*Pages 1--2 from  Microsoft Word - 40691*
 SEPARATE  STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  KEVIN  J.  MARTIN 
 Re:  Amendment  of  Parts  1,  21,  73,  74  and  101  of  the  Commission’s  Rules  to  Facilitate  the  Provision  of  Fixed  and  Mobile  Broadband  Access,  Education  and  Other  Advanced  Services  in  the 
 2150-  2162  and  2500-  2690  MHz  Bands  (WT  Docket  No.  03-  66);  et  al.,  Report  and  Order  and  Further  Notice  of  Proposed  Rulemaking. 


 I  am  pleased  to  support  this  item,  which  initiates  a  fundamental  restructuring  of  the  Instructional  Fixed  Service  (ITFS),  Multipoint  Distribution  Service  (MDS),  and  Multichannel 
 Multipoint  Distribution  Service  (MMDS)  band.  Based  on  broad  support  from  the  affected  parties,  this  item  provides  a  home  for  both  high-  power  and  low-  power  operations  and  thereby 
 gives  users  greatly  enhanced  flexibility.  This  approach  preserves  the  ability  of  users  to  provide  traditional  video  and  other  services,  while  also  significantly  promoting  broadband  deployment. 
 Indeed,  I  am  optimistic  that  this  spectrum  will  provide  a  home  for  last-  mile  broadband  applications,  providing  competition  to  telephone  and  cable  lines.  In  the  end,  consumers  will 
 benefit  from  innovative  services  and  lower  prices. 
 I  am  also  particularly  pleased  that  we  retained  the  requirement  that  ITFS  spectrum  be  held  by  educational  institutions  and  organizations.  Encouraging  and  supporting  education  is  a 
 crucial  value  to  our  society,  and  that  value  is  reflected  in  the  reservation  of  spectrum  for  educational  users.  While  some  argue  that  educational  spectrum  is  currently  not  being  used 
 efficiently,  we  must  remember  that  this  spectrum  has  been  under  the  cloud  of  major  proposed  changes  for  a  number  of  years.  Now  that  a  plan  for  restructuring  the  band  is  in  place,  we  should 
 give  educators  the  opportunity  and  encouragement  to  move  forward. 
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