Remarks of FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn at the Fourth Meeting of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee

Nearly one year ago, during the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee’s (BDAC) inaugural meeting, I urged this Committee to consider the needs and the capacity of low-income communities as you develop policy recommendations. I also reminded the Committee that all municipalities, areas, and communities are not created equal. It was thus my hope that the BDAC’s consensus-based approach would incorporate the concerns expressed by local government representatives of this Committee. While I am continuing to review each of the filed reports, I believe I must say it is regrettable that the concerns of localities do not appear to have been fully addressed. Additionally, while I appreciate the BDAC’s acknowledgement that public-private partnerships may provide solutions to bridge those divides, I noticed that there was an expressed preference for industry over municipalities in broadband deployment efforts. As I have said many, many times before, one size does not fit all, and private industry infrastructure investments do not always flow to communities that are most in need. Therefore, I will continue to ask for municipalities to be allowed to deploy a broadband network, if that best suits the needs of the people they are elected and appointed to serve. 


Remarks of FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn at the Fourth Meeting of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee Clyburn Pushes Broadband Advisory Committee to Support Muni Buildouts (Broadcasting&Cable)