STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER MIGNON L. CLYBURN
Re: In the Matter of Amendment of Part 15 of the Commission’s Rules for Unlicensed Operations in 
the Television Bands, Repurposed 600 MHz Guard bands and Duplex Gap, and Channel 37, and 
Amendment of Part 74 of the Commission’s Rules for Low Power Auxiliary Stations in the 
Repurposed 600 MHz Band and 600 MHz Duplex Gap; Expanding the Economic and Innovation 
Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions, 
Promoting Spectrum Access for Wireless Microphone Operations; Expanding the Economic and 
Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions.
To casual observers, the world’s first ever reverse incentive auction is only about broadcast TV 
stations turning in their spectrum licenses so they can be resold for commercial wireless services.  But a 
successful incentive auction will also impact the amount of spectrum available for other important 
communications services, such as wireless microphones, wireless medical telemetry and TV White Space 
services.  So I am glad that, when we initiated the incentive auction proceeding in 2012, the FCC took an 
approach to explore how we could protect as many incumbent services as possible.  
These two Notices continue with this commitment.  Since the Incentive Auction Order would 
permit TV White Space devices and wireless microphones to use the duplex gap and other guard bands, 
the Part 15 NPRM proposes detailed technical rules that would allow those services to operate without 
interfering with each other or neighboring services.  Although there is a proposal to allow TV White 
Space devices to operate in channels where they were previously excluded, the Notice proposes rules that 
are intended to protect the incumbent services such as medical telemetry.  
There are also a number of great proposals in the companion NPRM on wireless microphones.  In 
that Notice, we are developing a framework to accommodate the current and future needs, of licensed and 
unlicensed wireless microphones.  We are considering rule changes for licensed operations in all the 
bands, where wireless microphones currently operate.  We also identify new spectrum bands, for wireless 
microphones.  
If you review the record in this proceeding, you will notice many presentations from broadcasters 
and other parties, who manufacture or use wireless microphones, advocates for deployment of unlicensed 
TV White Spaces, and users of wireless medical telemetry services.  All of these presentations have a 
common refrain.  Our technology provides critical services.  The prior Commission decisions have taken 
too much spectrum from us.  The technical arguments of our opponents are flawed.  
In my opinion, these Notices respond to these charges, in three simple, but important ways.  First, 
we agree that these technologies provide important services. Second, all parties will have to learn to live 
together in a spectrum constrained environment.  Third, and with apologies to the lawyers on my staff and 
those in the room, now is the time to kick the lawyers out of the room, and let the engineers rule.  
Well; ok. I know the lawyers will never leave the room, but, the engineers must lead the way. I 
trust they will collaborate on tests in order for us to establish the proper technical rules that will 
accommodate all these services.  We owe this to the consumers who use these technologies. Thank you,
Hugh Van Tuyl and Paul Murray for your presentations, and I commend Gary Epstein, Julie Knapp, Ira 
Keltz, Geraldine Matise, and Roger Sherman and all of the staff members, who worked so hard on these 
excellent Notices.