"With this Executive Memorandum, President Bush has institutionalized innovation excellence. The White House directive improving spectrum management for the 21st Century is a tribute to the commitment and tireless efforts of Commerce Secretary Don Evans to strengthening our national security and improving our economic security by modernizing spectrum policy. His vision as a world economic leader and his skills as an engineer were key to our success. Under his leadership, we paved the way for the deployment of ultrawideband and broadband over power lines; identified 90 MHZ of spectrum for advanced wireless services; doubled the spectrum available for unlicensed WiFi connections; and supported the President's efforts to design a spectrum policy for the 21st Century and to make broadband accessible to every American.

Under Secretary Evans's leadership, federal agencies unanimously supported the recommendations and the President has made all of them policy. This is historic. We are looking forward to working with the Congressional leadership on Capitol Hill and with the Federal Communications Commission to implement the 24 recommendations. The next steps will be the development of a Federal Strategic Spectrum Plan, the creation of incentives to promote efficient and effective spectrum use for federal agencies, as well as new I.T. applications and the development of a spectrum sharing and innovation test bed."

Link to Fact Sheet with summary and list of recommendations:
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/specpolini/factsheetspecpolini_06242004.htm

Link to Executive Memorandum on White House website:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/11/20041130-8.html

Statement by Michael D. Gallagher
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information

December 1, 2004