Remarks of Chairman Wheeler at Competitive Carriers Association

At the Federal Communications Commission, we’re pursuing an aggressive agenda to seize the opportunities of mobile for rural America. Not surprisingly, it starts with competition. Before the end of 2016, I plan to call on my fellow Commissioners to adopt a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Commission’s data roaming framework. Tackling this issue will allow the Commission to provide greater certainty in the marketplace, and promote consumer benefits and competition.

While nurturing competition is always going to be option A for maximizing consumer benefits, that is not an option in many parts of the country. Indeed, many rural areas do not have access to robust rural broadband at all. The FCC has an affirmative responsibility to make sure all Americans have access to our nation’s critical communications networks. The Commission is working to move forward with Phase II of the Mobility Fund, by the end of 2016.