The BDAC, 5G and Cities: The Power and Perils of Asymmetry

[Speech] On of the two historic accomplishments of the current Federal Communications Commission is that it is the first FCC to interpret its statutory mandate to say it doesn’t have much legal authority or policy rights to regulate broadcasters, telephone companies, cable companies, or wireless companies. Instead, its principal regulatory mandate is to regulate another set of enterprises: local governments. Although the FCC’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) started with worthy goals -- to accelerate and broaden deployment of next generation broadband networks, and reduce the digital divide -- the primary result of the process will likely be to transfer wealth from the public to private enterprises.

[Blair Levin is a Non-resident Senior Fellow of the Metropolitan Policy Project of the Brookings Institute. From 2009-2010, Mr. Levin oversaw the development of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan. ]