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 Federal  Communications  Commission  FCC  06-  133 
 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  JONATHAN  S.  ADELSTEIN 
 Re:  Former  Nextel  Communications,  Inc.  Upper  700  MHz  Guard  Band  Licenses  and  Revisions  to  Part  27  of  the  Commission’s  Rules,  Development  of  Operational,  Technical  and  Spectrum 
 Requirements  for  Meeting  Federal,  State  and  Local  Public  Safety  Communications  Requirements  Through  the  Year  2010  (Notice  of  Proposed  Rule  Making,  WT  Docket  Nos.  06-  169,  96-  86) 


 I  fully  support  this  Notice,  as  I  have  regularly  commented  how  exceedingly  important  it  is  that  we  do  what  we  can  to  keep  the  Commission  on  the  leading  edge  of  spectrum-  based  technology  and  policy. 
 Our  inquiry  is  particularly  appropriate  and  timely  in  light  of  recent  legislation  dealing  with  the  digital  television  (DTV)  transition  and  the  return  to  the  Commission  of  700  MHz  Guard  Band  licenses  formerly 
 held  by  Nextel.  We  have  a  unique  opportunity  to  take  a  “fresh  look”  at  the  700  MHz  Guard  Band  service  and  to  review  the  several  interesting  band  plan  proposals  advocated  by  existing  Guard  Band  Managers 
 and  critical  infrastructure  entities. 
 Earlier  this  year,  the  Commission  adopted  an  Eighth  Notice  of  Proposed  Rule  Making  to  consider  changes  to  the  700  MHz  public  safety  band  to  accommodate  broadband  communication.  Just  this  past 
 month,  we  launched  an  important  proceeding  on  possible  changes  to  the  rules  governing  commercial  wireless  licenses  in  the  700  MHz  Band.  With  our  item  today,  we’ve  completed  a  triple  play  of  700  MHz 
 spectrum  policy  by  putting  out  three  important  decisions  in  rapid  succession  that  will  frame  the  discussion  for  future  use  of  the  700  MHz  Band.  As  we  develop  the  record  for  these  proceedings,  I  look  forward  to 
 the  debate  to  ensure  that  the  entire  700  MHz  Band  is  put  to  use  as  quickly  and  efficiently  as  possible,  and  that  parts  of  the  spectrum  band  do  not  become  an  untapped  well  for  the  thirsty. 
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