Speech

My intention today is to outline the most recent actions of the Federal Communications Commission pertaining to the protection of US national security, identify the difficult position in which we find ourselves with regard to Chinese telecommunications providers and manufacturers, and raise certain concerns with respect to the operations of the International Telecommunication Union, or the ITU as it is more commonly known.

My topic for this afternoon: How difficult it is for regulators to predict how technology will develop and transform markets, and why that difficulty demands humility from our regulators. This is a particularly important lesson for the Federal Communications Commission, which stands at a unique crossroads between technology and innovation. Regulators are not good futurists.  And what predictive powers regulators have are weakening as technological progress quickens and becomes even less predictable.

What is the Federal Communications Commission doing to make the future of Wi-Fi brighter? The answer is: a lot!  I know there’s a lot of excitement about what we’re doing in the 6 GHz band—what could be a massive, 1,200-megahertz test bed for innovators and innovation. But first I’d like to talk about its next-door neighbor on the spectrum chart—the 5.9 GHz band. There’s been a lot of debate about this band, and I’d like to share with you today my view on the right way forward.  I believe that the time has come for the FCC to take a fresh look at this band.

Two areas that I see as evolving and critical to the continued success of the satellite industry – spectrum access and public advocacy. The spectrum challenges we face are not limited to the satellite sector, and we have to think bigger in our interconnected spectrum economy. That’s why in October, President Trump directed the Secretary of Commerce, working through NTIA, to develop and implement a comprehensive, balanced and forward-looking National Spectrum Strategy.

While there was a great need for more spectrum for advanced wireless systems, finding unencumbered frequencies has always been a long-standing battle. Thankfully, then came along the innovation of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) framework and requisite technology. [March's] announcement that you are working on 5G CBRS specifications, called CBRS Alliance Release 3, proved a lot of people wrong.

As most of you know, a few weeks ago, I was at the White House for an event with President Donald Trump to highlight our government’s efforts to promote US leadership in 5G. To me, there were three key takeaways from this event. First: 5G is critical to our economy, security, and quality of life, as evidenced by the personal engagement of the President.

The future success of 5G is dependent, first, on those in the right positions — be it the private wireless sector, their financial backers, or those of us in government — ensuring ample resources are available for it to flourish. From a regulator’s perspective, this includes clearing and reallocating spectrum, especially in the mid bands, where the technology can operate. Second, it also means addressing any challenges posed by both foreign governments and providers who may have malicious intent.

I worked on the Federal Communications Commission’s 2016 Broadband Privacy Rules, upon which L.D. 946, An Act to Protect Privacy of Online Customer Personal Information, is based. I urge the Joint Committee and the legislature to pass L.D. 946 without delay. It is common sense legislation that would require broadband Internet access providers operating in the state to protect the privacy of their customers. L.D. 946 would ensure that broadband customers have meaningful choice, greater transparency and strong security protections for their personal information collected by ISPs.

I am honored to be here on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission. Chairman Pai extends his warmest appreciation to our regulatory friends in the Caribbean. And he is excited to support the launch of the US-Caribbean Resilience Partnership. In these brief remarks, I’d like to talk about three topics: (1) the FCC’s role in disaster preparedness; (2) a few key lessons learned from the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season; and (3) what the FCC can do to support a working group for the U.S.-Caribbean Resilience Partnership

It seems only appropriate to take this opportunity to discuss my involvement in just some of the substantive Federal Communications Commission issues that NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association and its members have cared deeply about: