[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] everyones attention. I want to welcome a great friend, a tremendous policy maker, someone who provides leadership on all of the issues and policies that we care about in the broadband industry and we couldnt have a better friend so i want to recognize ben ray lujan, new mexico, a beautiful state, welcome. I appreciate that. Everyone, its good to see you all. I was complimenting chip and incompas for the lineup here today not for everyone gathered in this room, but people across the country as welled in such at topic. We all remember the days, or at least a few of us im looking around this room, i dont know how many of you, but when the land line was maybe the only game in town or maybe you all carried a little box on your hip that people would come up witcih creative ways to use numbered characters to try to send you a message for you to give them a call whenever you found a pay phone that you might be lucky enough to have by the time i was older when they went away with 50 quarter. I remember when there was a few dimeare today, ai, and better uses of spectrum and allocation, trying to connect every phone, sorry, try to connect every home and every business in america. Being smart how were going to get that done. By the way, taking into consideration how to make it affordable for people to get connected and not just ensuring that they have a hard line to their home. Its incredible. Its a fun time to be in this space and a perfect time, chip. Were in the midst of this historic federal funding to youve been a tremendous leader in that effort. Incompas, youve got cliburnirw commissioner of the fcc. She and i have been running the last few years, how do you connect everyone, but remove the barriers to deployment. Talk a little bit to everyone how you see data implementation challenge the process, how new mexico is doing, any key principles at this stage of the mplementation of ai . One is that is happening in concert, having maps tell you where you need to put a little more attention and where you maybe have some success. What im referring to is on to ensure that the fcc would be updating them and theyd be the goto source, they have to beix months and i think thats a smart way to look at connectivity data reporting and ensuring that opposites have to be more in touch with whats happening on the ground in their communities and also, empowering what the fcc created with that app originally where folks could weand say, no, these are the fees in my house and i dont have connectivity and youre updating as a consumer as well. I know i use that app when i saw the speeds that were at my mothers house and i was there and thats not the case so i jumped on the app and my pubc comments as a citizen, i guess, not as a senator, was entered that way. Now, new mexico, were one of the fortunate states that has a state office as well, that is working together, submitting everything on time, and i think thats helping us with doesntn that we should watch closely, we should ensure that were going to connect every home that were looking at folks that are not c folks that have the slowest speed that we prioritize this and maximize the funding. All eyes are honest, chip, and you and i have had conversation about this as well, fcc and also congress is very interested in the energy and commercial committee and you know, and as we think through, Alan Davidson was here earlier today, you know, gave a good, relevant, timely remarks, but hes been a leader on conne and a side of that was very proud of the achievement. Talk a little about why thats important to new mexico, and you know, in my home state, my former home district, we had the band of choctaws, why is this tribal connectivity so important . One of the strengths of the country to truly identify with the leaders and identify the gaps that exist and rather than just going for connectivity. Its empowering the tribes to owning their own spectrum and one thing that happened in new extraordinary leader working with pueblos, alongi25, if youve landed at the airport in albuquerque and going to santa fe, youve driven places where im talking about. And kimball understanding the needs of the pueblos was identifying the bestlibrary. Well, how does that happen . There was very little connectivity elsewhere. There was a concern with easements, things of that nature. Rather than bringing someone else in a process, they said well build our own networks. They have three pueblos, and optimize speed and its their program now and theyre working with others to provide the service to enhance s of that na its almost theres a program called 638 where sovereign nations are able to take ownership of particular programs. This is empowering sovereign nations across the United States to be those leaders right now and its a program i support. Its a program i helped lead, as you know, chip, and its closed the gap. And one of the reasolook, 18 o within the sovereign nation werely without any connection and you compare that to those of us that are not living within reservations. The number is high, but its ref injustice . It shows that the program that was there before as wellmeaning as it was was not closing the gap and this program is so im really optimistic that what this means in eliminating the lack of connectivity in all sovereign nations and all the tribes, with all the pueblos. Commissioner carr in his remarks, in his conversation with andy, right before you came on, talked about how his infusion of public funding, combined with, really, the high peak of private investment, the funding combined, privatepublic. That if we can also bring ininf to most efficiently, quickly recipe for how we can help he close the divide and to do it as quickly and as cost effectively as possible. One opportunity before the fcc right now is on 12 gigahertz used and champion on that issue as the fcc is timely in making a decision to allow twoway fixed high powered wireless service, protecting against any interference, what would that mean . And