FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel talks about Net Neutrality and technology policy moderated by U-M General Counsel Jack Bernard. September, 2018.
Transcript:
GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE
WELCOME TO THE FORD SCHOOL
I'M MICHAEL BARR, THE JOAN AND SANFORD WEILL DEAN OF THE GERALD R FORD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY
IT'S MY DELIGHT TO WELCOME YOU
ALL HERE THIS AFTERNOON FOR
POLICY TALKS AT THE FORD SCHOOL.
OUR FIRST ONE OF THE YEAR.
OUR TALK TODAY IS CO-SPONSORED
BY THE SCHOOL OF INFORMATION.
THE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND
PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAM AND THE
PROGRAM IN PRACTICAL POLICY
ENGAGEMENT.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING
JESSICA ROSENWARSAL, OUR SPECIAL
GUEST AND JACK BERNARD, FROM THE
UNIVERSITY'S GENERAL COUNSEL'S
OFFICE.
[APPLAUSE]
IT'S MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE
THEMSELVES BOTH.
AND I'M GOING TO START WITH
JACK, WHO WILL BE HOSTING THE
DIALOG, WITH THE COMMISSIONER.
JACK IS THE UNIVERSITY OF
MICHIGAN ASSOCIATE GENERAL
COUNSEL.
HE HAS BEEN WITH THE GENERAL
COUNSEL'S OFFICE SINCE 1999.
ALONG THE WAY, HE'S TAUGHT
COURSES AT THE SCHOOL OF
INFORMATION, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
AND HERE AT THE FORD SCHOOL.
HE RECEIVED HIS JD FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LAW
SCHOOL AND HIS MASTER'S IN
HIGHER EDUCATION FROM THE U OF M
CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF HIGHER
AND POST SECONDARY EDUCATION.
JACK IS AN EXPERT ON
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY,
COPYRIGHT, FIRST AMENDMENT AND
FREE SPEECH, AMONG OTHER TOPICS.
I WAS LEARNING THAT HE HAS
BECOME TEMPORARILY AN EXPERT IN
DEALING WITH SPECIAL STUDENT
PROBLEMS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
YEAR.
I WON'T SAY ANYTHING MORE ABOUT
THAT.
JACK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
JOINING US HERE.
I'M VERY DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU.
I'M ALSO DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE
OUR FEATURED GUEST, FEDERAL
COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSIONER,
JESSICA ROSENWARSAL.
SHE WAS APPOINTED TO THE FCC BY
PRESIDENT OBAMA IN 2012.
AND REAPPOINTED BY PRESIDENT
TRUMP IN 2017.
PRIOR TO JOINING THE AGENCY, SHE
SERVED AS SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS
COUNSEL FOR THE UNITED STATES
SENATE COMMITTEE, ON COMMERCE
SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION.
HER PORTFOLIO COVERED A WIDE
RANGE OF COMMUNICATIONS ISSUES,
INCLUDING SPECTRUM AUCTIONS
PUBLIC SAFETY, BROADBAND
DEPLOYMENT AND ADOPTION,
UNIVERSAL SERVICE, VIDEO
PROGRAMMING, SATELLITE AND
DIGITAL TV.
BEFORE JOINING THE COMMITTEE,
SHE SERVED AS LEGAL ADVISOR OF
FORMER FCC COMMISSIONER MICHAEL
COXE.
AND PREVIOUSLY SHE HAD BEEN IN
PRIVATE PRACTICE.
NATIVE OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.
AND GRADUATE OF NEW YORK
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW.
COMMISSIONER HAS A WELL EARNED
REPUTATION IN D.C., FOR
COMMISSIONER OF OPPORTUNITY,
AFFORDABILITY IN OUR NATION'S
COMMUNICATION SERVICES.
SHE COINED THE TERM HOMEWORK GAP
TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM
OF GROWING INEQUALITY IN SCHOOL
CHILDREN'S ACCESS TO HIGH SPEED
INTERNET, BASED ON SOCIOECONOMIC
STATUS AND GEOGRAPHY.
