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Tag: Ajit Pai

  • We Want America To Be the Leader in 5G, Says FCC Chairman

    We Want America To Be the Leader in 5G, Says FCC Chairman

    “We want America to be the leader in 5G,” says FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “We want to put the building blocks in place so that we can have the possible fastest network so all applications can operate at scale. We think America is the best home for this innovation and investment. If we get it right, especially when it comes to a transformative technology like 5G, we’re confident that we will see even more competition and more innovation.”

    Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, discusses how 5G is important to national competitiveness and national security in an interview on Fox Business:

    We Want America To Be the Leader in 5G

    I think 5G is coming online soon. We already see some American carriers doing trials across the United States. That’s in part because we want America to be the leader in 5G. That’s part of the reason the President and I are doing this event to highlight the early success America has had and to forecast some of the steps we are going to take to continue the momentum. We want America to continue to be the leader in this next generation of wireless connectivity.

    We want to put the building blocks in place so that we can have the possible fastest network so all applications can operate at scale. We think America is the best home for this innovation and investment. If we get it right, especially when it comes to a transformative technology like 5G, we’re confident that we will see even more competition and more innovation. Ultimately, that’s what others will have to think about in terms of the appropriate regulatory framework. There’s no question that there have been serious issues raised about privacy and the like that Congress is wrestling with when it comes to regulation of Silicon Valley.

    5G is Critical to National Competitiveness and National Security

    At the FCC and across the United States government we want to make sure that our networks, especially our next generation 5G networks, are secure and reliable. We do have concerns about any company, any entity, that may have to comply with requests from the intelligence services of a foreign country. That is essentially one of the concerns (regarding Huawei) that have been raised here.

    That’s why at the FCC I proposed banning the use of federal funding extended by the FCC from being used on equipment or services that come from companies that have been determined to present a national security threat. This is especially true as we emerge into this 5G environment where some of the networks could be managed from abroad using various software tools. We want to make sure that our networks are secure. That is the base level of expectation that any government should have.

    We have to think very seriously about what types of equipment and services we include in our networks here. We are working with some of our counterparts around the world to emphasize to them how important it is to think about the security of these networks. The United Kingdom, for example, recently put out a cybersecurity report about that company (Huawei) that I would certainly bring to peoples attention. Ultimately, these networks are very critical for national competitiveness and national security. We need to make sure they are as reliable as possible.

    We Want America To Be the Leader in 5G, Says FCC Chairman Ajit Pai


  • SEC Chairman: We Want America to Lead the World in 5G

    SEC Chairman: We Want America to Lead the World in 5G

    FCC Chairman Ajit Pai recently talked about the upcoming White House meeting which Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint are all expected to attend. The FCC Chairman says that it’s vital that we eliminate the local regulatory hurdles that are currently preventing 5G from being implemented in the US.

    FCC Chairman Ajit Pai via CNBC’s Squawk on the Street:

    We Want America to Lead the World in 5G

    We want America to lead the world in 5G just as we led the world in 4G. That, of course, takes private sector initiative but also requires government to set the stage in terms of getting the tools for the industry to use out there into the marketplace.

    First, we want to outline a cross-government strategy, not just the FCC, but the entire Trump Administration is going to be on the same page in terms of asserting US leadership in 5g. We hope to learn from the industry is what are some of the necessary building blocks for 5g? We want America to be the home for innovation and investment for the next generation of wireless connectivity. We need to know what policies are needed in order to promote US leadership and I’m hoping it’ll be a very productive exchange.

    I think there’s a strong case for optimism about it being sooner. We already see some of the nation’s biggest companies doing 5G trials and cities like Indianapolis. We see a lot of investment and innovation in some of the tech sectors but there’s also a reason to be concerned because we see a lot of the regulatory barriers to 5G deployment in terms of the infrastructure that is needed to get out there into the marketplace.

