November 29, 2000

Re:

Amendment of Parts 2 and 25 of the Commission's Rules to Permit Operation of NGSO FSS Systems Co-Frequency with GSO and Terrestrial Systems in the Ku- Band Frequency Range; Amendment of the Commission's Rules to Authorize Subsidiary Terrestrial Use of the 12.2-12.7 GHz Band by Direct Broadcast Satellite Licensees and Their Affiliates; Applications of Broadwave USA, PDC Broadband Corporation, and Satellite Receivers, Ltd. To Provide A Fixed Service in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band

I write separately on two counts. First, I support the steps we take today to allow more services into the Ku-band. With the allocations and spectrum sharing approach we undertake here, there will new opportunities to deploy exciting services to consumers across the nation. Interested parties offer great promise for extending the reach of broadband services and providing new alternatives for the delivery of video programming services including local television signals. While today's action represents several important determinations, additional steps are necessary before the promise of these services becomes reality. I look forward to further action in this regard.

Second, I wish to recognize the dedication and commitment of the Commission's engineers, lawyers, and economists who have done extraordinary work in this proceeding. Many of the policies and proposals made here represent extremely complex spectrum sharing arrangements. Throughout the lengthy period of negotiations with the parties, at international fora, and in reviewing the hundreds and hundreds of filings in the record, Commission staff have sought ways to share spectrum that allow deployment of new services without causing any unreasonable intrusion into the services of existing licensees. With this Order and Further Notice, I believe we have set a course to do just that. Our work is far from over, but I commend our staff for their undertakings thus far.