Federal Communications Commission	"FCC  XX-XXX"


STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER BRENDAN CARR
Re: 	Waiver of Part 25 Licensing Requirements for Receive-Only Earth Stations Operating with the Galileo Radionavigation-Satellite Service, IB Docket No. 17-16

A few months ago on a farm in Arizona, Frank told me about the first time he hopped on a tractor with his dad.  It was long before anyone invented GPS or heard of precision ag.  In an open cab, with the dust swirling and the heat beating down, Frank would pick out a distant mountain and steer towards it, leaving a row of crops more rough than straight.  He would then swing around and steer towards another marker in the distance.  It was tough work.

Five decades after his first ride-along with his dad, Frank let me join him on a few passes in his new tractor.  With the push of a button, it took off—able to drive itself and make precise inch-by-inch adjustments to everything from seed depth to type of fertilizer.  All of that thanks to a constellation of GPS satellites more than 12,000 miles overhead.  The GPS signals that travel from space to soil allow Frank’s tractor to move in a laser straight line.

Back in his cab, Frank said that precision ag has boosted productivity and cut down on costs for farmers across the country.  And he’s right.  American farmers now feed the world.  The U.S. exports more food than any other country; we produce more than the entire European Union.  Our farmers do more with their land than anyone else because of their skill and technology.  

That’s why today’s decision is so important.  Galileo, the European satellite system that is similar to GPS, could give Frank and other farmers another big boost.  The Galileo constellation will enable a broader range of services and applications and, since it’s compatible with GPS, improve reliability and resiliency.  It’s not just smart ag that will benefit—everything from aviation to the real-time directions on your smartphone could see improvements.  And, importantly, our decision will advance public safety by allowing 911 dispatchers to get a better fix on your location.  

So I’m glad we’re moving forward with today’s decision.  I want to thank the International Bureau for its work.  It has my support. 


2