At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai gave a keynote address in which he stressed he’s looking to “preserve a free and open internet” but noted utility-style regulations are not necessary to reach that goal.
Pai pointed to some regulatory overreach he thought the FCC went into under President Obama’s second term, which he said had a cooling effect on broadband investment. In the future, Pai predicts the Commission will look to promote investment in the networks of the future without heavy-handed regulation, and will return to a light-touch approach he said facilitated an investment boom in the past. Investment, he observed, will be critical to create the smart networks – rather than dumb pipes – necessary for future technologies.
In terms of M&A, Pai stressed “regulatory humility” and said any decisions from the FCC should be based on “well-established laws and precedents” in conjunction with consideration of current market conditions to ensure consumers are protected and incentives for investment remain. Pai added that it will be important to stick to those principles to avoid being sucked into a partisan fray in which he would become “nothing more than a political actor.”
For more on this story, read the article here by our sister publication’s Editor Diana Goovaerts, who is covering Mobile World Congress from Barcelona this week.
Filed Under: Industry regulations