*Pages 1--2 from  Microsoft Word - 36728*
 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  JONATHAN  S.  ADELSTEIN 
 Re:  Inquiry  Concerning  the  Deployment  of  Advanced  Telecommunications  Capability  to  All  Americans  in  a  Reasonable  and  Timely  Fashion,  and  Possible  Steps  to 
 Accelerate  Such  Deployment  Pursuant  to  Section  706  of  the  Telecommunications  Act  of  1996,  Fourth  Notice  of  Inquiry 


 I  am  pleased  to  support  this  Notice  opening  an  inquiry  into  the  status  of  broadband  deployment.  Congress  directed  this  Commission  to  ensure  that  all  Americans 
 have  reasonable  and  timely  access  to  advanced  telecommunications  capability,  such  as  broadband  services,  and  this  effort  is  of  critical  importance  to  the  health  of  our  economy 
 and  our  quality  of  life. 
 Given  the  universally  acknowledged  significance  of  broadband  services,  I  wish  that  we  had  started  this  inquiry  sooner.  Section  706  directs  this  Commission  to  conduct 
 regular  inquiries  concerning  the  availability  of  broadband  services.  It’s  been  over  two  years  since  we  completed  our  last  inquiry  and  the  market  for  broadband  service  is 
 evolving  rapidly  and  dynamically.  Parties  may  differ  about  the  need  for  and  shape  of  a  national  broadband  policy,  but  given  the  global  economy,  we  must  face  up  to  what  is 
 happening  in  the  real  world. 
 While  we  have  delayed  our  own  report  card,  there  are  warning  signs  being  raised  from  other  sources.  The  U.  S.  was  recently  ranked  11th  worldwide  in  broadband 
 penetration  in  a  report  by  the  International  Telecommunications  Union.  I  am  glad  that  this  Notice  explores  what  lessons  we  can  learn  from  those  nations  that  may  be  deploying 
 broadband  more  quickly. 
 This  Notice  also  asks  fundamental  questions  about  broadband  deployment  to  consumers  in  rural  areas,  persons  with  disabilities,  and  Native  Americans.  The  record  we 
 develop  in  this  proceeding  should  improve  our  understanding  of  the  challenges  of  providing  broadband  to  these  consumers,  and  on  the  unique  opportunities  that  broadband 
 services  can  bring. 
 As  the  first  person  from  South  Dakota  to  serve  as  a  Commissioner  at  the  FCC,  I  know  firsthand  how  important  broadband  services  are  to  rural  communities.  Ensuring 
 access  to  hard-  to-  serve  areas  of  America  is  vital  to  their  economic  viability.  Broadband  gives  businesses  in  these  areas  the  tools  they  need  to  compete  across  the  globe.  By 
 giving  rural  consumers  access  to  telemedicine  and  distance  learning,  not  to  mention  the  vast  array  and  ever  growing  resources  available  through  the  Internet,  we  give  rural 
 residents  and  their  children  the  same  opportunities  that  others  enjoy.  There  are  many  success  stories  in  providing  broadband  to  these  consumers,  and  I  encourage  commenters 
 to  help  us  understand  the  secrets  to  their  success. 
 I  am  also  pleased  that  this  item  asks  questions  about  our  definition  of  “advanced  telecommunications  capability.”  In  past  reports,  we  have  considered  services  that  deliver 
1
 transmission  speeds  of  at  200  kbps  as  broadband,  a  definition  we  adopted  in  1999.  Five  years  later,  it  appears  that  many  of  the  most  promising  applications  require  considerably 
 greater  capacity.  It  is  important  that  we  look  closely  at  the  capabilities  that  are  currently  available  to  consumers.  We  also  acknowledge  in  this  Notice  our  intention  to  revise  our 
 formal  broadband  data  gathering  program,  but  concede  that  we  have  not  started  this  effort  in  time  for  us  to  use  any  more  comprehensive  data  collected  for  this  report.  In  the  past, 
 the  Commission  has  acknowledged  limitations  to  its  data  collection  effort,  and  I  wish  that  we  had  addressed  those  issues  in  time  for  us  to  benefit  from  more  granular  and  detailed 
 data. 
 Finally,  I  believe  that  federal  policies,  such  as  universal  service  or  video  relay  service,  can  play  a  vital  role  by  increasing  access  to  and  encouraging  demand  for 
 broadband  services.  Many  of  these  programs  are  at  issue  in  other  proceedings  before  this  Commission,  so  I  encourage  commenters  to  discuss  the  role  of  these  programs  in 
 promoting  the  availability  and  use  of  broadband. 
2