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 SEPARATE  STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  KATHLEEN  Q.  ABERNATHY 
 Re:  Revision  of  Parts  2  and  15  of  the  Commission’s  Rules  to  Permit  Unlicensed  National  Infrastructure  (U-  NII)  Devices,  Notice  of  Proposed  Rulemaking  ET  Docket  No.  03-  122. 
 I  believe  that  this  NPRM  serves  two  very  important  goals.  First,  it  begins  the  process  of  making  available  an  additional  255  MHz  of  spectrum  for  the  growth  and  development  of 
 unlicensed  wireless  broadband  networks  on  a  harmonized  basis.  Second,  it  is  an  example  of  the  Commission’s  commitment  to  move  swiftly  when  acting  on  items  of  national  importance  that  are 
 addressed  at  the  World  Radiocommunications  Conference  (WRC). 
 More  specifically,  I  believe  that  this  item  promotes  the  deployment  of  broadband  services  via  wi-  fi  technology.  This  will  prove  tremendously  valuable  in  promoting  the  core  statutory 
 goals  of  broadband  deployment  and  facilities-  based  competition.  As  I  have  previously  stated,  the  true  key  to  achieving  Congress’s  objective  of  a  deregulatory  and  procompetitive  framework  lies 
 in  moving  beyond  duopoly  towards  a  world  where  multiple  facilities-  based  providers  compete  in  the  broadband  arena.  Examining  the  provision  of  additional  spectrum  for  RLANs  holds  great 
 promise  in  bringing  us  closer  towards  fulfillment  of  that  goal. 
 There  is  also  significant  benefit  to  internationally  harmonizing  unlicensed  bands  where  practicable  and  where  it  is  in  the  public  interest.  Unlicensed  bands  may  be  able  to  benefit  from 
 the  scale  and  scope  that  international  harmonization  can  provide.  Therefore,  in  this  NRPM  the  FCC  is  proposing  to  provide  access  to  spectrum  for  RLANs  in  frequency  bands  that  are  consistent 
 with  use  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  The  ability  of  U.  S.  manufacturers  to  capture  the  synergies  of  developing  equipment  in  these  frequency  bands  on  a  global  basis  should  result  in  lower  costs  to 
 consumers  and  the  availability  of  increasingly  innovative  equipment. 
 Finally,  I  would  like  to  applaud  the  staff  for  moving  so  quickly  on  this  item.  By  issuing  this  NPRM  prior  to  the  commencement  of  the  2003  WRC,  the  Commission  will  be  in  a  position 
 to  move  quickly  on  a  final  order  following  the  conclusion  of  the  Conference.  I  look  forward  to  working  on  this  issue  while  attending  the  WRC  in  Geneva. 
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