STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER MIGNON L. CLYBURN Re: Amendment of the Commission’s Rules to Provide Spectrum for the Operation of Medical Body Area Network, First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, ET Docket No. 08-59 Before us this morning, is yet another example of the how the communications industry is working to address important needs in health care. According to the statistics filed in this proceeding, only 56% of staffed beds in acute care hospitals were actually monitored. In his remarks last week, Chairman Genachowski pointed out that the Institute of Healthcare Improvement reported that “a monitored hospital patient has a 48% chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.” However, “unmonitored patients have only a 6% chance of survival.” These statistics cry out for a solution, which would enable the health care industry to monitor more patients and improve those outcomes. Medical Body Area Networks, or MBANs, have the capacity to significantly address this issue. In addition, these networks provide a “last meter” wireless link to eliminate the wires and cables that currently tether a patient to the monitor. This gives patients more freedom of movement, the enhanced ability to walk and exercise, which could result in more rapid recovery and discharge. This ultimately should improve patient care and reduce overall healthcare costs. With the rule changes contained in this Order, the Commission is also providing up to 40 megahertz of spectrum for medical care. Today’s Order, not only holds the promise of more speedy recovery and lower medical costs, it should also attract capital investment and spur business development and job creation, as the health care profession and the wireless industry again join forces in deploying MBANs nationwide. Although this Order largely tracks a Joint Proposal that GE, Phillips, and AFTRCC presented to the Commission, there are a number of equipment manufacturers and wireless carriers, that have demonstrated interest in offering devices and services, for the MBAN platform. This proceeding also affirms what is possible, when members of our communications industry, work past initial disagreements. At first, there were several parties who hold primary licenses in the 2.3 GHz band that were opposed to the GE Petition. They were concerned that the development of Medical Body Area Networks would cause interference to their incumbent operations. I am glad that all relevant parties were able to collaborate and find a way to improve health care while maintaining protections for incumbent operations in these spectrum bands. Perhaps the details of their approach can be followed to promote sharing in other bands as well, and I am confident that this collaboration will continue, as we work through the remaining issues raised in the Further Notice portion of this item. I join my colleagues in commending the talented staff of the Office of Engineering and Technology, for working through difficult technical issues, and for presenting us with a detailed and thorough item.