STATEMENT OF ACTING CHAIRWOMAN MIGNON L. CLYBURN Re: Amendment of the Commission’s Rules with Regard to Commercial Operations in the 1695- 1710 MHz, 1755-1780 MHz, and 2155-2180 MHz Bands, GN Docket No. 13-185 Today, we take another critical step toward providing additional spectrum for wireless broadband services. The proliferation of wireless devices, such as smartphones and tablets, has triggered a significant surge in demand for mobile broadband and providers need additional spectrum in order to keep pace with rapidly changing market dynamics. This proceeding has the potential to repurpose a significant amount of spectrum for flexible commercial use, benefiting consumers and businesses across the nation. This item helps the Commission to meet Congress’s directive to auction and license certain frequency bands by February 2015. It is also consistent with the President’s encouragement to expand the availability of spectrum for innovative and flexible commercial uses by expediting the repurposing of spectrum, and where technically and economically feasible, utilizing spectrum sharing to enhance efficiency among all users. Included in today’s item are proposals for identifying spectrum that is free, clear, and available for exclusive use, as well as proposals for spectrum that could be shared with Federal users if clearing and reallocating is not possible in the near-term. It provides flexibility to accommodate any number of effective paths toward making additional spectrum available for wireless broadband. We are committed to finding new and innovative strategies to expedite commercial access to additional spectrum. The proposals in this Notice represent dedicated work by Commission staff, other Federal agencies including the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Defense, and the wireless industry. I look forward to continuing a productive dialogue on making federal spectrum available for commercial use, including the on-going discussions in the Policy and Plans Steering Group (PPSG), Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC), and other forums. We must continue to move toward adopting allocation, service, technical, and licensing rules for this spectrum in a timely manner, consistent with the public interest and our statutory obligations. I encourage all stakeholders to roll up their sleeves and help us to push this proceeding forward. We must also take steps to bring spectrum already available to the marketplace in the near term. I thank the talented staff in the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology for presenting us with a thorough Notice.