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 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  MICHAEL  J.  COPPS 
 Re:  Continental  Airlines  Petition  for  Declaratory  Ruling  Regarding  the  Over-  the-  Air  Reception  Devices  (OTARD)  Rules,  Memorandum  Opinion  &  Order. 
 Today’s  declaratory  ruling  reaffirms  the  Commission’s  dedication  to  promoting  the  widespread  deployment  of  unlicensed  Wi-  Fi  devices.  It  clarifies  that  American 
 consumers  and  businesses  are  free  to  install  Wi-  Fi  antennas  under  our  OTARD  rules  –  meaning  without  seeking  approval  from  their  landlords  –  just  as  they  are  free  to  install 
 antennas  for  video  programming  and  other  fixed  wireless  applications. 
 Wi-  Fi  is  one  of  the  Commission’s  greatest  wireless  success  stories.  The  genius  of  this  unlicensed  technology  is  that  no  central  authority  controls  or  manages  how  and 
 where  these  networks  spring  up.  Instead,  any  private  or  commercial  operator  who  sees  a  need  for  a  local  Wi-  Fi  network  may  build  and  operate  one.  The  price  that  Wi-  Fi  users 
 pay  for  this  freedom  is  that  they,  like  all  Part  15  users,  must  accept  interference  from  other  devices  in  the  unlicensed  bands.  But  the  nation’s  half-  decade  of  experience  with 
 this  new  technology  has  made  it  quite  plain  that  this  trade-  off  is  more  than  worth  it.  When  it  comes  to  providing  broadband  over  the  unlicensed  bands,  the  airwaves  are  truly 
 the  people’s  airwaves.  So  while  I  certainly  support  strong  licensing  regulation  in  some  contexts,  I  think  it  is  equally  important  that  we  leave  other  portions  of  the  spectrum  open 
 to  unlicensed  uses. 
 Today’s  decision  ensures  that  the  Wi-  Fi  bands  remain  free  and  open  to  travelers,  who  can  make  productive  use  of  their  time  while  waiting  to  catch  their  next  flight  in  an 
 airport.  They  will  be  able  to  choose  from  among  multiple  providers,  including  members-only  airport  lounges  as  well  as  coffee  shops  or  businesses  that  may  choose  to  attract 
 customers  by  offering  Wi-  Fi  service  at  lower  prices  than  the  airport  authority  offers. 
 I  do  want  to  note  that  I  approve  of  today’s  decision  only  because  the  record  is  clear  –  in  fact,  uncontested  –  that  allowing  multiple  Wi-  Fi  operators  in  the  airport  will 
 cause  no  interference  to  the  safety-  of-  life  communications  that  the  airport  authority  conducts  on  its  dedicated,  separate,  and  licensed  public  safety  channels.  In  the  unlikely 
 event  that  technical  developments  change  this  balance,  I  would  of  course  support  swift  and  forceful  remedial  action  from  this  Commission. 
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