Federal Communications Commission FCC 07-149 STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN KEVIN J. MARTIN Re: Petition of ACS of Anchorage, Inc. Pursuant to Section 10 of the Communications Act of 1934, as Amended (47 U.S.C. § 160(c)), for Forbearance from Certain Dominant Carrier Regulation of Its Interstate Access Services, and for Forbearance from Title II Regulation of Its Broadband Services, in the Anchorage, Alaska, Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier Study Area, Docket No. WC 06-109 Broadband access is essential to an expanding Internet-based information economy. Promoting broadband deployment is one of the highest priorities of the FCC. To accomplish this goal, the Commission seeks to establish a policy environment that facilitates and encourages broadband investment, allowing market forces to deliver the benefits of broadband to consumers. Today, we take another step in establishing a regulatory environment that encourages such investments and innovation by granting ACS’s petition for regulatory relief of its broadband infrastructure and fiber capabilities. This relief will enable ACS to have the flexibility to further deploy its broadband services and fiber facilities without overly burdensome regulations. The relief afforded to ACS is consistent with and similar to the relief provided in Commission decisions regarding broadband services, packet switching, and fiber facilities. In those decisions, the Commission determined to relax regulations where competition was significant and where regulations acted as a disincentive to deploy new broadband technologies. Accordingly, based on the specific market facts that have been placed before us, we are compelled under the “pro-competitive, deregulatory” framework established by Congress, as well as under section 10’s forbearance criteria, to grant ACS relief from the continued application of legacy regulations.