Forty-six years after my parents' journey from India, here I am, the grandson of a spare auto parts salesman and a file clerk, tapped by the President of the United States to be the nation's chief communications regulator.
— Ajit Pai
Now look: I love Twitter. But let's not kid ourselves; when it comes to a free and open Internet, Twitter is a part of the problem. The company has a viewpoint and uses that viewpoint to discriminate.
Broadband Internet access service is inherently an interstate service, and that is not a determination that just the FCC has made.
I oppose any proposal for the federal government to build and operate a nationwide 5G network.
I believe in the First Amendment.
President Clinton got it right in 1996 when he established a free-market-based approach to this new thing called the Internet, and the Internet economy we have is a result of his light-touch regulatory vision.
We all have an interest in an open Internet.
One of the great joys of my job is having the privilege of meeting people from all across the country and hearing their stories.
As we're unleashing the benefits of communications technologies, we also want to minimize the downsides.
The FCC should facilitate, rather than frustrate, innovation.
The bottom line is this: I want America to be at the forefront of innovation in the broadcast sector, the wireless sector, and every other sector of the communications industry.
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria each caused billions of dollars in damage, claimed the lives of many Americans, and disrupted millions more. They also reminded us how important communications networks can be during emergencies - and that the FCC has a role to play in helping keep people safe.
Increasingly, meeting the connectivity needs of all Americans - no matter where you live - means freeing up spectrum to meet the growing demand for wireless broadband.
For too long, Americans have been plagued by unwanted and unlawful robocalls. For too long, they've found unauthorized charges and changes to their phone service on their bills - practices commonly known as 'slamming' and 'cramming.' And for too long, some phone calls that are placed to rural residents have been dropped.
You may never need them, but if you do, they'll be there. It's that bedrock promise of protection that makes our public safety officials the unsung heroes that they are.
Next-generation networks are hard to build. It takes a lot of money and effort to lay fiber, install wireless infrastructure, build satellite earth stations, and more. It also requires a reasonably certain business case for deployment, which is all too often hard to prove in parts of the country with sparse population and/or lower incomes.
Whereas robocalls are ever-present, the problem of contraband cellphones in prisons - that is, cellphones illegally being used by inmates - is generally out-of-sight and too easily ignored. But the need for action is just as clear.
The United States needs modern, flexible, light-touch network regulation, not a one-size-fits-all utility model from the 1930s.
I think it's dangerous to make a decision based on where one thinks the public may or may not be. Aside from the fact that that's not what the law prescribes, it's also, I think, not what reasoned decision-making is all about... You always try to look at the facts and apply the law faithfully.
We all agree on the core values of a free and open Internet. We simply may disagree on the appropriate regulatory framework for securing those values. And I would much rather have an open and honest debate about the appropriate regulatory framework as opposed to throwing misinformation out there to achieve political ends.
Under the law, the FCC does not have the authority to revoke a license of a broadcast station based on the content of a particular newscast.
What is responsible for the phenomenal development of the Internet? Well, it certainly wasn't heavy-handed government regulation.
Light touch regulation means that we create broad regulatory frameworks that can protect consumers to ensure an overall competitive marketplace.
The FCC's job is not to put a finger in the wind and decide which way the winds are blowing; it's to look at the facts and make a sober judgment based on what the law is.
The FCC has been hard at work doing what we can to help close the digital divide.
Overly restrictive regulations not only stifle the private sector; they also ultimately hurt consumers.
Entrepreneurs are constantly developing new technologies and services. But too often, they're unable to bring them quickly to market for consumers because regulatory inertia stands in the way. Unfortunately, the FCC can suffer from this government-wide problem.
The scourge of unlawful robocalls is technically complex to address, and no single action will get the job done.
Consumers and businesses alike value their ability to keep a phone number when changing providers or relocating. This concept is called 'number portability.'
Whether you live in a big city or a small town, a call placed by a loved one, friend, or customer should go through.
I believe that the FCC and Tribal Nations share the same goal-ensuring high-speed Internet access to anyone who wants it, while respecting and preserving sites with historic, religious, and cultural significance to Tribes.
To bring the benefits of the digital age to all Americans, the FCC needs to make it easier for companies to build and expand broadband networks. We need to reduce the cost of broadband deployment, and we need to eliminate unnecessary rules that slow down or deter deployment.
High-speed Internet access, or broadband, is giving entrepreneurs anywhere an unprecedented chance to disrupt entire industries and transform our country.
There is no reason why any legitimate caller should be spoofing an unassigned or invalid phone number. It's just a way for scammers to evade the law.
To realize the promise of 5G, we will need smart networks, not dumb pipes. Dumb pipes won't deliver smart cities. Dumb pipes won't enable millions of connected, self-driving cars to navigate the roads safely at the same time.
I'm not an IT expert myself.
I'm a lawyer by training, of course.
The FCC, under my leadership, will stand for the First Amendment.
The Internet has enriched my own life immeasurably.
My own view is that the Internet should be run by technologists and engineers and business people, not by lawyers and bureaucrats here in the nation's capital.
The one thing that is distinctive about America historically has been the fact that we are all able to engage in public discourse without the political becoming personal.
Giving consumers the power to keep their phone numbers when they switch carriers has been great for consumers and businesses alike.
Bottom line: government shouldn't be a bottleneck for entrepreneurs looking to design a better mousetrap.
My view is that the Internet should be run by engineers and entrepreneurs, not lawyers and bureaucrats.
Spoofed robocalls are often used by fraudsters to lure consumers into scams and avoid detection.
Our rules need to keep pace with current technology so that Americans who use hearing aids can easily use phones.
Protecting consumers goes beyond just fighting illicit schemes. It also involves making sure that they get what they pay for. Unfortunately, rural telephone customers aren't always assured of that.
Whether it's police officers, firefighters, first responders, or 911 dispatchers, many dedicated Americans work long hours, and often in difficult conditions, to make sure that when someone's in need, they can help.
Infrastructure investment is critical to closing the digital divide in our country and bringing high-speed Internet access to more rural Americans.
Broadband Internet access shouldn't depend on who you are or where you're from.