    Local Government Regulations and Fees Holding Back 5G

    These regulations are holding back the case for a 5G deployment. That’s part of the reason why the FCC has been focused on what I call our 5G Fast Plan – Facilitating America’s Superiority in 5G Technology. If we get the spectrum out there, incentivize infrastructure deployment, and modernize our regulations, I’m confident that we can hasten the day when Americans can turn to 5G just as they’ve come to rely on 4G.

    We want to set the table so that every company, big and small, and regardless of where they happen to be trying to put deploy these 5G services, will be able to do so at scale in order to serve American consumers.

    By far the biggest barrier is the domestic regulatory barriers that we face. For example, it takes one to two hours to install a small cell on a utility pole that’s necessary for 5G. In some cases, it can take a year or two years to get the regulatory approval for deploying that small cell. That by far is one of the greatest barriers to getting the wide-scale deployment of 5G technologies in the future.

    Additionally, the spectrum that is necessary to get out into the marketplace has been a barrier. We’ve been working aggressively to fix that and we’ve already teed-up over the next year or so more spectrum for the commercial sector use then all of the mobile broadband providers today hold combined. I think those building blocks domestically are much more important for 5G in order to be deployed at scale.

    We Don’t Want to Cede the Mantel of Wireless Leadership to China

    China saw the success that the United States had in 4G and they want to claim that success for themselves. When it comes to 5G we want the United States to be the haven for innovation and investment not just out of some parochial concern but because we truly believe in a free and open Internet and the power of innovation and in the importance of the private sector leading this revolution. We think that this market-based approach is a superior one.

    We, of course, don’t want to cede the mantle of wireless leadership to any other country and our concern is that if China is the first mover in 5G that they will be able to draw some of that capital, some of that talent, and ultimately some of that innovation to their shores.

    I think about some of the applications here in terms of precision agriculture and telemedicine and the Internet of Things and all kinds of other applications we can’t even conceive today. All that could be on tap if we make the right decisions here in the United States and I think that’s going to be a boon for American consumers and for our Internet economy.

  • The Death of Net Neutrality and What it Means for Consumers

    The Death of Net Neutrality and What it Means for Consumers

    It finally happened. The repeal of net neutrality laws by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took effect on Monday.

    According to the FCC, the repeal will put an end to the “unnecessary, heavy-handed regulations” implemented by the previous administration and move forward with “common-sense regulations that will promote investment and broadband deployment.”

    The net neutrality rules, which were passed in 2015 during the tenure of President Barack Obama, prevented internet providers from giving special treatment to specific websites or charging them more for particular content. However, current FCC Chairman Ajit Pai opposed these regulations as he believed they impeded innovation.

    What It Means for Consumers

    Most internet users and consumer advocates are rightly worried that the repeal of Title II, or the net neutrality bill, means that broadband providers would start to sell their services in bundles, much like how cable television is packaged. For instance, some providers might require users to pay for a social media premium bundle in order to access platforms like Instagram and Twitter.

    There are also concerns that without the protections of the neutrality law, internet providers can slow down their competitor’s traffic or any other site they want to slow down. Conversely, they can also create “fast lanes,” which companies with deep enough pockets can take advantage of in return for faster connectivity.

    This also means that the playing field could be biased against small companies or eCommerce startups that will have to fight harder for exposure. Freelancers and other remote workers might also have to shell out more money to work from home.

    Can Net Neutrality be Revived?

    While it’s understandable for consumers to be wary about the FCC repeal, it will reportedly be months before any changes are felt. In the meantime, several states have already taken steps to protect net neutrality. The governors of Montana, New York, and Washington have either signed a law or issued executive orders to counter federal rules regarding the internet.

    There’s also a motion in the lower House right now that could push Republicans to vote to reinstate the 2015 net neutrality rules. Voters still have a say on this as they can either force their state representative to take a stand or vote out and replace them with someone who supports their stand on a free internet.

    For their part, some internet providers have publicly pledged that they will not throttle or block sites even with the repeal of Title II. Their only argument against the bill was the fact that the FCC had so much control over their business and that the regulations made expansion difficult.

