Donna Epps

As 2016 comes to a close, this is a time of both reflection and looking ahead. At Verizon, we could not be prouder of the work our dedicated teams have accomplished over the past 12 months to improve our customers’ experience. From introducing new services like LTE Advanced on our next gen network, to providing more mobile content to our customers with go90, to expanding Verizon’s position in exciting new technologies such as 5G, the Internet of Things, telematics and smart communities; it’s been an exciting year.

The next Congress and incoming Administration have an opportunity to modernize the nation’s antiquated communications laws in ways that will better protect consumers, foster innovation and encourage market competition across the Internet ecosystem. Today’s rigid laws and regulations built around legacy services must give way to new, more flexible approaches that are more aligned to the realities of the converged digital marketplace. Rather than relying on outdated technology-specific regulations, we need a modernized legal framework with broad parameters that is tailored to promote competition and protect consumers in today’s ever-changing environment.

[Commentary] The Minority Media & Telecommunications Council recently released a white paper, “Digital Déjà Vu: A Road Map for Promoting Minority Ownership in the Wireless Industry,” that calls on the Federal Communications Commission to reform its “designated entity” rules.

“Designated entities” (DE) are the collective term used for women- and minority-owned businesses, and the paper calls for the Federal Communications Commission to increase opportunities for women and minority-owned enterprises to participate in spectrum auctions by reforming its “designated entity” rules.

We agree that this issue deserves FCC review. As a company that is committed to diversity and inclusion, Verizon supports efforts to create opportunities for greater inclusion and participation.

While we do not agree with every recommendation in the MMTC white paper, we support MMTC’s overall goal to increase participation of diverse communities in the communications space.

We also agree with MMTC that the FCC should examine appropriate ways to reform the current “designated entity” rules to maximize opportunities for small, women and minority-owned businesses to participate in spectrum auctions.