THIS IS I BELIEVE, THE
COMMISSIONER'S FIRST VISIT TO
ANN ARBOR.
SECOND.
SECOND.
AWESOME.
BUT LIKE MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE
WORLD, SHE HAS A SPECIAL
MICHIGAN TIE.
HER MOTHER WAS A STUDENT HERE.
GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
MICHIGAN.
SO I WILL SHARE OUR WONDERFUL
EXPRESSION, GO BLUE.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE
COMMISSIONER HERE AND PLEASE
JOIN ME IN THANKING HER FOR
BEING HERE.
[APPLAUSE]
SO LET ME JUST SAY A WORD ABOUT
OUR PROCESS.
IN ABOUT 20, 25 MINUTES AFTER
THE HOUR, STAFF WILL BEGIN
WALKING AROUND THE ROOM TO
COLLECT QUESTIONS FROM THOSE IN
THE AUDIENCE.
AND THEY'LL COMPILE QUESTIONS
FROM TWITTER AS WELL, FOR THOSE
WATCHING ONLINE.
JACK WILL TRANSITION US INTO THE
Q&A AND THE COMMISSIONER WILL
TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS.
THE Q&A WILL BE FACILITATED BY
FORD SCHOOL MOLLY KLEINMAN.
ALONG WITH FORD SCHOOL STUDENTS
JACKSON BOSS AND LINDSEY, WHO
ARE RIGHT HERE.
WITH THAT, LET ME TURN THINGS
OVER TO JACK.
AND I VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO
THE CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU.
WELCOME AGAIN TO MICHIGAN.
WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE YOU
HERE.
YOU CAN SEE WE'VE GOT A FULL
AUDIENCE.
THANK YOU.
I THOUGHT WE MIGHT START WITH
TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW
YOU GOT HERE.
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THE DEAN
GAVE A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR BIO,
BUT I'M WONDERING IF YOU MIGHT
SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
YOURSELF.
YOU KNOW, I WAS ASKED THIS
QUESTION EARLIER BY SOME
STUDENTS.
I THINK THE WAY I PUT IT WAS
THERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE WHO KNEW
WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO FROM DAY
ONE AND THEY TOOK EVERY JOB AND
EVERY CLASS FOR THAT GOAL AND
REACHED THAT GOAL.
I WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
IT DIDN'T GO LIKE THAT.
I CAME FROM A FAMILY OF
SCIENTISTS, MY MOTHER WENT TO
GRADUATE SCHOOL HERE.
AND THE MOST REBELOUS THING I
THOUGHT I COULD DO WAS GO TO LAW
SCHOOL.
I FOUND MYSELF IN WASHINGTON AND
I PRACTICED THERE FOR A WHILE.
I WORKED ON THE PRIVATIZATION OF
A PUBLICLY-OWNED UTILITY.
WHICH IF YOU SPEND SOME TIME
STUDYING ECONOMICS, ENGINEERING
AND LAW, IT'S QUITE INTERESTING.
SHORTLY THEREAFTER I HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE JUNIOR
STAFF OF THE FEDERAL
COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.
A FEW YEARS EARLIER, CONGRESS
HAD PASSED A LAW KNOWN AS THE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996.
THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO
IMPLEMENT THAT LAW.
I EVENTUALLY WENT TO WORK FOR A
COMMISSIONER.
AND THEN I WENT TO WORK ON
CAPITOL HILL, WHERE I WORKED ON
ISSUES INVOLVING THE DIGITAL
TELEVISION TRANSITION SATELLITE
SERVICE AND THEN WORKED WITH THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ON SECURING
MORE SPECTRUM, SO FIRST
RESPONDERS COULD TALK TO ONE
ANOTHER.
AN IDEA THAT EVENTUALLY BECAME
LAW.
