STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER BRENDAN CARR Re: Encouraging the Provision of New Technologies and Services to the Public, GN Docket No. 18-22 “It shall be the policy of the United States to encourage the provision of new technologies and services to the public. Any person . . . who opposes a new technology or service. . . shall have the burden to demonstrate that such proposal is inconsistent with the public interest.” Congress added those words to the end of a five-page bill in 1983. They instruct the Commission to side with inventers and innovators. They tell us to presume in favor of the disrupters and place the burden of proof on the incumbents. We haven’t done much to operationalize those words in the last 35 years. We have used other authorities to create our experimental licensing program, designate innovation zones, conduct the Pioneer’s Preference Program, and implement “flexible use” licensing policies. Today, we begin to make up for lost time. In this NPRM, we propose a set of factors that innovators can use to determine whether their technologies will qualify for expedited section 7 review. Our proposal requires the Office of Engineering and Technology to make an initial determination of whether the technology qualifies as “new” within 90 days. It also fulfills the law’s requirement that the Commission decide on a petition or application within a year. There is much the Commission can do to create an environment that encourages innovation. This is a solid step in the right direction. I want to thank the Office of Engineering and Technology, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and the International Bureau for their work in developing today’s item. It has my support.