FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty

In the 21st Century, access to connectivity is essential to nearly every aspect of American life. It drives the economy. Enhances public safety. Expands educational opportunities and healthcare services. It increases agriculture productivity and improves the quality of life for people everywhere. Because broadband is so essential to our economy and society, policymakers and providers have a shared responsibility to ensure that it remains accessible, reliable, and secure for all Americans.

Four principles have guided much of the United States’ approach to communications policy and have helped to enable the vibrant and prosperous digital ecosystem we benefit from today

For generations, the Caribbean has connected the world. Today, the means of connection have changed. The ships remain, but now they are joined by fiber-optic cables beneath the sea, satellites overhead, wireless networks across islands, and innovators building applications that can serve customers around the globe. The countries that embrace these technologies, encourage investment, and create space for innovation will not only build better communications networks. They will build stronger economies. More resilient societies. And greater opportunities for their citizens.

At present, 6G standards are still under development. The first major deployments are expected around 2030, though trial launches may come earlier. That timeline means we are in the window that matters most—the window where the foundational decisions are being made. I offer the following three priorities that will determine whether America leads in 6G: spectrum, security, and standards. On spectrum: 6G needs more of it, at different frequencies.

Upon my arrival at the Federal Communications Commission, I organized my work around three main priorities: achieving universal connectivity, strengthening network security and resilience, and advancing U.S. leadership in next-generation technologies. Those priorities have served as a useful guidepost, but my experiences at the Commission have reinforced just how interconnected they are. Connectivity is not as meaningful if networks are not secure or resilient.

Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of men put their names to a document that changed the world: the Declaration of Independence. We know its famous opening—“When in the Course of human events”—and we know its grand promise: that all men and women are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But I want to call your attention to the last line of this revered text. A line that others have highlighted in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Federal Communications Commissioner Olivia Trusty visited Nebraska on a visit hosted by Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), where she met with government, military, nonprofit, and private-sector stakeholders working to strengthen U.S. leadership in advanced communications technologies. "During my recent trip to Nebraska, I saw firsthand the critical role advanced communications technologies play in keeping Americans safe and connected, including in some of the nation’s most rural communities,” said Commissioner Trusty.

We are at an inflection point for drones and AI. Drones are no longer a niche technology. When combined with artificial intelligence, they are fast becoming foundational to our economy, our infrastructure, and our national security. The decisions we make today will determine whether the United States leads or follows in these intelligent systems. If the United States hesitates, other nations will set global standards, build dominant supply chains, and shape the future of open, democratic societies.

Historically, when evaluating structural rules such as broadcast ownership limits through a public interest lens, the Federal Communications Commission has focused on three core policy objectives: promoting competition, ensuring a diversity of voices, and supporting localism. Without commenting on specific proceedings that may come before me at the Commission, I can share a few general thoughts about how I’m currently thinking about these issues:

WTA has long been synonymous with rural broadband.  The priorities that guide my work at the Federal Communications Commission align closely with the work that each of you does every day serving communities across the country.  Those priorities include the following: