Media Contact: 
Tina Pelkey, (202) 418-0536
tina.pelkey@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release

STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN PAI ON INCREASED BROADBAND INVESTMENT FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW 

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2019—Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement today on regarding USTelecom’s release of broadband investment figures for 2018:

“When I became FCC Chairman in January 2017, investment in our nation’s broadband networks had declined for two straight years.  So we turned the page on the failed policies of the past and charted a new course.  We focused on reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens and cutting red tape that discourages broadband deployment.  And we concentrated on updating our rules to match the modern communications marketplace.

“For example, we made it easier for broadband providers to transition from the copper networks of yesterday to the fiber networks of tomorrow.  We modernized our business data services regulations.  We eliminated utility-style rules from the 1930s.  And we made it easier to deploy wireless infrastructure by getting rid of unnecessary regulatory barriers at the federal, state, and local level.  

“The latest evidence reaffirms that our policies are working.  Today’s figures show that investment in our nation’s broadband networks rose in 2018 for a second straight year, with an estimated increase of $3 billion.  That follows other positive news.  For instance, in 2018, fiber was deployed to more new homes in the United States than any year in history, and small cell deployment more than quadrupled.  Average broadband speeds have increased substantially.  And the digital divide is closing.  
 
“In short, we’re moving in the right direction.  So in the time to come, we’ll continue on the same course—full speed ahead.  That means getting rid of more unnecessary regulatory burdens and updating more outdated rules so that we can continue to connect more Americans with high-speed broadband and digital opportunity.” 

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Office of Chairman Pai: (202) 418-1000 / Twitter: @AjitPaiFCC / www.fcc.gov/leadership/ajit-pai 

This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).