wiredInUSA April 2017

Connecting over connectivity

US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Ajit Pai spoke in Pittsburgh on 15 th March on the topic of “Bringing the benefits of the digital age to all Americans,” and laying out his four leading policy principles. Explaining his emphasis on the importance of digital empowerment, the need for ubiquitous Internet access, the power of competitive free markets, and for “light touch” regulation, the chairman particularly focused on the necessity for government regulation not to stand in the way of innovation.

key first step in laying out best regulatory practices, and used a pending visit to Detroit to illustrate how local government regulation had threatened to slow roll deployment. Pai also called for any infrastructure broadbandfundingtobedirectedthrough the FCC as the agency best equipped to handle the efficient allocation of funds to the communities that need it most. These are all issues in which the FTTH Council is actively engaged, and the council is looking forward to continuing to work with the FCC.

He cited his creation of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee as a

23

wiredInUSA - April 2017