Statement of Commissioner Susan Ness               Federal Communications Commission                           Before the       Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation                      United States Senate                         March 22, 2000Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Committee:     It is an honor to appear before you today.     I want to begin by thanking both the Committee Chairman, Senator McCain, forscheduling this hearing and the Subcommittee Chairman, Senator Burns, for agreeing to chair it.  Ialso want to thank the Ranking Member, Senator Hollings, for his invaluable assistance, and thesenators from my home state of Maryland, Senator Mikulski and Senator Sarbanes, for theirsupport and friendship.     It is a great privilege to be entrusted   along with my four colleagues and a staff ofdedicated employees   with implementation of our Nation's communications laws.  Through theCommission's implementation of those laws, we seek to effectuate your vision   that I share   ofcompetition and innovation throughout the communications industry; of access for all Americansto advanced services; of elimination of outdated regulations; and of opened global markets.  Iappreciate the opportunity you have given me to serve in a position to promote these goals, andwith your consent, I will continue to do so.     I have been fortunate to serve at an extraordinary time.  When I first appeared before thisCommittee in 1994, the Internet was still a nascent network used predominantly by academia. Less than 10 percent of Americans had cellular phones.  Spectrum licenses were awarded bylotteries, not auctions.  There was no direct broadcast satellite service.  And local telephonecompetition was largely a dream.     Today, the Internet has revolutionized the way we live, work, and play.  Over sixtypercent of Americans now use the World Wide Web on a regular basis.  Eighty million Americanssubscribe to mobile telephone service.  Over 8,000 spectrum licenses have been awarded byauction.  Direct broadcast satellite is the fastest-growing video service.  And there are a multitudeof new companies aiming to provide customers with choices for their local and advancedtelecommunications services.     But the best is yet to come.     Over the next five years and beyond, the Internet will profoundly change the way we liveand work.  The convergence of previously separate industries will allow information and content,whether voice, data or video, to be transmitted virtually any time and any place over an ever-expanding number of paths.  Multiple broadband pipelines, both wired and wireless, will bring anew generation of applications to consumers.  Millions of devices, from soda machines to mobilephones, will communicate directly on the Internet.  New technologies such as software definedradio and spread spectrum devices, will fundamentally challenge the way we think of spectrumallocation.  Together, these innovations will provide consumers with a wealth of new choices andlower prices.  Our task is to insure that all Americans have access to the wealth of benefits andopportunities flowing from this telecommunications revolution.     Mr. Chairman, the future depends upon innovation.  And the Commission plays animportant role.  We foster innovation when we create opportunities for new technologies,whether wired or wireless, to reach users.  We foster innovation when we reform rules andpractices that impede competitive forces.  And we foster innovation when we reduce barriers toinvestment and open markets to competition.  But we must do so at a pace consistent with digitalage speed and efficiency.     We live in a global economy.  Countries around the world have looked to the leadership ofthe United States in opening telecommunications markets to competition.  We can be proud ofour record at home and abroad.     Mr. Chairman, I am excited about the future.  That is why I am so enthusiastic aboutparticipating in the effort to transform your vision into reality.  That is why I would be honored toserve the American people during this time of unprecedented change.     Thank you.