FCC Members Restate Net-Neutrality Stances at CES

Five federal policymakers offered their familiar visions of core regulatory issues, including spectrum policy and network neutrality, during Consumer Electronics Show sessions.  With Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai absent because of death threats he has recently received, and Democratic commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel opting to skip the program, the sessions were largely status reports on activities at the FCC, the National Telecommunications & Information Administration and Federal Trade Commission. 

David Redl, who heads NTIA opened the session by reading very quickly through prepared remarks touching on spectrum policy, cybersecurity, international governance and the development of telecom infrastructure, including sharing of bandwidth assigned to federal agencies. He promised that spectrum policy will be a major focus of NTIA in 2018. After Redl’s speech, Julie Kearney, CTA’s VP-regulatory affairs, sat down for a chat with FCC commissioners Mignon Clyburn, Brendan Carr and Michael O’Rielly.  O’Rielly said he expects a “busy and exciting year” in which the Commission will eliminate rules “that no longer make any sense,” citing Pai’s intent to delete aging regulations. Carr predicted, “We’ll unleash more innovation and greater investment.” He also said he expects that the policies will lead to broadband expansion. Federal Trade Commission chair Maureen Ohlhausen assured the audience that the FTC is ready to play a larger role in enforcing Open Internet regulations that are part of the FCC’s repeal of Title II classification.