New FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks says digital divide, fighting robocalls among priorities

As a commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, Geoffrey Starks said he hopes to make a leading priority of closing that digital divide — that is, the gulf between those with internet access and those without. It's one item on a consumer welfare-centered policy wishlist he said he hopes to push, alongside holding wrongdoers like illegal robocallers accountable and expanding the use of telehealth services. “I’m going to be focused on real solutions,” Commissioner Starks said. “I think everyday Americans expect that as well. Whether you’re talking about Hays, Kansas or Anacostia, people have a lot of the same issues: Why do I get so many robocalls? Why don’t I have the internet?”

Regarding Lifeline, Commissioner Starks said, "I can testify to the fact that I don’t want waste, fraud and abuse," referring to issues that have bedeviled the Lifeline program. "That said, Lifeline is a critical pathway out of poverty for millions of folks. I will be a fierce advocate for Lifeline." Commissioner Starks said he's concerned the same low-income and under-connected Americans who benefit from programs like Lifeline could be left behind amid the transition to ultra-fast 5G wireless networks. “I deeply worry that we could be the generation that causes more division if we don’t start to close that digital divide,” Commissioner Starks said. “With regard to 5G, I want it to be as ubiquitous as possible. I want to make sure that we don’t have that divergence where some folks get more and some folks get further left behind.”