is it time for the fcc to act . One, its time for the fcc to act. I believe that everyone will be hearing from senator blackburn, u. S. Senator from tennessee, momentarily as well. And marsha joined the let to the fcc encourage them to move. 2 gigahertz space is going to be one of the important components to be able to help to connect all of america, especially in those areas where, you know, lo of mountain, its hard to get from here to there, theres concern with permitting and easements and the rest alphabet soup that goes along with it, this is an important component to get this done. Let me just say, chip the 5th of march . I think otherwise known as super tuesday. laughter spectrum reauthorization expires on march 9th. Im not trying to lose a week or gain a week, last that needs to get done, too. And by the way, thats one of the only revenue creating bills that the Commerce Committee and the senate has before it to be able to get things done. Weve got to do both. So im hopeful, optimistic that the fcc will act. We should all encourage them to move in that particular space, focus on encouraging the senate and in the house to send to the president , spectrum reauthoritization policy right away. It seems to me its not the policy thats getting in the way of this. Weve got to get it done. Im going back to 12 gigahertz. We, myself and senator blackburn shared with the fcc in that science. Technology is getting better. There are better ways to understand whats going to work, whether its interference, whether its not. And also how to live together and i think that helps us in other bands and im hopeful there can be strong rule making to open the door for more spectrum use and as well. Well, first, thank you, for your leadership on 12, its important. We have a great coalition, as you know trying to work with travel leaders across the country for a setaside that would follow the precedent and th sovereign rights of the sovereign nation and thank you for your good work on 12. The spectrum auction north is a good segue into another very important discussion that weve had here today abo t of gettingd and funded. Would you like to make news on any other path forward t hope t going to happen that were going to get a solution for acp toed . Im optimistic that there will be a fix for the shortterm funding with acp. I believe senator and senator vance, their package looking at appropriations, its getting more support and more members are talking about it, appropriated are talking about it and ways to get that funded. Colleagues in different corners are asking about the pay forwards as well. One of the other reasons why spectrum needs to get done soon. It wouldel nonetheless, unless the Congress Wants to see millions of people across america lose internet. All the providers in the room or represented in this room have had to send notice to their customers to say this is all going away. Congress didn and theres a solution at hand. And a solution thats widely supported. So, i believe that thats the answer and in addition to that, while the vast welch effort ext year, we need to be thinking about after that. So, ive been proud to be working with colleagues on a bi group to bring those programs together, to modernize those programs, to modernize the way theyre funded and who theyre going to help and how theyre going to help and the rest looking at the world were in. Its not 1996 any longer, but we can build off 1996 and ensuring theres more ways to keep people connected as well. I believe that good policy reforms and modernization, helps secure more votes for the immediate funding, because it shows our colleagues that may have some reluctance providing that immediate s were changing this program, were modernizing and so theres a policy component in addition to funding as well. And i believe its a Great Partnership if both of those two can land together and move together. Vehicle. T is always whats the but im optimistic with the conversations that ive had, with the conversations that other members have engaged with me■ ■÷ about, including leaders in this particular area. So, it seems to be in the right place. We all need to help close it though. You know, one thing that i appreciate your leadership position on the committee, on the subcommittee, but its a bipartisan commitment that you have with certain of your members. Youve mentioned senator blackburn, shes going to be following you in a little bit. Were how do we cross the Railroad Tracks to close the digital divide. How do we that. One more timely with reasonable with actual cost standards. Well be talking with her about appreciate your willingness to listen to us on that issue. Earlier today we announced that incompas is starting a center for ai Public Policy and responsibility. Youve been a leader on ai just, you know, i know that we dituestions or remarks on ai, but anything that you want to just kind of layout as your principled approach . What you see is the tremendous benefits that could flow to new mexico, the hardland of the heartland of the company that could work for Economic Development and make a difference . The one thing, chip, i always have to remindais going great stuff, but also do some bad things if its allowed to. One of the focuses i have on the subcommittee is looking at guardrails. What are those . What can we learn about other nations are doing in this particular space and what can we be doing better in the United States to ensure that ingenuity, innovation, iprosper guardrails here and one example that ill give you is, in th well, in the United States we dont have a great diversity an trials. When were developing drugs in america, it depends who is in the room and what audience theyre going to target and then what population they may be near in testing that particular drug im talking about the color of my skin, who my parents are, where they came from and the rest. Its the composition, who gets the true benefits of these marvels and who doesnt. I had a stroke about two years ago, twices devices that checks if it doesnt