FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 27, 2010

TIA Submits Recommendations to FCC on National Broadband Plan

In a 'Roadmap' for Broadband Policy, TIA Outlines Six Key Principles that Should Govern the Commission's Approach

Washington, D.C. – As the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enters its final phase in the development of a National Broadband Plan ("Plan"), the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) filed reply comments today outlining its positions on a variety of issues raised by the Commission regarding the Plan.

TIA specifically addressed broadband deployment and adoption; spectrum allocation and management, including the need for increased spectrum for wireless broadband; universal service reform; accessibility; international comparison; research and development; public safety; and energy and the environment, including Smart Grid technology.

In addition, TIA recommended that the Commission should encourage the digitization of Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (MVPD) networks, the migration of those networks to IP, and the utilization of bandwidth conservation technologies, as part of the overarching effort to stimulate investment and innovation in broadband networks and video devices.

TIA urged that the Plan should be "focused, practical, and achievable" in order to ensure broadband deployment and availability to all Americans.

"TIA thanks the Commission for continuing to exhaustively evaluate public and governmental input on how to create a plan to bring broadband to all Americans," said Danielle Coffey, TIA Vice President for Government Affairs.

TIA also provided a "Roadmap" with a timeline to ensure transparency through a clear agenda and benchmarks and target specific action items over the next three years in moving forward with the Plan. The Roadmap provides practical recommendations for creating a strong plan that will improve lives, enhance innovation, and help restore America's long-term prosperity.

In the Roadmap, TIA outlined six key principles that should govern the Commission's approach to broadband policy. Specifically, it believes that the Commission should work to:

• Enhance efforts to stimulate investment and innovation in next-generation broadband;
• Pursue forward-looking spectrum management and the allocation of additional spectrum;
• Strive to provide communications to all Americans, including access in low-income and rural areas, and persons with disabilities;
• Facilitate open and fair market access for U.S. companies by promoting full, fair and open trade and competition in international markets;
• Increase the amount of federal funding towards efforts to deploy broadband in rural areas, communications network-specific basic research, tax credits and expensing provisions, among other initiatives that foster investment and innovation; and
• Promote the development of a broadband interoperable public safety network capable of protecting all communities in the event of further domestic disasters.

Additionally, TIA strongly urged the Commission to take into consideration the complexity of the nation's broadband needs and recognize the benefits offered by all next-generation technologies.

"The Commission should also commit to initiating and/or completing specific proceedings and convening key stakeholders to help move forward with many of the important initiatives outlined," said Coffey. "TIA Members are committed to working with the Commission to achieve these goals and deploy high-quality broadband services and enable consumer adoption of such services."

TIA's comments – along with the Roadmap – have been posted on TIA's FCC filings page at tiaonline.org.

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About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. Since 1924, TIA has been enhancing the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members' products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment.

TIA co-owns the SUPERCOMM^® tradeshow  and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.

TIA's Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC, ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel Communications, Inc., Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, Openwave, Inc., Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Powerwave Technologies, Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., and Verari Systems. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, Orca Systems and Telcordia Technologies.

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