Speech

Our goal at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is universal, meaningful connectivity. Under our logo, we say that broadband builds opportunities and strengthens communities. But we haven’t been living under a rock. We know technology does not always build opportunity or strengthen communities. And right now, a real bleakness surrounds technology and what it is doing to us—or might do to us. If you work in digital inclusion, that can give you pause. What exactly are we working to include people in?

In the Beckett play Happy Days, the main character, Winnie, begins the play buried to her waist in a mound of dirt. A bell rings. She wakes up. And she announces: “Another heavenly day.” She carries on. She goes through her routines. She talks incessantly. She is adapting to her circumstances. When the second act begins, the mound has risen to her neck.

You’d be hard-pressed to find many people who don’t intuitively consider the internet essential infrastructure, and their broadband service an essential utility. The last time Congress comprehensively addressed how we should govern the communications landscape was the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Thirty years ago, we went on the internet.

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

I first want to set the scene by telling you what I heard from a rural firefighter who participated in a focus group I held for a project sponsored by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania about how the lack of internet impacts first responders and public safety in rural Pennsylvania: “If you lose signal, you can’t communicate, you better have God sitting on your shoulders because that’s the only person that’s gonna be able to help you.” This quote has stayed with me since I heard it last summer, because it encapsulates the dire need for meaningful, affordable, connectivity throughout the Commo

The affordability of key services such as home broadband is front and center for citizens and policymakers alike. For broadband, a number of points are important to keep in mind when thinking about service affordability:

Throughout my career—as an educator, school board member, volunteer firefighter, fire chief, and community leader—I have learned that every important investment we make is ultimately an investment in people. Broadband is no different. It is not simply about technology. It is about opportunity. It is about whether a child has the same educational opportunities regardless of where they live, whether a volunteer firefighter has access to life-saving training, whether a family can connect to healthcare, and whether a rural community can participate fully in Pennsylvania's future.

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.

To be honest, when I joined the Federal Communications Commission, I did not expect that defending the First Amendment would become one of the central fights of my career. But that is exactly where we find ourselves today. For almost two years, I have watched this administration wage a deliberate campaign of censorship and control against broadcasters and journalists. That is part of why I launched my First Amendment Tour, and what I heard on the road surprised me. People from every corner of the country are united in their concern about what this FCC is doing to press freedom.