  • Did Senate Democrats Really Save Net Neutrality? The House Has Yet to Vote

    Did Senate Democrats Really Save Net Neutrality? The House Has Yet to Vote

    The US Senate voted on Wednesday to save net neutrality. The chambers used the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to stop the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to undo regulations regarding Internet usage set during the term of President Barack Obama.

    The bill was passed with a 52 to 47 vote, with the Democrats and Independents receiving some surprising support from Republicans John Kennedy and Lisa Murkowski. The duo represents Louisiana and Alaska respectively. As expected, Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine also voted in favor of net neutrality.

    Collins had long announced her support for the CRA move, but Kennedy and Murkowski’s stand on the matter was relatively unknown.

    Kennedy later admitted to the Washington Post that it was difficult to make a decision but it all boiled down to who you were going to trust. As Kennedy explained, those who trusted their cable companies won’t be happy with his vote but “If you don’t trust your cable company, you will.”

    Meanwhile, Murkowski emphasized in a statement that she’s still against some of Obama’s FCC’s regulations but understands the need to safeguard the rights of Internet users.

    “I have voted to pass this resolution today so that we can reset the discussion and move beyond the politics at play here to what is really needed—lasting legislation that will provide certainty and move us beyond shifting regulatory standards that depend on who is running the FCC,” the senator explained.

    Under the Obama administration, regulations prevented broadband providers from blocking, limiting or discriminating against lawful internet content. However, the FCC voted last December to disregard those rules. The FCC’s decision was slated to take effect on June 11, but the new Senate measure effectively blocks that order.

    While the vote to block the FCC might be a major triumph for those supporting net neutrality, they still have a long fight ahead of it. For one, the bill still needs to be approved by the House and signed by President Trump.

    This is where things will potentially get tricky, as net neutrality activists would still have to secure the support of more than 20 Republicans. This is despite having the unanimous support of Democrats. Meanwhile, the White House has been vocal of its support for FCC head Ajit Pai’s move to reverse the regulations set under the previous administration.

    Net neutrality supporters remain hopeful, though. After all, President Trump has changed his mind several times on key issues. There’s also the fact that some Republicans might feel that siding against net neutrality could cause problems in the upcoming midterm elections.

  • The End is Near: Net Neutrality Rules Set to Expire on June 11

    The End is Near: Net Neutrality Rules Set to Expire on June 11

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that net neutrality protections will be repealed on June 11, 30 days after the notice was filed on Thursday. Alongside the expiration, new rules governing Internet service providers will also take effect.

    According to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, previous rules were deemed as “utility-styled and heavy-handed.” He also emphasized that the Internet has always been open and free, so there was no need for any restrictions made during the Obama presidency.

    “The Internet wasn’t broken in 2015, when the prior FCC buckled to political pressure and imposed heavy-handed Title II rules on the Internet economy,” Pai expressed in a statement. Despite opposition, Pai’s “Restoring Internet Freedom” proposal was green-lighted in December of last year. However, by April of 2018, only a few of the provisions were implemented due to a prolonged bureaucratic process. But on May 2, the Office of Management and Budget finally signed off the remaining key points.

    Set in the Obama-era, open-internet rules prevented service providers from blocking or slowing down access to specific sites and charging consumers more for faster content loading. Several Internet service providers (ISPs) were accused of throttling and restricting the access of their customers to rival companies with similar offerings. It was a practice that indicated a massive government oversight and jumpstarted FCC investigations under the 2015 rules.

    Once net neutrality rules expire, transparency rules will take effect and ISPs like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T are mandated to inform their customers when they will limit or restrict content and offer faster options at higher fees. These companies also pledged to be impartial against legal content.

    For net neutrality advocates, the fight for an open Internet continues ahead of the June deadline. Democrat senators have presented a petition to reverse Pai’s repeal and the Senate is set to vote on it next week. Even if the legislation passes Senate and Congress hurdles, President Donald Trump is expected to reject it.  

    More than 20 states have filed a lawsuit to block the net neutrality repeal. Several states have adopted laws enforcing the principles of net neutrality within their borders. FCC, however, has asserted authority over any state legislation inconsistent with the repeal.  