AND THEN I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF
GOING TO THE AGENCY TO OVERSEE
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IT, WHERE
I LEARNED QUICKLY THAT
IMPLEMENTING A LAW AND JUST
COMING UP WITH THE IDEA ARE TWO
DIFFERENT THINGS.
THAT'S GREAT.
I THINK FOR SO MANY IN THE ROOM
WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT A LIFE IN
PUBLIC SERVICE, IT'S GREAT FOR
THEM TO SEE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
WHAT MIGHT BE A ROUGH AND TUMBLE
PATH TO GET TO MAYBE WHERE YOU
WANT TO GO.
ALONG THE WAY, CAUSE JUST THE
RIGHT AMOUNT OF TROUBLE TO MAKE
THE OPPORTUNITIES HAPPEN.
SO YOU ARE A COMMISSIONER ON
THE FCC RIGHT NOW.
I THINK PEOPLE IN THE ROOM HAVE
A GENERALIZED NOTION OF WHAT THE
FCC IS.
BUT I'M WONDERING IF YOU MIGHT
UNPACK THAT A LITTLE BIT FOR US.
WELL, I'M TOTALLY BIASED, BUT
THE FCC OVERSEES ABOUT 1/6 OF
OUR ECONOMY, COMMUNICATIONS AND
TECHNOLOGY.
I THINK IT'S THE MOST EXCITING
SECTOR OF OUR ECONOMY.
SO THAT INVOLVES EVERYTHING FROM
BROADCASTING TO BROADBAND.
FROM WI-FI TO WIRELESS.
TO SATELLITE SERVICES IN THE
AIR.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, YOU CAN'T
GO THROUGH THE DAY WITHOUT
TOUCHING SOME FORM OF
COMMUNICATIONS THAT THE SEC
OVERSEES.
IT'S AN INSTITUTION THAT
CONGRESS CREATED IN 1934.
BACK WHEN IT DECIDED THAT ON A
DAY TO DAY BASIS, THEY DIDN'T
THINK CONGRESS SHOULD BE THE
ENTITY DECIDING HOW WE DIVIED UP
OUR AIRWAVES.
COMMUNICATIONS HAS GROWN MORE
AND MORE IMPORTANT IN ALL OF OUR
LIVES.
THE FCC AS A BODY MAKES
DECISIONS ABOUT COMMUNICATION
SERVICE AND PUBLIC POLICY AND
CONGRESS OVERSEES US.
BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF AUTHORITY,
BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF
ISSUES BEFORE US.
HOW DOES THE FCC INTERACT
WITH THE INTERNET?
HOW DO WE INTERACT WITH THE
INTERNET?
I THINK THE EASIEST WAY TO TALK
ABOUT IT IS WE THINK ABOUT
COMMUNICATIONS TRANSMISSION.
OUR JURISDICTION AND OUR
AUTHORITY LARGELY SPEAKS TO
MAKING SURE THERE IS A WIRE IN
THE GROUND.
OR THERE ARE AIRWAVES THAT ARE
ALLOCATED FOR WIRELESS SERVICE
OR SATELLITE SERVICE.
IT'S THAT TRANSMISSION THAT IS
AN INPUT INTO EVERYTHING WE DO
IN MODERN LIFE.
AND THAT'S WHERE OUR AUTHORITY
LIES.
SO IN ANTICIPATION OF YOUR
ARRIVAL HERE, I HAVE BEEN
THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR SEVERAL
WEEKS AND STARTED TALKING TO
PEOPLE ABOUT THE CENTRAL THEME
OF OUR TALK TODAY, WHICH IS
PROBABLY GOING TO FOCUS ON NET
NEUTRALITY.
SO I STARTED ASKING PEOPLE IN
OUR COMMUNITY HERE WHAT THEY
THOUGHT ABOUT NET NEUTRALITY.
AND WHAT I DISCOVERED WAS THAT
PEOPLE HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF
CONCEPTIONS ABOUT WHAT NET
NEUTRALITY ACTUALLY IS.
AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE VERY VERY
STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THINGS
THAT I'M NOT ACTUALLY SURE ARE
NET NEUTRALITY.
SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU MIGHT
GIVE US AN A WORKING DEFINITION
OF NET NEUTRALITY, AND PERHAPS
IF YOU COULD TRY TO GIVE US ONE
THAT ISN'T LADEN WITH A
PARTICULAR VIEWPOINT.
WE'LL GET DEEP INTO THE
VIEWPOINTS.
OKAY.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO BE ACRONYM
AND VIEWPOINT FREE.
WE'LL SEE IF I SUCCEED.
BECAUSE THAT'S A HARD TASK FOR
SOMEONE FROM WASHINGTON.
I THINK NET NEUTRALITY MEANS
THAT YOUR BROADBAND PROVIDERS
HAVE TO TREAT THE TRAFFIC ON
THEIR NETWORKS EQUALLY SO THAT
THEY DO NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE
BASIS OF SOURCE, DESTINATION OR
CONTENT.
LET ME PUT THAT IN BETTER
ENGLISH.
IT MEANS THAT YOU CAN GO WHERE
YOU WANT, DO WHAT YOU WANT
ONLINE AND YOUR BROADBAND
PROVIDER DOES NOT MAKE DECISIONS
FOR YOU.
IT MEANS YOUR BROADBAND PROVIDER
DOES NOT HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO
BLOCK WEBSITES, TO SENSOR ONLINE
CONTACT.
YOU USED THE WORD EQUALLY
THERE.
I'M WONDERING WHEN WE'RE
THINKING ABOUT THAT, WE'RE KIND
OF LEAVING OUR DEFINITION, BUT
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY EQUALLY?
WELL, NONDISCRIMINATION IS
WHAT I MEAN BY EQUALLY.
WHICH HAS BEEN A PRINCIPLE OF
OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKS
LAWS FOR A LONG TIME.
I MEAN, SO MUCH SO YOU DON'T
EVEN REALIZE IT.
THINK BACK TO THE BASIC
TELEPHONE NETWORK.
IT IS A GIVEN THAT IF YOU WENT
TO A WIRED PHONE ON A WALL, YOU
CAN CALL WHOEVER YOU WANT.
AND THE TELEPHONE COMPANY CAN'T
DECIDE YOU CAN'T CALL THAT
PERSON.
NOR CAN THEY GO IN AND EDIT YOUR
CONVERSATION.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU HAVE A
NON-DISCRIMINATORY RIGHT TO MAKE
THAT PHONE CALL.
IT'S UP TO YOU.
THOSE IDEAS TRANSFER TO THE
DIGITAL AGE ARE WHAT I THINK
WHEN I THINK ABOUT TRAFFIC AND
TREATMENT WITH NET NEUTRALITY.
WHICH IS AGAIN, YOU SHOULD BE
ABLE TO GO WHERE YOU WANT
REGARDLESS OF SOURCE DESTINATION
OR THE CONTENT YOU'RE SEEKING TO
ACCESS WITHOUT THE BROADBAND
PROVIDER GETTING IN THE WAY.
TO ME, WE'RE REALLY TALKING
ABOUT NON-DISCRIMINATION, WHICH
HAS BEEN A PRINCIPLE OF OUR
THINKING ABOUT NETWORKS AND
COMMUNICATIONS FOR DECADES AND
DECADES.
SO I'VE NOTICED THAT THE
DIFFERENT BROADBAND PROVIDERS
I'VE ENGAGED WITH, THEY PROVIDE
DIFFERENT SUITES OF SERVICES OR
DIFFERENT SPEEDS, A VARIETY OF
OTHER OPTIONS.
SO MY EXPERIENCE ISN'T UNIFORM.
SURE.
SO I'M WONDERING REALLY WHAT
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
YEAH.
YOU CAN GET THESE THINGS, I
THINK CONFUSED.
BUT IT IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE
FOR SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T DO A LOT
OF ONLINE ACTIVITY TO DECIDE
THAT THEY'RE HAPPY WITH 200
KILABIT SPEED.
