Federal Communications Commission

Speaking about universal service fund (USF) programs -- high-cost and Lifeline --  and contribution reform ...

To bridge America’s digital divide, we’ll have to use innovative technologies. SpaceX’s application—along with those of other satellite companies seeking licenses or access to the US market for non-geostationary satellite orbit systems—involves one such innovation. Satellite technology can help reach Americans who live in rural or hard-to-serve places where fiber optic cables and cell towers do not reach. And it can offer more competition where terrestrial Internet access is already available.

I am honored to participate in this Policy Forum showcasing the promise of 3.5 GHz and discussing the future of this centrally-located spectrum. My hope today is to give a bit of background on the band and the Commission’s work and provide an update on some outstanding issues. 

The Federal Communications Commission filed three motions with the District of Columbia, First, and Ninth Circuit Courts on February 9, 2018, seeking to dismiss petitions for review of the Restoring Internet Freedom Order filed by New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute (and consolidated cases), the County of Santa Clara, et al. and Free Press. The FCC asserted the petitions are premature because the Order results from a rulemaking proceeding and a summary of the Order and the text of the amended rules have not yet been published in the Federal Register.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has asked me to lead the agency’s review of the stringent requirements the FCC imposes on our nation’s broadcasters to air a certain amount of educational and informational children’s programming on a weekly basis, otherwise known as Kid Vid. I am pleased to accept his request. The Commission is currently undergoing a comprehensive proceeding to modernize our media regulations, and Kid Vid is due for such an examination within the bounds of the law.

The Federal Communications Commission's FY 2017 Annual Performance Report reflects the strategic and performance goals included in the FCC's FY 2017 Budget proposal, which contained the FCC's FY 2017 performance plan, and which was submitted to Congress in February of 2016, prior to my tenure as the FCC's agency head. The FCC has updated its strategic and performance goals since the Presidential transition in January of 2017 to reflect the priorities of the administration of the FCC under my chairmanship.