STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER BRENDAN CARR

Re:	Amendment of Parts 2 and 25 of the Commission’s Rules to Facilitate the Use of Earth Stations in Motion Communicating with Geostationary Orbit Space Stations in Frequency Bands Allocated to the Fixed Satellite Service, IB Docket No. 17-95.

It often takes the modern-day version of duct tape and bailing wire to deploy broadband in the hardest-to-serve parts of the country.  This work is done by people with names like Bear, who works in the Nevada desert bringing broadband to a community that did not even see telephone service until the 1960s.  People like Blake, who strings aerial fiber on utility poles hundreds of miles above the Arctic circle.  And people like Darren and Matt, who worked in the 106 degree Arizona heat two weeks ago to deploy a provider’s first 5G small cell in the state.  These are tough jobs, and right now we have the best crews in the world working to get more broadband into more communities.  Today’s decision aims to make it a little easier to serve rural and remote parts of the country.  We do this by proposing to give satellite providers greater flexibility in reaching consumers who often cannot be served using other technologies.  I am glad that we are looking to promote new services and innovations in these satellite bands.  So the item has my support.