IT'S GOOD FOR THEIR E-MAIL.
YOU COME TO MY HOUSE, AND YOU
GOT FOUR PEOPLE WHO ARE ALL
TRYING TO WATCH VIDEOS
SIMULTANEOUSLY, I'LL PAY FOR A
GIGABIT.
AND I THINK THAT EVERY CONSUMER
SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE
THOSE CHOICES.
BUT THEY'RE MAKING THE CHOICES.
YOUR BROADBAND PROVIDER IS NOT
MAKING THE CHOICE FOR YOU.
HOW IS IT THAT IN THE ABSENCE
OF NET NEUTRALITY OUR BROADBAND
PROVIDER MIGHT INTERFERE WITH
YOUR FOUR VIDEO FAMILY WATCHING
GROUP ENJOYING VIDEOS ONLINE,
WHAT COULD THEY DO THAT WOULD
UNDERMINE THE EXPERIENCE?
SINCE WE ROLLED BACK OUR NET
NEUTRALITY POLICIES, OUR
BROADBAND PROVIDERS HAVE THE
LEGAL RIGHT TO BLOCK WEBSITES,
THROTTLE ONLINE SERVICES, SENSOR
THE CONTENT.
THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO TO ANY
CREATOR AND SAY HEY, IF YOU WANT
TO REACH THAT CUSTOMER, YOU GOT
TO PAY US A TOLL.
AFTER YOU GIVE THE LEGAL ENTITY
A LEGAL RIGHT, THEY HAVE THAT
LEGAL RIGHT.
DO THEY HAVE THE TECHNICAL
ABILITY TO DO THAT?
YES.
NETWORK MANAGEMENT WOULD ALLOW
THEM TO DO THAT.
DO THEY ALSO HAVE THE BUSINESS
INCENTIVE?
WELL, YES.
IF THERE IS A GREATER REVENUE
ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE BEHAVIORS,
CHARGING MORE TO REACH CERTAIN
WEBSITES, I'M SURE THEY WOULD
TRY TO ENGAGE IN IT.
WHEN YOU ALIGN A LEGAL RIGHT
WITH TECHNICAL ABILITY AND A
BUSINESS INCENTIVE, OVER TIME
YOU EXPECT THAT THOSE BEHAVIORS
WILL EMERGE IN THE MARKETPLACE.
BY ROLLING NET NEUTRALITY BACK,
I THINK WE DID JUST THAT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S GOOD.
I DON'T THINK IT'S GOOD FOR
CONSUMPTION OR CREATION ONLINE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I
THINK ABOUT WHEN WE ADD
REGULATIONS TO A SYSTEM IS THAT
WE'VE INCUMBERED THE SYSTEM.
THE FCC ADDED REGULATIONS, THE
SYSTEM BECAME INCUMBERED.
WHY WOULD WE NEED TO INCUMBER
THE SYSTEM?
MARKET ACTORS MAKE SURE THEY
TRIED TO ABIDE BY THEM.
THE SECOND THING I WOULD SAY,
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT REGULATION,
I THINK THE QUESTION IS HOW MUCH
OVERSIGHT YOU WANT IN A
MARKETPLACE.
I BELIEVE YOU NEEDLESS OVERSIGHT
IF YOU HAVE A COMPETITIVE
MARKETPLACE.
COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACES ARE
THEMSELVES THE BEST REGULATOR OF
ACTIVITY.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
BROADBAND MARKETPLACE, ACCORDING
TO THE FCC'S OWN DATA, ABOUT
HALF OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC DOES
NOT HAVE A CHOICE OF BROADBAND
PROVIDER.
THAT'S NOT EXACTLY COMPETITIVE.
AND AS A RESULT, IF YOUR
BROADBAND PROVIDER DECIDES TO
MUCK AROUND WITH YOUR TRAFFIC,
BLOCK WEBSITES OR CHARGE YOU A
PREMIUM FOR REACHING CERTAIN
CONTENT, YOU CAN'T PICK UP YOUR
BUSINESS AND TAKE IT ELSEWHERE.
