FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

On Oct 30, 2017, Rep John Ratcliffe (R-TX) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to take action to address the budget shortfall in certain parts of the High-Cost Universal Service Fund (USF).

On Dec 19, 2017, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai wrote to several members of Congress who had expressed concern over Sinclair Broadcast Group's Proposed acquisition of Tribune Media. In his response, Chairman Pai wrote, "Consistent with our rules, the Commission will evaluate whether this proposed transaction is in the public interest.

The Federal Communications Commission is poised to make good on one of my top resolutions from last year: prioritizing high-quality economic and data analysis at the agency. After nine months of study and extensive interviews with several dozen experts both inside and outside the agency, the working group issued a report that included some concrete recommendations. Based on the insights from its report, I’ve shared with my colleagues an Order to create a new Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA).

On Oct 31, 2017, several members of Congress wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to urge the FCC to take action to ensure the High-Cost Universal Service Fund (USF) program provides sufficient and predictable support to help deliver affordable, high-quality broadband to rural consumers. 

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai asked the Universal Service Administrative Company Board of Directors to redouble its efforts at oversight -- specifically in the areas of information technology and security. He said USAC's technology problems are why the FCC does not have a fully functional E-Rate Productivity Center or a Lifeline National Verifier.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced the launch of an online dashboard to provide the public with more information on the agency’s work. Available immediately on the agency’s website, fcc.gov, this resource will help consumers access reports and graphics on FCC workloads, pending actions, and other accountability matrices, and more easily access Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) materials.

[Commentary] Some have tried to whip Americans into a frenzy by making outlandish claims. Feeding the hysteria are silly accusations that my Restoring Interernet Freedom plan will “end the internet as we know it” or threaten American democracy itself. These claims obscure a pretty mundane truth: This plan would simply restore the successful, light-touch regulatory framework that governed the internet from 1996 to 2015.

Thank you to the International Institute of Communications (IIC) for the opportunity to be here for the last Telecommunications and Media Forum of the year.

For the past year, we have been very active as we modernize our rules and remove burdensome regulations that deter innovation and investment. Our goal is simple: to extend what I call “digital opportunity” to every American. In my view, every American who wants high-speed Internet access should be able to get it. 

The Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau announced that the launch of the Lifeline National Verifier would be delayed until early 2018 due to ongoing work by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to ensure Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) compliance. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said, "“The Lifeline program is an important tool for closing the digital divide but for too long, it’s plagued by waste, fraud, and abuse.

Two-thirds of Americans over 65 use the Internet. Half have a home broadband connection. And two-fifths have a smartphone. These numbers reflect progress. But they also reflect a connectivity gap. Compared to the overall population, older adults’ Internet usage is 23 percentage points lower, home subscriptions are 22 points lower, and smartphone adoption is 35 points lower. Since I became Chairman, we’ve been focused on updating our rules to ensure that high-speed infrastructure is built and maintained everywhere.