Remarks of FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, "A Digital Empowerment Agenda"

I believe everyone should have online opportunity. I know there’s virtually no limit to what Americans who are disconnected today could achieve tomorrow if they were participants in, rather than spectators of, the digital economy. Today, high-speed Internet access, or broadband, is critical to economic opportunity, job creation, and civic engagement. But there are too many parts of this country where broadband is unavailable or unaffordable. We need to close this digital divide.

1) Gigabit Opportunity Zones: For starters, we have to focus on bringing high-speed broadband to economically deprived areas. And to do that, we must recognize that deploying broadband isn’t easy. I am calling on Congress to create Gigabit Opportunity Zones. The concept is simple. Provide financial incentives for Internet service providers to deploy gigabit broadband services in low-income neighborhoods. Incentivize local governments to make it easy for Internet service providers (ISPs) to deploy these networks. And offer tax incentives for startups of all kinds in order to take advantage of these networks and create jobs in these areas.

2) Mobile Broadband for Rural America: Rural Americans deserve the same digital access as those living in more urban areas. That’s why I’m proposing a three-step plan to improve high-speed, mobile broadband throughout rural America.

3) Remove Regulatory Barriers to Broadband Deployment: There are some problems with broadband deployment throughout our nation. In particular, government at all levels too often makes the task harder than it has to be.

4) Promote Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Internet is a means to an end—the end being the countless online applications and opportunities that are transforming our lives. We all know about the innovation that happens on that broadband platform—after all, most of you are busy creating it! From ecommerce to connected health, consumers rely on Internet-based services in countless ways. How do we make sure that our policies promote Internet-based entrepreneurship?