THERE IS NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.
IT'S THE ABSENCE OF THAT
COMPETITION THAT I THINK MAKES
SOME LIGHT OVERSIGHT FROM
AGENCIES LIKE THE FCC USEFUL AND
NECESSARY FOR CONSUMERS.
SO I WANT TO DIG A LITTLE
DEEPER THERE.
BECAUSE MY OWN EXPERIENCE WITH
MY BROADBAND AND CABLE PROVIDER
WAS THAT EVEN WHEN THE NET
NEUTRALITY RULES WERE IN PLACE,
I FELT THOSE CONSTRAINTS YOU
WERE JUST DESCRIBING.
THAT IS MY BROADBAND PROVIDER
ONLY PROVIDED SO MUCH SPEED AND
ONLY SO MANY OPTIONS.
I FELT CONSTRAINED BY THAT
BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF
CHOICES.
HOW IS THAT A NET NEUTRALITY
ISSUE, THOUGH?
TO ME, IF THE MARKETPLACE WAS
ROBUST AND EVERYONE HAD A
HANDFUL OF PROVIDERS, THEY WOULD
COMPETE TO PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH
THE BEST SERVICE.
AND I DO THINK THEY MAKE AN
EFFORT TO DO THAT NOW.
BUT THEY WOULD COMPETE AND
PERHAPS COMPETE ON THE BASIS OF
MAKING SURE YOUR INTERNET
EXPERIENCE WAS AS OPEN AND FREE
AS POSSIBLE.
BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF HAVING
THAT MANY PROVIDERS, WE DON'T
HAVE THAT COMPETITION.
AND THAT'S WHAT NET NEUTRALITY
RULES ARE DESIGNED TO HELP
MANAGE.
TO MAKE SURE THAT CONSUMERS CAN
GO WHERE THEY WANT AND DO WHAT
THEY WANT ONLINE, EVEN IN THE
ABSENCE OF A FULLY COMPETITIVE
MARKET.
WHAT SPECIFICALLY CHANGED
WHEN WE ROLLED BACK THE NET
NEUTRALITY RULES?
WHAT SPECIFICALLY CHANGED.
THE FCC HAD IN PLACE RULES THAT
SAID YOU CAN'T BLOCK, YOU CAN'T
THROTTLE, YOU CAN'T ENGAGE IN
PAY FOR PLAY PRIORITIZATION.
WHERE YOU TREAT TRAFFIC JUST
FINE BECAUSE THEY PAY YOU AND
CONSIGN THE REST TO A BUMPY
ROAD.
I DON'T THINK THOSE POLICIES
WERE RADICAL.
THEY WERE RADICALLY POPULAR.
THEY HAD ALSO BEEN UPHELD BY THE
COURTS.
AND SPEAKING AS AN FCC
COMMISSIONER, WE DON'T ALWAYS
GET THE LUXURY OF OUR RULES
BEING UPHELD BY THE COURTS.
SO THEY WERE JUSTIFIED BY
JUDGES, WELL RECEIVED BY THE
PUBLIC.
AND THEY WERE STABLE.
BUT WE CHOSE TO ROLL THEM BACK
ANYWAY.
THAT WAS DONE OVER MY DISSENT.
YOU WERE VERY VOCAL AND
BROUGHT FORWARD ARGUMENTS AND
WERE NOT ABLE TO PERSUADE YOUR
FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
YET.
YEAH.
JUST DEVIATING A LITTLE BIT FROM
WHERE WE WERE GOING, ALTHOUGH
I'LL COME BACK.
WHAT IS THAT LIKE?
WHAT'S THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING
THE HOLD-OUT OR THE LONE
DISSENTER?
WELL, I'M A DEMOCRAT IN
WASHINGTON RIGHT NOW.
SO I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE
WITH THIS.
