Ajit Pai uses bad data to claim ISPs are deploying broadband to everyone
Pai’s “baffling” report ignores broadband gaps and high prices, Democrats say. …
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The Federal Communications Commission on Friday issued its annual broadband deployment report, finding for the third straight year that broadband is “being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.”
The FCC is required to report on broadband progress annually under Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Pai’s Republican majority pointed to the FCC’s deployment data to argue that broadband networks are expanding fast enough to serve all Americans, despite the three biggest ISPs—Comcast, AT&T, and Charter—lowering capital expenditures.
Pai’s conclusion is based on ISPs’ filings to the FCC, which are known to overcount the number of Americans who have broadband access. The FCC report also failed to consider whether data caps and broadband prices are impeding progress toward universal broadband access.
The annual report’s finding can have an impact on policymaking. The FCC is required to take further action to accelerate broadband deployment if it finds that it isn’t happening quickly enough.
Pai touts his leadership
Going back to his time as an FCC commissioner during the Obama administration, Pai has repeatedly argued that government regulation slows broadband investment and promised that his deregulatory agenda would cause investment to rise. This year, he pointed to industry research that found capital expenditures rose from $76.9 billion in 2017 to $80 billion in 2018. But the report didn’t mention the more recent spending declines at Comcast, AT&T, and Charter.
As we previously reported, Comcast lowered capital expenditures in its
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