FCC Technology Transitions Policy Task Force Acting Director Sean Lev Remarks at TIA Network Transition Event

To state the obvious, we are in the midst of a significant shift in the communications landscape. Simply put, these are exciting changes with enormous potential to improve lives.

Among other things, the new technologies can deliver higher quality voice and broadband services to more Americans, at higher speeds and with the increased bandwidth necessary for the essential applications of today and tomorrow. IP-based networks also make it easier to deploy feature-rich next-generation 911 systems and create significant opportunities for individuals with disabilities, for example. At the same time, we are mindful that these developments are disruptive, and there is no guarantee that all of the services consumers and businesses rely on today will continue to be available in the same form, if at all, in the future.

Simply put, these developments have important policy implications. For instance, what is the consumer’s experience when he or she is transitioned from a wireline to a wireless service? Will a consumer be able to reach a 911 call taker as readily and will the 911 system be as reliable as it has been in the past? Will consumers continue to have access to services that we tend to take for granted today, such as alarm monitoring and, especially for small businesses, credit-card confirmation? Will a consumer’s phone work when the power goes out? How will competition in serving small and mid-size businesses be affected if incumbent carriers are no longer offering TDM-based access services? These are just a few of the policy questions that regulators are facing -- and will face -- over the next several years.