I FIRMLY BELIEVE PEOPLE DON'T
REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAID BUT HOW
YOU SAID IT.
YOU TRY TO FIND THOSE ARGUMENTS
AND THEN YOU REPEAT THEM OVER
AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
YOU STILL REPEAT THEM, AGAIN AND
AGAIN.
I THINK YOU CAN MAKE CHANGE OVER
TIME IF YOU DO THAT.
IT'S NOT A
SINGLE ACT OR A DECISION.
AND I THINK YOU KNOW, WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT THIS EARLIER, NET
NEUTRALITY HAS BECOME THAT.
FCC MADE WHAT I BELIEVE IS A
MISGUIDED DECISION LATE LAST
YEAR.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WROTE OUR
AGENCY.
AND IN THE WAKE OF THEIR ANGER
ABOUT OUR DECISION, THEY DID
SOMETHING ABOUT IT, THEY WENT TO
GOVERNORS.
SIX GOVERNORS REQUIRE NET
NEUTRALITY IN THEIR STATE
CONTRACTS.
THERE IS MORE THAN 100 MAYORS
WHO COMMITTED TO DO THE SAME.
THEY WENT TO STATE HOUSES, THERE
ARE LAWS IN OREGON, WASHINGTON
AND VERMONT AND GOVERNOR BROWN
IN CALIFORNIA MAY BE SIGNING
ANOTHER LAW.
THEY WENT TO COURT.
IN CONGRESS, UNITED STATES
SENATE LEGISLATION WAS PASSED TO
OVERTURN THE FCC.
IF YOU STAND BACK AND LOOK AT
THAT SWELL OF ACTIVITY, THAT'S
DEMOCRACY IN ACTION.
THAT'S PEOPLE ACTUALLY DOING
WHAT THE SYSTEM CONTEMPLATED.
WHICH IS PARTICIPATING IN
CREATING CHANGE.
SO I DON'T THINK THE NET
NEUTRALITY STORY IS OVER.
AND I HAVE THIS OPTIMISM THAT IF
THAT CONTINUES, WE CAN ONCE
AGAIN RETURN INTERNET OPENNESS
TO THE LAW OF THE LAND.
SO HOW DO YOU -- YOU'VE HAD
THIS DIFFERENCE OF VIEW ON A
VERY PUBLIC MATTER.
WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE REALLY
UNDERSTAND IT IS STILL UP FOR
DEBATE I THINK.
BUT YOU'VE HAD THIS REAL
DIFFERENCE.
HOW DO YOU BUILD COLLEGIALITY
AFTER THIS?
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
IT'S ONE THAT YOU SHOULD
PROBABLY ASK EVERYONE IN
WASHINGTON.
I'LL TELL YOU HOW I DO IT.
I TRY TO DECIDE WHATEVER
DISAGREEMENT WE HAD IS LIKE A
BOOK THAT GOES ON THE SHELF AND
I'M MOVING ON TO THE NEXT
VOLUME.
AND I TRY TO FIND SOMETHING WITH
EACH OF MY COLLEAGUES I MIGHT BE
ABLE TO AGREE WITH ON THEM.
I HAVE A COLLEAGUE ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE AISLE, WE DO A LOT
OF WORK OF UNLICENSED SPECTRUM
POLICY.
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH
MORE WI-FI WE CAN PUT IN OUR
AIRWAVES AND MAKE AN EFFORT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN OPEN A
BOOK TOGETHER, THERE IS
SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FIND
AGREEMENT ON.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
YOU SHOULD KEEP TRYING.
IT DOESN'T ALWAYS SUCCEED.
HOPPING BACK IN TO NET
NEUTRALITY.
WE TOOK A DETOUR THERE.
BUT I'M WONDERING IF YOU WOULD
BE WILLING TO TAKE A MOMENT AND
TO TRY TO STEEL MAN AS OPPOSED
TO STRAW MAN THE POSITION ON THE
OTHER SIDE.
OKAY.
LET'S SEE.
THIS IS A GOOD EXERCISE.
