Keynote Address of Chairman Pai at the Reason Media Awards

So what does it mean for a government agency to be on the side of innovation? Having served on the FCC since 2012, I’ve certainly had time to think about that question. And I’ve come to the conclusion that the most effective strategy for seizing the opportunities of the digital age is promoting the power of free markets. Instead of viewing innovation as a problem to be regulated based on rules from the past, government should see innovation’s potential, guided by markets that embrace the future. Government can best serve the public interest by getting rid of the red tape that stifles innovation and progress. 

The most effective way to promote innovation is to get more competition into the marketplace. Competitive markets have delivered far greater benefits to consumers than heavy-handed dictates ever have. That’s why—across the board—we are revising and removing regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment. To give one example, I want all types of companies to be competing in the broadband marketplace: cable, wireline, mobile, fixed wireless, satellite, and more.