FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

In the last few weeks of January 2020, several lawmakers from New York wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai over concerns about a recent decision to "make all of New York State ineligible for Phase I Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) awards." On Jan 30, 2020, Chairman Pai responded by stating that the draft report and order, particularly the RDOF's Phase I awards, "contained some overly broadband language on that issue.

Here's the agenda for the Federal Communications Commission's February open meeting:

On Jan 31, 2020, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai wrote the following to various Members of Congress:

On Dec 9, 48 senators wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to say that, as the FCC considers new rules in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), it should emphasize the importance of sustainable networks that meet the needs of consumers now and in the future.

On Dec 19, 2019, House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR), and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Ranking Member Bob Latta (R-OH) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to raise concerns about the unreliable data collected for the Mobility Fund Phase II (MF II) coverage maps, and therefore concerns about the announcement that MF II will be replaced with a new 5G Fund.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement about President Donald Trump signing the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act (PIRATE) Act into law:

On Nov 19, 2019, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Ranking Member Tom Udall (D-NM) and Sens Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to give voice to the concerns raised by Tribal communities surrounding the implementation of the Tribal priority window to open up access to Educational Broadband Service (EBS) spectrum on Tribal lands. 

On Nov 22, 2019, Rep Peter DeFazio (D-OR) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai about his growing concern with the FCC's "pattern of subordinating transportation safety to corporate broadband interests." He objected tot he FCC's proposal to repurpose portions of the 3.7-4.2 GHz spectrum band (C-band) for 5G purposes. He also objected to the FCC proposal to give away more than half the reserved 5.9 GHz connected vehicle spectrum to unlicensed Wi-Fi. 

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai released the following statement regarding an upcoming Cellular Vehicle to Everything (CV2X) deployment in Northern Virginia, which was announced Jan 22 by Audi, Qualcomm, and the Virginia Department of Transportation. The deployment will include warnings that automatically alert cars to upcoming work zones as well as SPaT (signal phase and timing), which enables cars to receive a countdown from a red light to a green light: 

My travels throughout Indian Country have shown me that bringing high-speed connectivity to rural Tribal lands can be a game-changer. Broadband enables teleworking, job searches, and even starting an online business. It allows patients to consult with specialists without having to drive hours to the nearest hospital. And it gives students the ability to take advanced math and science classes online, if they aren’t offered at the local school. That’s why I’m proud to have launched several Federal Communications Commission initiatives to expand broadband access on Tribal lands.