Pai Seeks Effective Regulation, Cites Digital Divide 'Passion,' Says FCC Bipartisanship Up
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he's not against regulation but wants it to "solve market failure," foster competition, spur innovation and investment, and account for costs and benefits. "The goal is to make sure our rules are tailored to the…
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market as it exists in 2017," he said, responding to questions at a Lincoln Network event Tuesday evening in San Francisco (available here). Pai said the FCC needs to "modernize" its rules to give broadband providers "timely, cheap" access to poles, ducts and conduits: "That's something we're aiming to do." Companies competing in the same space "should be regulated similarly," he said, declining to specify how broadband providers and internet edge providers should be treated and noting the FCC must "stay within the four corners of the law." Pai said "the future of wireless is particularly promising" and hailed mobile and fixed wireless solutions, software defined networks, and unlicensed spectrum use: "We stand on the brink of something big." He said his "personal passion" is to close the digital divide by bringing more broadband to rural, tribal, low-income and other "disadvantaged" communities, including people with disabilities. He said he's still "haunted" by a visit to a Sioux reservation in South Dakota where unemployment is high and one woman was found dead clutching her cellphone after dialing for 911 help 38 times, unsuccessfully, because wireless coverage was lacking: "We need to push technology as far out into the countryside as we can." He said he was "humbled" by his recent visit to Harvey-ravaged Texas, but said only 5 percent of cellsites went down, compared with 25 percent during 2012's Superstorm Sandy. He cited "amazing" rescue and recovery efforts of public-safety personnel, industry and others, including "incredible" FCC field personnel: "Everyone seemed to be coming together." Pai said he's eager to collaborate with his commissioner colleagues and said the number of bipartisan votes is "up dramatically" to "something like 86 or 90 percent." Pai said President Donald Trump is "very gregarious, very up to date on some of our work." He called the administration very receptive to his push for including broadband digital proposals in any infrastructure initiative: "At least in my area, it's been a productive relationship." Asked if he would seek elected office, Pai joked that he will never run for governor of California, but if he did, he would win with "Saddam Hussein-level margins."