STATEMENT OF 
CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI
Re: Amendment of the Commission’s Rules to Provide Spectrum for the Operation of 
Medical Body Area Network, First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking,?
ET Docket No. 08-59
This is the second of two items on today's agenda about major innovations to harness 
communications technology to save lives.
In his new book The Creative Destruction of Medicine, Dr. Eric Topol wrote, quote, “The 
emergence of powerful tools to digitize human beings with full support of [our Internet] 
infrastructure creates an unparalleled opportunity to forever change how health care is 
delivered.”
At the FCC we have embraced the opportunities of communications technology to 
improve health care results and lower health care costs. The National Broadband Plan identified 
health care as an area of enormous promise for broadband-enabled innovation. The plan included 
many recommendations, which we have been implementing.
We entered into an unprecedented partnership with the Food and Drug Administration to 
help ensure that communications-related medical innovations can swiftly and safely be brought 
to market.
We’ve also proposed USF reforms, and easing testing restrictions on anchor institutions 
like universities and research organizations. I expect an order on this in the coming months.
And late last year, the Commission adopted an order to dedicate spectrum for Medical 
Micopower Networks, which have the potential - literally - to enable paraplegics to stand.
Today, we take the next step forward on our health communication agenda with new 
rules to allow greater use of spectrum for Medical Body Area Network, or MBAN, devices. As I 
saw last week at George Washington University Hospital, this technology has tremendous 
potential to untether patients from tubes and wires, and improve the quality of health care and 
ensure better outcomes for patients.
How much does monitoring matter? Philips estimates that, by decreasing hospital-
acquires infections, MBAN monitoring can save an average of up to $12,000 per patient.
Today’s item will help maximize the potential of MBAN technology by providing access 
to relatively quiet spectrum where this technology can develop and flourish.
With this order, the U.S. becomes the first country in the world to dedicate spectrum for 
Medical Body Area Networks in hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, as well as in homes.
Previously, this spectrum was used almost exclusively by commercial test pilots. This 
order represents a multi-industry effort to foster innovation in this spectrum band by allowing 
distinct but compatible users to share airwaves.
This item is a great example of how parties working together and with the FCC can 
achieve win-win outcomes for various industries and for the America people.
Thank you to all the parties – in particular our partners at NTIA and DoD, who helped 
address interference issues in the 2360 – 2400 MHz band through sharing, compromise, and 
good faith. This order would not have been possible without collaboration among public and 
private parties.
I would like to recognize GE Healthcare, Philips and the Aerospace and Flight Test 
Radio Coordinating Council, which all worked diligently with us to develop a framework for 
sharing, a goal the Commission is realizing today. We welcome other innovators to join their 
efforts.
This creative use of spectrum provides wireless health manufacturers with the certainty 
they need to streamline their product development, which for many years operated on a variety 
of frequencies.
I expect it will eventually lead to technologies not just for health care facilities, but also 
for in- home use.
This item also complements advances in machine-to-machine technology that allows 
anywhere, anytime medical monitoring over 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi networks.
Thank you to all the Commissioners for their input and enthusiasm. I'd like to particularly 
acknowledge Commissioner McDowell for his passion, interest and input on health-related 
issues like these.
Finally, thank you to the FCC staff who have been working on this issue – Josh 
Gottheimer and Charles Mathias in my office, and Julie Knapp, Bruce Romano, and Geraldine 
Matise in our Office of Engineering and Technology.