Federal Communications Commission

Chairman Pai Statement on Hurricane Florence

As Hurricane Florence approaches the East Coast, the Federal Communications Commission is working to prepare for the storm, coordinating with our federal and state partners and letting them know that we stand ready to work with them and assist in any way we can. At this point, FCC staff have already been deployed to survey the radiofrequency spectrum across critical areas of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, and our Operations Center is open 24 hours a day.

FCC Letter Pausing the T-Mobile-Sprint Transaction Clock

On Sept 11, T-Mobile/Sprint Transaction Task Force Director David B. Lawrence, and Federal Communications Commission Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief Donald Stockdale sent a letter to T-Mobile and Sprint, saying the following:

Sept 11 we are pausing the FCC's informal 180-day transaction shot clock in [the T-Mobile/Sprint] proceeding. Additional time is necessary to allow for thorough staff and third-party review of newly-submitted and anticipated modeling relied on by the Applicants.

FCC Updates National Broadband Map to Include Form 477 Data as of June 2017

The Federal Communications Commission released updated data on fixed broadband deployment and mobile voice and broadband deployment as of June 30, 2017. These data were collected through FCC Form 477 and are available on the Commission’s website.

Commissioner O'Rielly Letter to RUS re: Broadband e-Connectivity Pilot Program

The Rural Utilities Service has sought comment on identifying rural areas eligible for funding, and specifically, how to evaluate whether an area already has "sufficient access" to broadband, and how to very broadband availability data in a proposed service area. In response to this Notice of Inquiry, I respectfully offer some guidance based on my experience from working on the Federal Communications Commission's efforts to connect rural and remote parts of the country. 

Chairman Pai Statement on Court Ruling on State Regulation of Information Services

[The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit reaffirmed in Charter Advanced Services (MN), LLC v. Lange (in the context of Minnesota’s attempt to regulate interconnected VoIP service) that state efforts to regulate information services are preempted by federal law.]

Commissioner Rosenworcel Remarks at Silicon Flatirons

Today, in the spirit of learning from the past and building a brighter future, I want to focus on two specific bands where I believe we can do better—the 5.9 and 2.5 GHz bands. I want to walk you through their history and then—no shame—provide some ideas about what we can do right now to ensure these airwaves become the stuff of spectrum success.

FCC Seeks Nominees to Oversee $10 Billion Universal Service Fund

The Federal Communications Commission seeks nominations for the following positions on the Board of Directors of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) for a three-year term.

911-Where's Your Emergency

Washington does not treat 911 operators with the respect they deserve. The Office of Management and Budget is responsible for a program known as the Standard Occupational Classification, which is an occupational data set that is widely used by state and federal authorities. It classifies 911 operators as “clerical workers.” This is outdated—and it needs to be fixed. 911 operators are first responders. When the unthinkable occurs, they are our first contact with public safety.

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for September 2018 Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the September Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 26, 2018:

Chairman Pai Hails Guilty Plea Over Threats to His Family

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai thanked law enforcement for its work in securing a guilty plea from a man who threatened his family. Markara Man plead guilty Aug 31 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, saying he was angry over the rollback of net neutrality rules. Man, 33, of Norwalk (CA), allegedly sent three emails to Chairman Pai Dec.

Grassroots Leadership on 5G

Indiana is going to be one of the first states in the country to see 5G—the next-generation of wireless broadband. Indiana’s national leadership in mobile broadband is a direct result of this state’s policy decisions. A year ago, community leaders identified the opportunities that come with next-generation broadband and decided to address the challenges that threatened to stand in the way. A year after enacting Indiana’s small cell bill, the results are in—and they are remarkable.

FCC Commissioner O'Rielly Announces Arielle Roth as Wireline Advisor

Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O’Rielly announced that he has hired Arielle Roth as wireline advisor in his office. Roth intends to begin work on Sept 4, 2018. Roth is currently employed as legal advisor in the Wireline Competition Bureau where she provides counsel on universal service and pricing matters. Prior to this position, she served as a legal fellow for the Hudson Institute’s Center for the Economics of the Internet. She will be replacing Amy Bender, who will depart the Commission on August 31, 2018.

Chairman Pai Statement on Eight Circuit Decision Upholding Core Actions on BDS

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement regarding Aug 28's ruling from the Eighth Circuit, which upheld the FCC’s decision to remove onerous regulations on certain business data services in competitive markets: "It’s a good day for forward-thinking regulation. Here’s why: Last year, based on a thorough analysis of a massive amount of data, the Commission adopted a ‘competitive market test’ to determine where regulation of business data services was still needed and where it would impede investment, innovation, and competition.

CAF Phase II Auction Closes, Allocates $1.488 Billion to Close the Digital Divide

Bidding in the Connect America Fund Phase II auction concluded on August 21, 2018. There were 103 winning bidders in the auction, with the 10-year support amount totaling $1.488 billion and covering 713,176 locations in 45 states. Of the 974,223 locations in the 30,033 eligible census block groups (CBGs), approximately 73 percent of the locations are covered by winning bids. While winning bids are for a range of performance tiers, winning bids for downstream speeds of at least 100 megabits per second (Mbps) cover 53 percent of these locations.

Allegations of improprieties related to the Commission's review of the merger between Sinclair and Tribune

In response to requests from Congress made on November 13 and November 15. 20! 7, the Federal Communications Commission Oflice of Inspector General (OlG) conducted an investigation into whether FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Chairman Pai "has taken actions to improperly benefit Sinclair Broadcast Group and "is executing his leadership of the FCC free from influences that compromise his objectivity and impartiality," especially with regard to the proposed merger of Sinclair and Tribune Media." 

Chairman Pai on Inspector General Report Concluding No Favoritism Toward Sinclair

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement regarding the Office of Inspector General’s independent report, which found no evidence or suggestion of impropriety, unscrupulous behavior, or favoritism towards Sinclair. Moreover, the Office of the Inspector General found no lack of impartiality related to the proposed Sinclair-Tribune Merger: