STATEMENT OF ACTING CHAIRWOMAN MIGNON L. CLYBURN Re: Acceleration of Broadband Deployment by Improving Wireless Facilities Siting Policies, WT Docket No. 13-238; Acceleration of Broadband Deployment: Expanding the Reach and Reducing the Cost of Broadband Deployment by Improving Policies Regarding Public Rights of Way and Wireless Facilities Siting, WC Docket No. 11-59; Amendment of Parts 1 and 17 of the Commission’s Rules Regarding Public Notice Procedures for Processing Antenna Structure Registration Applications for Certain Temporary Towers; 2012 Biennial Review of Telecommunications Regulations, WT Docket No. 13-32 Our Nation’s demand for mobile broadband services continues to grow at an exponential rate and the ability of wireless providers to meet this demand depends not only on access to spectrum, but also on the deployment of new mobile infrastructure. That is why the Commission has made it a priority to cut red tape that saps resources and slows broadband deployment. Today, we seek comment on how we can change our processes to encourage greater deployment of new technologies such as small cells and Distributed Antenna Systems. These innovative solutions multiply wireless capacity within existing spectrum resources and can be deployed relatively easily and inexpensively by consumers, enterprise users, and service providers. These newer technologies can be deployed on utility poles, street lamps, water towers, or rooftops -- a big reason why they are becoming more common. The time is ripe for the Commission to look at updating our rules for these new technologies. This item continues the review of our procedures which apply to temporary towers. Often in demand, with very little advance warning or for very short periods of time, temporary towers are used to restore communications, during natural disasters or other emergencies, and to provide additional capacity during events. Relaxing the rules, which apply to these towers, makes perfect sense. In this item, we propose a narrow exemption from the Commission’s pre-construction environmental notification requirements for certain temporary towers. Under our proposed exemption, eligible towers must meet specified criteria. Specifically, they will: be in use for 60 days or less; be shorter than 200 feet in height; involve minimal or no excavation; and not require FAA marking or lighting. We are mindful of our statutory mandate to protect the nation’s historical and environmental resources, and have a special duty to protect Native American sacred sites and places of Tribal cultural importance. The proposals in today’s Notice recognize that mandate. We also seek comment on rules, to implement Section 6409(a) of the 2012 Spectrum Act. Under this section of the Act, “a State or local government…shall approve, any … request for a modification of an existing wireless tower or base station, that does not substantially change the physical dimensions, of such tower or base station.” Eligible facility requests, include collocation applications, and requests to replace existing equipment. Collocation, which involves placing wireless equipment on pre-existing structures, is often the most efficient means, of expanding wireless coverage and capacity. Because most of the terms in the statute are undefined, however, we propose rules to clarify these terms and help all parties implement its requirements. Over the past four years, the Commission has taken a number of significant steps, to reduce barriers to wireless infrastructure investment. We established a “shot clock” for processing of wireless tower and antenna siting requests, and ensured timely and rationally priced access, to utility poles. Just this year, we established rules for signal boosters that will promote the deployment of such devices to expand wireless coverage. Today’s Notice is another step toward removing barriers to the deployment of much-needed wireless infrastructure. I commend Ruth Milkman, Jane Jackson, Jeffrey Steinberg, Peter Trachtenberg, Michael Smith, Mania Baghdadi and Won Kim, for providing us with a thorough and thoughtful item, on these critically important issues. I especially want to thank Peter for staying late last night to accommodate suggested edits to the NPRM. I also want to thank Michele Ellison and Louis Peraertz for their endurance in working on this NPRM.