Federal Communications Commission FCC 07-203 STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER JONATHAN S. ADELSTEIN Re: Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, CG Docket No. 02-278. I am pleased to support this item which seeks comment on how we can extend the benefits of the National Do-Not-Call Registry for millions of Americans who stand to lose its protection as their registrations expire over the next year. The Do-Not-Call Registry was one of the greatest boons for consumers this agency has ever put forth. It is important that we do everything within our power to maintain its vitality as a tool to protect the privacy of American families. The Do-Not-Call Registry benefits consumers on a daily basis and in a very personal way. For millions of families, the Registry has restored peace and quiet around the dinner table and has allowed them to once again view their phones as a useful connection to the world rather than a source of nightly harassment. So, it is important that we turn our attention to the fact that the registrations of 10 to 30 million consumers are set to expire next summer. This is a ticking time bomb for consumer privacy. We needed to open this rulemaking to investigate what we can do to extend the benefits of the Registry for these consumers. It is not immediately clear that the FCC alone can prevent the expiration of consumers’ registrations, so it is important that we get started with this investigation now. I look forward to working with my colleagues at the Commission, our partners in developing and enforcing the Registry at the Federal Trade Commission, and Congress as we move forward with this effort to make sure that consumers retain control over their phones