Speech

I have a deep appreciation for TDI, not just because of your expertise, but because I have a long history of working with you on the issues you care about. Before I came to the Federal Communications Commission, I served as legal counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee. I’m particularly proud to say that one of the highlights of my tenure is that I worked on the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. This law is terrific, but I also know we can’t rest on our laurels. Because the events of the past year and a half have changed our relationship with technology.

A few years ago I was actually the first at the Federal Communications Commission to speak about the power of opening radio access networks (Open RAN), and we’ve come a long way since then. There’s momentum building in this agency and across government. One company has already made it into the history books as the first to launch an Open RAN network—and it is winning customers every day. One nationwide provider right here in the United States has committed to building a nationwide 5G network using Open RAN by 2023.

On May 12, the Federal Communications Commission opened the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program to the public. Since that time, households across the country that are eligible—including those who struggled with job loss during the last year, who have a child in the free and reduced school lunch program, or who received a Pell grant—have benefited from the broadband supported by this program. Local efforts to get out the word about [EBB] benefits are key. And that’s especially true for Pell grant recipients.

As we continue to work to bring the pandemic to a close, I am already thinking about the lessons we have learned that should influence how we work toward the goal of broadband for all:

The G20 has worked diligently to catalyze private sector investment in infrastructure. This work is now more important than ever as governments divert resources towards COVID-19 recovery, and the US is committed to doing its part. First, to help address the investment gap here in the US, the Biden-Harris Administration has proposed a plan to invest $1.7 trillion in public finance over the next 10 years.

A sign in front of a church not far from my home has for the past many months read: “We’ll get through this together by staying apart.” As Spring is here and we awaken from more than a year of social distancing, we gather today to celebrate the people who helped their communities come together.

My top priority for the year ahead, which should surprise no one, is continuing the work we have been laser-focused on all year: making sure all Americans have access to high-speed broadband. Here, in year two of our battle with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are enduring the lingering effects of a multilayered crisis that has reverberated across healthcare, education, the economy, widespread job losses, and food insecurity.

The American Jobs Plan creates jobs connecting every American with high-speed internet, including 35% of rural Americans who still don’t have it. This will help our kids and businesses succeed in a 21^st Century economy. And I am asking the Vice President to help lead this effort. 

Today we gather during National Supply Chain Integrity Month to discuss ways to strengthen our supply chain against potential bad actors. Policymakers must ensure that small and mid-sized carriers have access to equipment and services that are not only secure but make good business sense.

There can no longer be any question that, when it comes to network security, the threats are real, the stakes are high, and our defenses need to constantly evolve and improve. At the Federal Communications Commission, under my leadership, we are pursuing a proactive, three-pronged strategy to building a more secure, resilient, and next-generation communications supply chain for this 5G future. To start, we are taking direct action to slow down untrusted vendors both at home and abroad. But we are also recognizing that “Just Say No” is not a strategy.