Remarks of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai at the ITU's Global Symposium for Regulators

I’ve been asked to speak briefly about our experiences dealing with the pandemic in the United States, and some of the lessons we might be able to apply to unexpected events in the future. When it comes to America’s communications networks, the top headline is that they have performed extremely well during the COVID-19 pandemic. As one would expect, we saw significant increases in voice and Internet traffic as our lives and the economy moved online due to the pandemic. Our wired and wireless networks handled this surge without any significant service disruptions or declines. For example, according to Ookla, between March 2 and July 13, average fixed broadband speeds in the United States actually increased by 10% and average mobile broadband speeds went up by 4%. 

It’s a powerful reminder that unleashing private markets often can be the most effective way to advance the public interest.