STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN TOM WHEELER Re: In the Matter of Acceleration of Broadband Deployment by Improving Wireless Facilities Siting Policies, WT Docket No. 13-238; Acceleration of Broadband Deployment: Expanding the Reach and Reducing the Cost of Broadband Deployment by Improving Policies Regarding Public Rights of Way and Wireless Facilities Siting, WC Docket No. 11-59; 2012 Biennial Review of Telecommunications Regulations, WT Docket No. 13-32. Last month’s record-setting launch of the new iPhone is just the latest reminder that our appetite for new mobile technologies appears to be insatiable. Mobile innovation is not only delighting U.S. consumers, it’s a major force in driving economic growth, boosting U.S. competitiveness, and enabling solutions to challenges like education and health care. As the demand for wireless technologies increases, so does the need for greater coverage and wireless network capacity. According to recent reports from the wireless industry, wireless data consumption has grown 732 percent since 2010. And Cisco forecasts that global mobile data traffic will increase 11-fold between 2013 and 2018. The Commission has been hard at work to make more licensed and unlicensed spectrum available to keep up with the growing demand. But making more spectrum available for broadband is just part of the Commission’s wireless agenda. High-speed mobile broadband also requires high-speed broadband buildout. However, the regulatory burdens associated with deployments can be expensive and time-consuming. This Order takes concrete steps to immediately and substantially ease those burdens. The Order recognizes that a technological revolution with regard to infrastructure deployment has changed the landscape. The current rules for deploying infrastructure were drafted at a time when antennas were huge and bolted to the top of enormous towers that were designed and built for the purpose of supporting those big antennas. Today, new Distributed Antenna System (DAS) networks and other small-cell systems use components that are a fraction of the size and can be installed – unobtrusively – on utility poles, buildings, and other existing structures. The Order we adopt today accounts for that change by crafting a more efficient process for small deployments and other installations that do not trigger concerns about environmental protection or historic preservation. The Order also implements federal statutory directives that are intended to make State and local review more efficient for wireless deployments and modifications. At the same time, the Order preserves our commitment to safeguard the essential roles that State, local, and Tribal governments play in this process. For instance, the Order preserves local governments’ authority to adopt and apply the zoning, safety, and concealment requirements that are appropriate for their communities. 2 Taken together, the rules we adopt today lay the groundwork for delivering more wireless capacity in more locations to consumers throughout the United States—while staying true to our statutory obligations to protect the environment and historic properties, and with sufficient safeguards to protect local land-use priorities as well as safety and aesthetic interests. This Order builds on previous Commission efforts to make the regulatory approval processes for wireless infrastructure more efficient and effective. In August, we substantially reformed tower lighting and marking requirements, which greatly eased compliance burdens for tower owners without any adverse impact on aviation safety. And we have already started additional discussions with government and non-governmental stakeholders to further facilitate review processes and encourage collocations on existing towers. In particular, we intend to further tailor our historic preservation review process by working with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) to implement broader fast-track federal reviews for small-scale wireless deployments. Thank you to the Wireless Bureau for your continued dedication to promoting broadband infrastructure deployment.