Speech

For all the promise of digital technologies to promote religious freedom, there are also very real downsides. When it comes to harnessing digital tools to punish religious minorities, the biggest offender is the world’s most populous country: China. China employs significantly more people to violate the rights of their citizens than the United States employs to militarily defend rights like free expression and freedom of assembly. 

I’m excited to have the opportunity to speak with you today about the US satellite industry—and specifically how the Federal Communications Commission is promoting American innovation and investment in orbit.

According to the Senate Joint Economic Committee, there are 12 million kids all across the country who lack the internet access they now need for nightly schoolwork.  According to the Associated Press, nearly one in five students nationwide falls into the Homework Gap. We are a nation that finds problems and fixes them. Here are my ideas. First, we need to gather data locally and raise awareness. I think every city and town can build their own local assessments to understand what is behind their Homework Gap.

Two themes I’d like to emphasize in my remarks: one, the importance of harnessing technology to solve our common challenges, and, two, the importance of regional collaboration to unlock those solutions. 

Why pursue an overall Universal Service Fund (USF) budget and what benefit would it bring? First and foremost, a budget is necessary to protect the investments of ratepayers who pay for our programs. Second, a topline budget would force the Federal Communications Commission to consider the whole USF when increasing program spending. Third, an FCC running up against a cap would have greater incentive to eliminate inefficiencies that detract from achieving the program’s mission and value. Fourth and finally, a budget would help protect universal service. 

A look at the Federal Communications Commission's 5G strategy -- the 5G FAST plan -- which consists of three central components: 1) freeing up much more spectrum for the commercial marketplace, 2) promoting wireless infrastructure deployment, and 3) modernizing our regulations to promote more fiber deployment.

e digital economy is a fact of life, but it is not all things to all people.  There has been robust public discussion about whether the broader economy, undoubtedly transformed by digital technologies, is working well for everyone.  While some commenters have tried to dispatch the antitrust laws to address these problems, I do not believe the antitrust laws are bent towards values other than competition. Therefore, the right question is whether a defined market is competitive.  That is the province of the antitrust laws.... As we think about antitrust enforcement in the digital eco

Unlike many of the distinguished panelists and engineers in this room who will be actively involved in planning and deploying the next-generation networks, smart cities, and connected transportation systems of the future, the Federal Communications Commission’s role is to provide the environment that will allow much of the relevant technology to happen.

Given its past success and future potential, what challenges do Wi-Fi and its advocates face?

When I was invited to join you today, and learned more about this gathering and its goals, I immediately thought that this would be a perfect opportunity to lay down a marker about what I think is one of the most important issues facing America – and I will say it plain, that is getting the internet everywhere.