Remarks of FCC’s Gigi Sohn at Moving Forward Toward A Gigabit State

Today, I want to talk to you about why the leadership at the Federal Communications Commission -- America's broadband agency -- is watching the CTgig Project closely and pulling for its success.

CTgig is a big deal because expanding broadband is about expanding opportunity. To seize the opportunities and fully realize the potential of broadband to improve the lives of the American people, broadband networks need to be fast, fair, and open. On those measures, we face significant challenges. That brings me to the main point I want to make today. No matter what the Commission does to spur broadband investment and deployment, there will be communities that are underserved, or even unserved, by the private market. Across America, communities have concluded that existing private sector broadband offerings are not meeting their needs and the only solution is to become directly involved in broadband deployment. Across the country, we see community after community stepping up to write their broadband future. But Connecticut has a unique opportunity to set the pace for the nation. Chairman Wheeler and I applaud your ambition and look forward to working with you to deliver the benefits of broadband to the American people.