Adelstein at Spectrum Management 2006

REMARKS OF FCC COMMISSIONER ADELSTEIN AT SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT 2006
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
As you all know, the power of spectrum cannot be underestimated. In the 21st century, we are reminded of that on a daily basis. Just two weeks ago, the New York Times ran a great article about the efforts of local communities to fill broadband service gaps in their neighborhoods. The medium of choice - spectrum of course! One particular story caught my eye. It involved a number of organizations who have banded together to launch what they call the Connecting Rural Ohio Wireless Neighborhood Project. It is deploying broadband to underserved communities in Ohio's Appalachian southeast. This area has been particularly hard hit by factory closings over the past several years. It suffers from a poverty rate approaching 20 percent. The story caught my attention because of the creativity involved in deploying this multi-band network, which was led by a team from the Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARNet) and Ohio State University. This kind of accomplishment can truly transform communities. My job as an FCC Commissioner is to do whatever I can to promote spectrum-based opportunities like this in the future. The Commission has to be more creative with a term I have coined "spectrum facilitation." That means looking at all types of approaches - regulatory, technical, or economic - to get spectrum into the hands of operators ready and willing to serving consumers at the most local levels
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-265394A1.doc