FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

The Federal Communications Commission's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau will invite public input on the Petition for Rulemaking recently filed by the Department of Commerce regarding Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. Longstanding rules require the agency to put such petitions out for public comment ‘promptly,’ and we will follow that requirement here. I strongly disagree with those who demand that we ignore the law and deny the public and all stakeholders the opportunity to weigh in on this important issue. We should welcome vigorous debate—not foreclose it.

On May 12, 2020, Reps Randy Weber (R-TX), Brian Babin (R-TX), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Roger Williams (R-TX), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), and Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to express concerns about the FCC report and order "Transitioning the 900 MHz BAnd to Enable Broadband Deployment" and its potential impacts on the US' refining and petrochemical industries.

On June 1, 2020, Republican Members of the House Commerce Committee wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai in support of the "5G Upgrade Order" which the FCC considered at the June 9, 2020 meeting. "Reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens to promote broadband deployment is a top priority for Congress, and we urge the Commission to approve this Order at your June Open Meeting," the Reps wrote.

On July 21, 2020, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai responded to several Members of Congress regarding a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report entitled "Emergency Alerting: Agencies Need to Address Pending Applications and Monitory Industry Progress on System Improvements". The Report makes three recommendations for executive action — two addressed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and one addressed to the FCC.

On June 9, Sens Marco Rubio (R-FL), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, requesting the agency take a fresh look at Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and clearly define the criteria for which companies can receive protections under the statute. Social media companies have become involved in a range of editorial and promotional activity; like publishers, they monetize, edit, and otherwise editorialize user content.

When it comes our August meeting’s main attraction, repurposing C-band spectrum for 5G, we feel the need — the need for speed. I circulated final draft procedures for a C-band auction to be held on Dec 8, 2020, and we will vote on them at our August meeting. They spell out the many details of the auction — competitive bidding procedures, application requirements, and deadlines governing participation in Auction 107. To spur the deployment of ultra-fast, world-leading 5G networks, we need to make C-band spectrum (among other spectrum bands) available as quickly as possible.

I congratulate Bloosurf for being the first company to satisfy its buildout requirements with funds from our recent Connect America Fund Phase II auction, making fixed broadband available to more than 5,000 rural homes and businesses in Maryland and Delaware. I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact that the funds provided through the Connect America Fund Phase II auction are having across the nation—including in Delaware itself, where I visited with Bloosurf in rural Seaford in early 2019.

To meet the booming demand for mobile broadband that was being fueled by the smartphone revolution, Congress empowered the Federal Communications Commission to conduct a first-of-its-kind, two-sided auction that would allow spectrum used for broadcast TV to be repurposed for wireless services. In April 2017, we closed the bidding in the incentive auction, which yielded $19.8 billion in revenue. Roughly $10 billion went to broadcasters as incentive payments for giving up their spectrum.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai sent a letter to Sen. Tom Udall (D-CO) on June 22, 2020, to respond to the senator's letter asking the FCC to prioritize relief for low-income citizens by increasing Lifeline support. Chairman Pai said the FCC waived certain Lifeline program rules and allowed Lifeline applicants on rural tribal lands to begin receiving Lifeline benefits while their application was in the process of being verified.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai sent letters to 16 members of Congress on June 22, 2020, to respond to their letter asking the FCC for information on how it will select applicants for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program. Pai said the FCC consulted with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to identify the hardest-hit areas and the FCC has taken steps to ensure health care providers have the necessary information to participate.