**SEPARATE STATEMENT OF**

**COMMISSIONER KATHLEEN Q. ABERNATHY**

*Re: Section 257 Triennial Report to Congress; Identifying and
Eliminating Market Entry Barriers for Entrepreneurs and Other Small
Businesses (released Feb. 12, 2004)*

In section 257 of the Communications Act, Congress recognized the vital
role that entrepreneurs and other small businesses play in driving
economic growth, job creation, and innovation throughout our economy.
Congress's faith in innovation, investment, competition, and
deregulation ― as expressed in the 1996 Act ― charted a course that
creates opportunities in the communications industry for small
businesses throughout the nation.

Over the last three years this Commission's policies and actions have
advanced the interests of entrepreneurs and other small businesses
across the communications industry as we have focused on achieving
results, not rhetoric. In our quest to bring broadband Internet access
to every corner of the United States, the Commission's broadband
efforts, especially in the wireless space, have created literally
thousands of new small businesses. Entrepreneurial WISPs are bringing
broadband Internet access to Americans across the United States---from
New York City to Ryan, Iowa. Countless other small businesses have
emerged to provide equipment, network management solutions, security,
and unlicensed wireless devices that make broadband Internet access a
reality today for 50 million Americans.

Additionally, our efforts to spur broadband deployment have focused not
only on infrastructure, but on empowering entrepreneurs to use our
nation's broadband networks as platforms for innovation. The fruits of
our labors are also producing results as small businesses and
entrepreneurs are using broadband to break into the formerly
monopolistic worlds of telephony, video distribution, and news
production. Small companies like Vonage and 8x8 lead the Internet voice
revolution. Video streaming advances have prompted a host of small
businesses and entrepreneurs to enter a field formerly occupied only by
big media. Our broadband Internet efforts have also empowered diverse
media voices. From "blogs" to moveon.org, to Google's 4,500 diverse
media sources from around the globe, we are swimming in an abundance and
diversity of media that have never before been seen.

As the Commission continues to push competitive, affordable, and
universal broadband Internet access to the masses resulting in the
demolition of barriers to entry for small businesses and entrepreneurs
in voice, video, data, and software and hardware development, we are
also dramatically lowering barriers to entry for small businesses and
entrepreneurs across our economy. Using the tools provided by the
Internet, companies across the United States are able to enter into new
product markets and sell their products and services to anyone in the
world. Whether you are a small travel company, flower shop, clothing
apparel store, farmer, educator, or health care provider there is a
place for your innovations, entrepreneurial spirit and service to
Americans in the 21st Century communications revolution.

The ability of small businesses to enter new or established markets does
not, however, end with broadband Internet services. Small businesses and
entrepreneurs are entering media markets at a pace never before seen ---
flooding the cable and satellite television network and program
production ranks. Policies by Congress and this Commission have allowed
for investments by the cable and satellite industries that have
increased channel capacity --- thereby creating new opportunities for
small businesses. Furthermore, the Commission's efforts in digital
television and digital radio, together with recent actions opening up
the filing window for new and modified AM stations and upcoming actions
in LPFM, are giving small businesses and entrepreneurs new opportunities
in the broadcasting business.

In short, the Commission's promotion of competition, broadband
deployment, and new media outlets has gone a long way toward fulfilling
the goals set forth in the section 257 of the Act. While I am proud of
our record, we must continue to search for new ways to break down
barriers and create new opportunities for entrepreneurs and other small
businesses.