help me sleep, but it helps to measure my Blood Pressure and rate, if im sleeping or not. And lot of these devices would not get it because of the skin pigment. If the inputs to ai are lacking, what are we going to get . Ai is all were reviewing how it makes the decisions or present these ideas to us as well. Thats what im suggesting, what are the guardrails . How can we make changes that need addressing as well and im proud to represent two National Labs out of new mexico. Within the department of energy and ai, the National Labs have been doing this for a long time. Turns out they had to. They had the computers and i would argue they still do in the United States and we need to look to the labs as well, especially when were working in the confines of government to help us understand where that world should be as well. I applaud you and incompas for leaning into this space. Leader schumer is committed. Todd young, martin heinrich, mike rounds, the four leaders that are in the senate that are helping to put this together. In addition to every committee because every Committee Also ju of ai and theres a lot of interest in this space. In addition, whats happening across america and around the worl so, im very excited about what can come, but im also mindful that we need to be very thoughtful whether itsthr through government means, to ensure that were able to hp■ re unnecessary loopholes. Yeah, im going to wear two hats real quickly. Im going to wear the incompas hat and my mississippi hat. What were talking about, were working with the university of mississippi and this■b Intelligence Center and the university of Medical Center is beginning its application for comprehensive Cancer Center and were working with all four of mississippi state, southern jackson state, to work with our federal Research Center simil t ai applications in health care and agriculture and advanced manufacturing, in autonomy and autonomous vehicles, how to use this, whether its our dod partners or do National Labs on how do we optimize our networks, Broadband Networks and electricity. I think that senator wicker and you would make a great team how do we bring the Research Hubs in advanced ai applion and bringing in our hbcu partners into the process and have these regional ways that we can make sure that the concernshat you have can be addressed, our research can be done to help us lead internationally in our competitiveness and that we have the guardrails that we need, but also the security and the privacy and the, you know, the competition. So id le to bring some of the folks into your. I think the world of senator wicker, i think that roger is a wonderful person and a great leader and his leadership capacity on the Powers Committee and Armed Services and rogers authored his own packages and pmsoluon some of which are ideas that■u coalesce the working group and some of those were authored by roger. I should say senator ro wickerment wicker hes a great leader and i look forwar thim. Is there anything you want to say about the coalition to maintain and sustain acp, to bring tribal lands into rich opportunities. Spectrum you have a great portfolio. Your leadership is respected across both aisles and on bicameral basis. You have something thats unique and your a both Public Service commissioners and states t words of guidance or wisdom to our Member Companies and to what were trying to achieve and the best way to support policy makers . Well, i cant say enough great things. I think the world of the commissioner and it was when she was the chair of one of the arms of the National Rural or the national what are we called, public utility commissioners. What am i missing, theres an r out of there. Public utility■n commissioners, anyhow, she was the chair of the group that would engage with members of the house and the senate and fcc and ferc and others, and i was proud to get onto that little group and then the chair of that group introduced me first to a fella named jim cliburn before i was running for congress. And was leader cliburn who supported me in my member of the house. And whatever she advocates for, theres good in it and a way to get things done. Look, whenere on things, the example ill give. Right now things are volatile in the congress. Theres debates over funding the federalgovernment unnecessary barriers get put in place of good work. That just wastes taxpayers ere hurting the rest with market volatility. So, if members of congress are willing to do that on funding the government, what do you think theyll do on affordability programs, on acp . Even though theyre broadly supported, i want us all to understand that because there may be some areas where theres some disagreements with modernizin or future funding, i get it. Everyone here has a role and responsibility, you know your business better than anyone, but if we dont Work Together to get this done, acp could go away. And then what . Your budgets, revenue models, all of your work across america and and conversations with investors, what are you goingth what is going to happen to the conduit in the ground maybe recycle it, get pennies on the it. R, if theres copper if its glass tubes, i dont know what well do, maybe run water in it, i dont know. Weve got to get t im asking that we find ways to Work Together that we understand how important these conversations are in landing funding year, but looking at the next five, 10 programs like this exist and more people across the country are going to hunger and demand for faster and faster and faster speeds which means youre going to continue to th going to be there to get that done. I think some good can happen, but its one of the places we have to find a together. Thats what i would ask. Thats what i would understand. We will always come to the table and we appreciate how you always go to the table andu bri and we look forward to working with you on connecting every american, every tribe so, i couldnt thank you more. Well, thank you for your leadership. Thanks, everybody. [applaudible conversations]a