FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

[Commentary] Telemedicine — the delivery of health care services using communications technology — can be a critical tool for making Americans healthier. A concerted push to seize the untapped potential of telemedicine could help us tackle today’s health challenges. The most crucial step in seizing the opportunities of digital medicine is making sure that every community has high-speed Internet access.

On May 9, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai responded to various Members of Congress about the FCC's efforts to accelerate wireline broadband deployment to all Americans, particularly about the transformation of communication networks from traditional telephone service provided over copper wires towards incorporating services provided over next-generation technologies. Chairman Pai wrote, "I  agree with you that we must protect consumers during and after technology transitions - and our rules continue to do just that.

On Dec 12, 2017, Sen Claire McCaskill (D-MO) sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission to urge the FCC to ensure that the Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II Auction has sufficient safeguards to ensure a fair auction and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. On May 10, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai responded by writing, "I agree that safeguards in any broadband funding program are critical to ensure success in getting Internet access to as many unserved Americans as possible and in preventing waste and fraud.

On March 13, 2018, Sen Jon Tester (D-MT) and Gov Steve Bullock (D-MT) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to express concerns with FCC regulations that are causing significant delays on certain school broadband projects in rural states. "It is unacceptable for bureaucratic red tape to stand in the way of high-speed internet being delivered to rural classrooms. As such, we urge you to take immediate corrective actions," they wrote. On May 10, Chairman Pai responded by writing, "[T]here have been serious flaws in the administration of the E-Rate program.

On April 16, 2018, Sen Dick Durbin (D-IL) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai regarding the merger between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media Company. "In making its determination whether the proposed merger to allow a single company to reach 72 percent of U.S. television households serves the public interest, I urge the FCC to carefully consider Sinclair's conduct and the significant harm it poses," Sen Durbin wrote.

The Federal Communications Commission’s submission provides a spending level of $333,118,000, derived from regulatory fees for regular FCC operations, and an auction spending cap of $112,734,000.

[Press release] In the spirit of the summer blockbuster season, the Commission’s June 7 meeting is going to be our own version of “Avengers: Infinity War.”  We’re taking familiar headliners—freeing up spectrum, removing barriers to infrastructure buildout, expanding satellite services, modernizing outdated rules, eliminating waste, improving accessibility, protecting consumers—and rolling them into one, super-sized meeting. 

[Press release] I strongly support a free and open Internet. And that’s exactly what we’ve had for decades, starting in the Clinton Administration. The Internet wasn’t broken in 2015, when the prior FCC buckled to political pressure and imposed heavy-handed Title II rules on the Internet economy. It doesn’t make sense to apply outdated rules from 1934 to the Internet, but that’s exactly what the prior Administration did.

[Speech] It’s no secret that I’m a native of small-town Kansas. I know how great it is to grow up in rural America. And I want future generations to be able to have that same experience—to see small towns as a place where they can start a family and build a career. This isn’t just nostalgia. It’s about our economy and national competitiveness. In a connected global economy, we can’t leave millions of Americans sitting on the sidelines. Some say we can’t afford to bring high-speed connectivity to places like rural Kansas. I say we can’t afford not to.

One way we can expand connectivity is promoting more efficient and productive use of underused spectrum. This month, we tackle mid-band spectrum in the 2.5 GHz range.  Significant portions of the Educational Broadband Service (EBS) spectrum in this band currently lie fallow across approximately one-half of the United States, mostly in rural areas.  And we haven’t granted new access to the entire 114 MHz of spectrum in this band for over 20 years.  In other words, a scarce public resource that could be used to connect millions of Americans for a long time hasn’t been put to the best use, if