‘I don’t intend to go crawl under a rock’: An exit interview with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler

A Q&A with outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler.

Asked, "What would you say were your biggest accomplishments and, by contrast, your biggest defeats or setbacks?" Chairman Wheeler replied, "I'm really proud of what we did on net neutrality. I'm proud about what we did on privacy. I'm proud of what we did on cybersecurity. I'm proud of what we did on E-Rate. I'm proud of what we did on Lifeline. There are a lot of things I look back on with pride, and smile. I mean, we were the first to have spectrum for 5G in the world. We expanded the rural broadband program. I mean, I'm proud, when I look back on it." Asked, "What are you going to do now? Do you see yourself staying in tech policy?" Chairman Wheeler replied, "I'm a network guy. I've spent the last 40 years of my life in new and evolving networks. I don't think the cat can change his stripes. I'm going to go to the Aspen Institute and decompress for about three months. I don't intend to go crawl under a rock someplace."