Profile in Courage: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai has been a Profile in Courage during this pandemic, helping millions of Americans stay connected as the economy teetered on the brink of collapse. But his courageousness and service to the American people began when Corona was just a beer and not a deadly virus. In 2017, Chairman Pai led the charge to unshackle the internet from the chains of outdated, onerous Title II regulations. Pai stood firm against an onslaught of sustained attacks from vested special interest groups opposed to these changes, and even had to deal with protestors repeatedly stalking and threatening him and his family. But his steadfast commitment to ending burdensome regulations set the stage for entrepreneurs and private providers to seamlessly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. From loosening the regulatory restrictions on the digital domain to aggressively moving toward a 5G future by selling and repurposing wireless spectrum, Chairman Pai has made it possible for people to work from home and remain well fed and entertained.  The FCC is now poised to aggressively close the digital divide while also protecting taxpayers.

Since becoming chairman of the agency in 2017, Pai has put in long hours to free the internet from onerous regulatory requirements and give low-income households the opportunity to access the digital domain. At the end of 2017, Chairman Pai’s FCC successfully repealed outdated “Title II” regulations that resulted in declining digital investments and stymied free internet (i.e. “zero rating”) options for low-income households.

Since then, the FCC has tirelessly focused on paving the way for the new 5G wireless standard, streamlining rules and lowering costs for installing pizza box-sized 5G attachments onto poles. The agency has also been instrumental in conducting spectrum auctions (i.e. for C-band) and freeing up bandwidth for 5G, even as consortiums of private companies tried to push the FCC toward an opaque “private sale” with little guaranteed revenue for taxpayers. The FCC has committed to maintaining a public, transparent C-band auction in December, ensuring that internet providers will gain access to this critical block of bandwidth in record time.

In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, the FCC also approved new rules opening up the 6 GHz band of spectrum for unlicensed use.  The 6 GHz band is more than twice as wide as the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channels currently used for WiFi, ensuring reliable internet speeds supporting activities from teleworking to, yes, streaming cat videos. These changes will expand opportunities for millions of Americans and help close the digital divide.  The FCC managed to accomplish this while also including strong protections for incumbent users.

Chairman Pai has also been at odds with other federal agencies as the FCC gave the go-ahead for internet provider Ligado to use the “L-Band” of mid-band spectrum to build out a low-power 5G network. The fight to approve Ligado’s application has been particularly messy, with the Department of Defense mucking up the debate with false claims about 5G interfering with Global Positioning System applications. Pai has once again shown resolve in response to this gaslighting and committed to moving forward with a 5G network that will help Americans cope with the Coronavirus.

But Chairman Pai has also recognized that responding to the pandemic requires a multifaceted response that includes actively working with internet providers. Digital traffic is at record highs due to entire communities working from home and streaming content to keep themselves entertained. For example, Comcast reports that internet usage is up 32 percent and has surged up to 60 percent in some parts of the country. While some companies might respond to high demand by increasing prices, cable and internet providers and regulatory agencies such as the FCC realize that raising rates would be devastating for millions of struggling households. That’s why Chairman Pai and leading telecommunications providers have banded together to #KeepAmericansConnected and figured out ways to keep costs under control.

In fact, more than 750 companies and associations have signed the FCC’s pledge to: refrain from cutting off service to households and businesses due to Coronavirus-related payment lapses; waive late fees brought on by the pandemic’s economic fallout; and open any and all WiFi hot spots to the public. Under Chairman Pai’s leadership, the FCC has also waived restrictions limiting the ability of broadband providers to support telehealth and e-learning efforts. And, the agency has significant ramped up efforts to keep Americans informed about scams and deceptive practices amid reports of COVID-19-related schemes via phone and text to defraud consumers.

Chairman Pai recognizes that the Coronavirus pandemic is a generational challenge that will require the full dedication of the federal government to keep in check. His agency stands at the forefront of the response effort and has taken promising steps to keep Americans safe and connected during the pandemic.

And now, as the U.S. begins to emerge from the pandemic and slowly reopen its economy, Chairman Pai is looking to the future to free even more spectrum for 5G use. On May 14, he announced the deployment of broadband on the 900 MHz band, stating, “900 MHz users are enthusiastic about the possibilities that reliable broadband will open for them. Broadband access will enable industries to leverage technologies for applications like private LTE networks—next-generation networks that can enable Voice over LTE, grid resiliency and monitoring, wildfire mitigation, enhanced cybersecurity, and more.”

TPA applauds Chairman Pai’s courage in standing up for what is right against all opposition, and his commitment to closing the digital divide while protecting taxpayers, households, and businesses nationwide during this exceptionally difficult time.