while the costs of digital exclusion for those left behind skyrockets. Whether it’s finding a job or creating a job, whether it’s education or health care, as One Economy has taught us: broadband is essential to meeting our common goals. People who don’t have access to broadband are at an increasingly serious disadvantage. And our country is not where it needs to be. Broadband access is not where it needs to be. Digital skills and knowledge are not where they need to be. That’s why One Economy’s work is so important. And that’s why it was important that Congress and the President called on the FCC to develop our country’s first broadband plan. I couldn’t be prouder of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan and the team that worked so hard to produce it. The National Broadband Plan is an ambitious strategy to promote private investment and job creation by fostering the most vibrant broadband ecosystem in the world, unleashing world- leading innovation, and – critically – bringing the benefits of high-speed Internet to all Americans. 2 The work of the team that produced this Plan was truly unprecedented: unprecedented in its transparency and public participation; unprecedented in its professionalism and analytical rigor; and unprecedented in the quality and strength of its goals, its policy innovations and its recommendations. The staff of the FCC is now working hard every day to implement the Broadband Plan. A lot of progress. A lot of work to do. So far, thanks to the Broadband Team and the great work of our staff, we’ve transformed the E- rate program so that it can bring higher speeds at lower costs to schools and libraries. A modernized E-Rate will also give schools flexibility to open their Internet connections to their communities and to explore the benefits of wireless broadband and e-textbooks. We’ve adopted rules to lower the costs of infrastructure deployment, through reform of tower- siting and pole-attachment rules. We’ve released the most significant amount of unlicensed spectrum in 25 years, robust spectrum that will bring innovations like super Wi-Fi and increased access in both urban and rural communities. We’re moving toward the Broadband Plan’s goal of unleashing 500 megahertz of spectrum for mobile broadband, already recovering 25 megahertz previously used for WCS and loosening restrictions on 90 megahertz of mobile satellite spectrum so it can be used for terrestrial broadband. These are just a few of the National Broadband Plan recommendations the FCC has already implemented. As you’ve heard, many involve acronyms and technical terms, the sort that are hard to explain to mom. But they bring real benefits to real people, measured in increased broadband access, job creation, and economic opportunity. And of course we have much more work ahead. For example: - Reforming our Universal Service Fund to make it efficient and targeted to where it’s most needed. - Putting in place incentive auctions and recovering underused spectrum, a vital step for our global competitiveness, and to extend broadband in underserved communities. - Empowering consumers of wired and wireless broadband, and promoting competition. - Promoting broadband adoption, including by working with One Economy on the ideas and initiatives it has pursued with such vigor and success. 3 But we’re not here tonight to go through the details of the Broadband Plan. That would take all night. We’re here tonight to recognize the remarkable team of public servants that worked so hard to create it, and that’s working so hard to implement it. Tonight’s award belongs to them, not me. Developing the Broadband Plan was a wonderful team effort that enlisted talented and committed professionals from a broad array of disciplines – including FCC rookies drawn from the best of the private sector, and veterans from every Bureau at the agency. They have made a lasting impact at the FCC and a real contribution to our country. Some of those individuals are here today, including two key leaders of the team, Erik Garr and Phoebe Yang. Thank you all for your incredible service. Of course, the Broadband Plan wouldn’t have been possible without the broadband team’s extraordinary Director, my friend, Blair Levin. Blair isn’t in Washington tonight, but we honor his work as a true visionary, a powerful leader, and a model public servant. The work of the staff on the broadband plan has been an inspiration. Let us honor them further by working together to bring their vision to life – to bring One Economy’s vision to life -- and bring the benefits of broadband to all Americans. Then we will have done something of real importance for our country. Thank you One Economy for honoring the Broadband Team with the Metcalfe Award. Broadband Team, Please join me on stage for a special recognition from One Economy.