STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER MIGNON L. CLYBURN Re: Expanding Flexible Use in Mid-Band Spectrum Between 3.7 and 24 GHz, GN Docket No. 17-183 There is no question that the demand for wireless broadband services is increasing at a very fast clip. The latest data from the Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) shows that traffic from wireless and mobile devices will account for more than 63 percent of total Internet Protocol (IP) traffic by 2021, and mobile data traffic is predicted to increase sevenfold between 2016 and 2021. In recent years, the Commission has initiated various proceedings aimed at ensuring that we have adequate spectrum to meet consumers’ growing reliance on wireless services. We have looked high, we have looked low – but today we look in the middle. In this item, we commence an exploration of mid-range spectrum bands between 3.7 and 24 GHz for flexible use with a specific focus on wireless broadband services. We highlight three bands that have already been the subject of domestic and international study for detailed comment, namely 3.7-4.2 GHz, 5.925-6.425 GHz and 6.425-7.125 GHz, and we solicit input on other mid-band spectrum that can be utilized to unleash new opportunities for flexible licensed and unlicensed wireless broadband use cases. We recognize that these mid-range spectrum bands support a wide variety of important uses, and accordingly ask commenters to provide detailed descriptions of how they plan to protect incumbents in the band. We also seek comment on steps that can or should be taken to mitigate interference between or among currently shared or adjacent allocations. The unique properties of mid-band spectrum make it particularly attractive for deployment of next-generation wireless services. And as we continue to explore and invent innovative and expedient wireless use cases to enhance and enrich our lives, from telehealth and distance learning to smart cities and IoT, we can clearly see that mid-band spectrum is not just important, but instrumental to unleashing the promise of 5G and beyond. As this agency seeks to meet consumers’ insatiable appetite for wireless broadband services, I am grateful to the staff of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology for your continuing efforts to make sure no band of spectrum is unexplored.