Commissioner Pai on FCC's zero-rating investigation

Two weeks ago, Congress called on the Federal Communications Commission to respect the tradition followed by Democrats and Republicans alike eight years ago during the last Presidential transition. Accordingly, a bipartisan majority of Commissioners at last month’s FCC meeting heeded Congress’s call to “avoid directing [our] attention and resources...to complex, partisan, or otherwise controversial items.”

And yet, last night, Chairman Wheeler launched yet another broadside against free data for consumers, notwithstanding the objections of Republican commissioners. This end-run around Congress’s clear instruction is sad—and pointless. For any unilateral action taken by the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at the Chairman’s direction in the next 49 days can quickly be undone by that same bureau after January 20, 2017.