STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER MIGNON L. CLYBURN
Re: Amendment of Part 101 of the Commission’s Rules to Facilitate the Use of Microwave for 
Wireless Backhaul and Other Uses and to Provide Additional Flexibility to Broadcast Auxiliary 
Service and Operational Fixed Microwave Licensees; Request for Interpretation of Section 
101.141(a)(3) of the Commission’s Rules Filed by Alcatel-Lucent, Inc., et al.; Petition for 
Declaratory Ruling Filed by Wireless Strategies, Inc.; Request for Temporary Waiver  of Section 
101.141(a)(3) of the Commission’s Rules Filed by Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition; 
WT Docket Nos. 10-153; 09-106; 07-121
I am pleased to support this item because the changes it proposes may reduce the costs 
that companies face to provide wireless services, including broadband, and could lead to more 
wireless opportunities for consumers, particularly rural consumers.
In May of this year, the Commission released its Fourteenth Annual Report and Analysis
on the mobile wireless market.  That report made three interrelated findings that, in my opinion, 
are important about the state of wireless services in rural areas.  First, more than ten million 
people live in rural areas with two or fewer wireless service providers.  Second, the need for 
backhaul transport imposes significant costs on wireless service providers.  Third, rural service 
providers are increasing their use, of microwave communications to reduce the costs of backhaul 
transport.  Those findings suggest that we should look for ways to lower the costs of providing 
wireless services, including backhaul transport, in order to promote those services in rural areas.
One way to reduce the costs for backhaul transport for wireless providers is to create a 
regulatory environment that allows for more flexible use of microwave communications.  Giving 
service providers more options on how they can use microwave communications, enhances their 
ability to find the most cost effective backhaul transport solutions for their respective business 
models.  This item identifies a number of areas in which the Commission’s rules could encourage 
more flexible use of microwave communications of up to 750 megahertz of spectrum, while 
proposing to protect incumbent operations, and increase the flexibility of operations. 
I applaud Chairman Genachowski’s leadership in setting ambitious goals in this 
proceeding, and I thank the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau staff for its efforts in crafting a 
Notice to elicit further information from the public, on how we should balance these important 
public interest benefits.