Federal Communications Commission	FCC 23-114

STATEMENT OF
CHAIRWOMAN JESSICA ROSENWORCEL

Re: 	Modifying Emissions Limits for the 24.25-24.45 GHz and 24.75-25.25 GHz Bands; ET Docket No. 21-186, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (December 22, 2023)

	Last month, I had the honor of being a part of the United States delegation at the World Radio Conference in Dubai.  At these conferences, the world gathers to discuss opportunities for the harmonization of spectrum and the growth of wireless markets.  Preparation for these discussions, which are held once every four years, requires a mix of Olympic energy and diplomatic skill.  The gatherings themselves take weeks and the resolutions that result have treaty-like effect, obligating member states to make adjustments to their domestic spectrum policies.  
	At the most recent conference, the United States was able to secure significant victories, clearing the way for further development of unlicensed and licensed airwaves.  To ensure that we reap the full benefit of these outcomes, however, two things are essential.  
First, it is essential that Congress reinstate spectrum auction authority for the Federal Communications Commission.  The expiration of this authority—for the first time in three decades—has tied our hands, constraining our ability to hold auctions and threatening our leadership in global wireless deployment.  
Second, it is essential that we honor the resolutions from this conference and past ones, including the World Radio Conference held four years ago in Sharm el-Sheikh.  Here, we take steps to implement specific policies from that last gathering by proposing to align our rules for 5G mobile services in the 24 GHz band with international protections for weather forecasting and climate research that takes place in adjacent bands.  It is worth noting that the world followed our lead in adopting mobile operations in the 24 GHz band.  Now with this rulemaking, we seek to fulfill our obligations in this band, and in doing so commit to strike the right balance between fostering mobile service and protecting resources for scientific research.   
I am grateful for the Commission team that led our work at the World Radio Conference in Dubai, just as I am for those who have taken on this duty at conferences in the past.  The demands on their time are extensive, the days they spend far from home are substantial, and the commitment they have to serving the public interest is extraordinary.