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 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  KATHLEEN  Q.  ABERNATHY 
 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  that  the  Commission  is  initiating  this  fourth  inquiry  on  the  deployment  of  broadband  infrastructure.  As  I  have  often  stated,  this  Commission  has  no 
 higher  priority  than  facilitating  the  deployment  of  broadband  networks.  In  the  past  few  years,  we  have  taken  important  strides  in  furtherance  of  this  goal.  And  we  are  seeing 
 concrete  results,  as  broadband  build-  out  continues  at  a  rapid  pace  and  subscription  rates  continue  their  brisk  ascent.  In  the  wireline  sector,  for  example,  our  decision  to  refrain 
 from  mandating  the  unbundling  of  broadband  loops  is  helping  spur  increased  investment  in  fiber  networks.  Our  preservation  of  a  pro-  investment  framework  for  cable  broadband 
 has  been  another  success  story.  Our  efforts  in  the  wireless  arena  also  have  been  significant.  In  particular,  our  identification  of  additional  spectrum  for  3G  applications 
 and  Wi-  Fi,  our  promotion  of  flexible  uses  of  spectrum  in  existing  bands,  and  our  development  of  secondary  markets  to  facilitate  spectrum  leasing  will  help  deliver 
 broadband  services  to  more  Americans.  Moreover,  our  improvements  to  the  satellite  licensing  process  and  our  efforts  to  promote  nascent  technologies  such  as  ultra  wideband 
 and  broadband  over  powerline  will  further  this  core  statutory  objective. 
 This  inquiry  regarding  the  timeliness  of  broadband  deployment  will  help  identify  whether  there  are  further  steps  we  can  take.  In  particular,  we  need  to  assess  the  extent  to 
 which  rural  areas  are  benefiting  from  broadband  deployment  and  what  actions  would  further  accelerate  investment.  I  am  pleased  that  we  are  seeking  comment  on  whether 
 other  areas  and  groups,  such  as  tribal  lands  and  persons  with  disabilities,  are  underserved.  I  also  support  our  focus  on  ways  to  improve  our  data  collection  so  that  we  can  perform  a 
 more  refined  analysis.  At  the  same  time,  we  will  need  to  weigh  the  benefits  of  obtaining  more  granular  data  against  potential  regulatory  burdens  imposed  on  the  entities  that  file 
 the  reports.  I  look  forward  to  examining  the  record  in  this  proceeding  and  working  with  my  colleagues  on  ways  to  remove  any  remaining  barriers  to  broadband  deployment. 
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