  • How Will the Repeal of Net Neutrality Affect Small Business?

    How Will the Repeal of Net Neutrality Affect Small Business?

    The issue of net neutrality has permeated the news, talk shows, and discussion boards for a while now. Different sectors have already voiced their concerns about how repealing net neutrality will affect consumers and businesses. Meanwhile, many people are still confused about the magnitude of the issue.

    What is Net Neutrality?

    Net Neutrality, or the Open Internet as it’s also called, works around the premise that all internet service providers (ISPs) should treat and deliver web traffic, content, and applications equally. There were concerns that some providers might slow down broadband connections to rivals or boost speed to content providers that are connected to subsidiaries.

    Regulations passed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) during Barack Obama’s presidential term sought to protect net neutrality by classifying the Internet as a “Title II” carrier. Under the Communications Act, ISPs had to disclose data caps and hidden fees and were prevented from interfering with the speed of their competitor’s sites and apps.

    However, the current chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, indicated earlier this year that he planned to undo the existing regulations against ISPs. Pai has long been against the Title II regulations, as he believes it hinders innovation. He also claimed that even before the 2015 regulations were enforced, ISPs did not engage in the practices that the Act prohibits.

    Pai’s campaign to repeal the Net Neutrality law successfully pushed through on Dec. 14, when the organization voted in favor of the repeal.

    What Happens Now?

    The FCC’s decision to rollback the previous administration’s policies on Net Neutrality could lead to several things. Open Internet advocates believe that the repeal could cause the creation of a high-speed internet lane for big internet, established media companies, and rich households. Meanwhile, the rest of consumers and businesses will be relegated to the slow lane. Mobile plans are also expected to be affected due to its built-in data caps. This could lead to telecom companies charging more for access to streaming services or particular websites.

    Image result for net neutrality

    How Will Repeal of Net Neutrality Affect Small Business?

    A lot of people are under the impression that the FCC’s decision to repeal the Communications Act would negatively affect small businesses. The concern is justified as it appears to give more advantages to established or richer companies. How else does the repeal of open internet affect startups?

    • Service Providers Could Choose the Winners and Losers in the Market

    As previously mentioned, one of the main concerns of the repeal is how it gives ISPs the power to throttle web traffic to its competitors or small businesses and allow big companies or ISPs subsidiaries or partners to get faster speed.

    Site speed plays a key role in how companies are ranked in Google’s search engines. Startups are afraid that if their site is being throttled by certain ISPs, their rankings will go down and they have no way of fighting it.

    Throttling will have a big effect on video marketing companies that rely on speed in order to stream videos with limited buffering and interruptions. Established video companies like Netflix can pay the extra cost, but small businesses might not be able to.

    • Competition Will be Split

    The Obama-era FCC regulation ensured that no broadband company can try to outperform other ISPs. This gives all companies, regardless of the size, the capacity to offer the same speed, with no limitations.

    However, some sectors are saying that reversing Title II will split the competition between ISPs and permit them to offer more free data plans or flexible pricing. This is a development that smaller ISPs might not be able to offer to consumers and could potentially cause these companies to flounder. Still others are saying that this can push smaller providers to become more creative and come up with offers that would attract other audiences, thereby giving them the opportunity to diversify and distinguish themselves from their more established counterparts.

    • Small Businesses Will Experience Financial Challenges

    There’s a risk that smaller companies will be unduly burdened when premiums for faster internet and high speeds are levied on them. Depending on how expensive these fees are, startups might experience financial challenges just to promote their business and gain visibility.

    This could also lead to small companies making cuts in other areas just to ensure an online presence. It could lead to salary cuts or slower job growth until the business finally gains a consistent online presence.

    It’s safe to say that the FCC repeal will not be accepted point blank by consumer groups and the business sector. Lawsuits and appeals have already been filed. However, it’s unclear how the repeal will affect consumers and the economy in the long run.

    [Featured image via YouTube]