STATEMENT OF
CHAIRMAN KEVIN J. MARTIN
Re:  Petition of the Embarq Local Operating Companies for Forbearance Under 47 U.S.C. § 
160(c) from Application of Computer Inquiry and Certain Title II Common-Carriage 
Requirements; Petition of the Frontier and Citizens ILECs for Forbearance Under Section 47 
U.S.C. § 160(c) from Title II and Computer Inquiry Rules with Respect to Their Broadband 
Services, WC Docket No. 06-147
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 Embarq’s and Citizens and Frontier’s petitions for regulatory relief of 
their broadband infrastructure and fiber capabilities.  This relief will enable Embarq, Citizens and 
Frontier to have the flexibility to further deploy their broadband services and fiber facilities 
without overly burdensome regulations.
The relief afforded to Embarq, Citizens and Frontier 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 Embarq, Citizens and Frontier relief 
from the continued application of legacy regulations.