Federal Communications Commission FCC 12-55 STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER ROBERT M. McDOWELL Re: Improving Spectrum Efficiency Through Flexible Channel Spacing and Bandwidth Utilization for Economic Area-based 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio Licensees, WT Docket No. 12-64;Request for Declaratory Ruling that the Commission’s Rules Authorize Greater than 25 kHz Bandwidth Operations in the 817-824/862-869 MHz Band, WT Docket No. 11-110. I am pleased to vote to approve this order, which modernizes a legacy rule thereby paving the way for increased spectral efficiency, as well as technical flexibility to invest in, develop and deploy wideband services in portions of the 800 MHz band. Our new rule strikes a balance between maximizing efficiency – and therefore allowing consumers to benefit from faster mobile speeds and a greater array of services on the one hand – while protecting 800 MHz public safety licensees from harmful interference on the other hand. While we are just beginning to sort through the complex issues associated with freeing up more spectrum for the longer term, I am pleased that we have taken another small step today to allow wireless providers to take better advantage of the spectrum already available in the market. I thank the parties that contributed to our record, as well as the staff of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau for your work today.