IT FEELS ALMOST LIKE ACADEMIC.
WASHINGTON NEEDS TO BE CAREFUL.
IT CAN OVERREGULATE INDUSTRIES.
IT CAN COME UP WITH POLICIES
THAT ARE WELL INTENDED AND THE
RESULTS CAN BE HARMFUL.
WE WANT OUR BROADBAND PROVIDERS
TO EXPERIMENT AND COME UP WITH
PACKAGES AND PLANS THAT SERVE
EVERYONE.
TAKING REVENUE FROM ONLINE
PLATFORMS IS AN IMPORTANT PART
OF THAT MIX OR SETTING UP
SERVICES THAT ONLY ALLOW PEOPLE
TO REACH SMALL PORTIONS OF THE
INTERNET COULD CREATE MORE AND
DIFFERENT PACKAGES, WE WANT THEM
TO HAVE THAT FREEDOM TO
EXPERIMENT.
WE ALSO WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO
RAISE ENOUGH REVENUE AS PRIVATE
SECTOR ACTORS SO THAT THEY CAN
DEPLOY THEIR BROADBAND NETWORKS
FURTHER AND IN MORE PLACES.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE
ARGUMENT THAT WOULD BE MADE ON
THE OTHER SIDE.
I COULD PICK APART WHAT I JUST
SAID.
BUT IF I WERE STILL TALKING
TO YOU AS THE PERSON BOLSTERING
THAT VIEW, AND I SAID, WELL, HOW
DOES NET NEUTRALITY INTERFERE
WITH THAT?
THIS IS GETTING CONFUSING.
GOD.
I JUST DON'T THINK IT WILL.
I'M BEING HONEST.
I THINK THAT THERE ARE QUESTIONS
ABOUT WHAT'S CALLED ZERO NET
RATING WITH THAT AND HOW MUCH
EXPERIMENTATION YOU SHOULD ALLOW
PROVIDERS TO HAVE, WITH RESPECT
TO EXEMPTING CERTAIN WEBSITES OR
ACTIVITIES FROM ONLINE DATA
CAPS.
NOW WE'RE GETTING A FEW LEVELS
IN.
LET ME LET YOU BECOME
YOURSELF AGAIN.
I APPRECIATE THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I DO THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO
BE ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU JUST DID.
BECAUSE I THINK IF YOU WANT TO
MAKE PROGRESS ANYWHERE, IN
WASHINGTON OR ON YOUR LOCAL
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY BOARD,
YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT'S DRIVING THE
OTHER SIDE.
AND TO BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH
POLITICS AS DRIVING THE OTHER
SIDE OR WHETHER THERE IS
ACTUALLY A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE
THAT'S AT STAKE.
TOTALLY RIGHT.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO PAUSE AND
SAY IF I CAME TO THAT POSITION
AS A DECENT INDIVIDUAL, WHY DID
I REACH THAT RESULT?
YOU HAVE TO SUBJECT YOURSELF TO
THAT DISCIPLINE IN ORDER TO MAKE
SURE YOUR ARGUMENTS ARE TIGHTER.
BUT ALSO BECAUSE YOU MIGHT FIND
BRIDGES IF YOU SUBJECT YOURSELF
TO DOING THAT.
SO ONE THING I THINK WE HEAR
A LOT FROM INDUSTRY ALONG THESE
LINES IS THAT NET NEUTRALITY IS
A BARRIER TO INVESTING IN
INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND IT'S A BARRIER BECAUSE WITH
NET NEUTRALITY, THE STATE, I
MEAN THE GOVERNMENT IS
ESSENTIALLY NATIONALIZING THE
INVESTMENT OF THESE INDIVIDUAL
PORTION OF THE SECTOR, WHO ARE
TRYING TO INVEST IN
INFRASTRUCTURE.
ESSENTIALLY CREATING A KIND OF
EASEMENT ON SPACES THEY'VE PUT
FORWARD.
THIS IS THE ARGUMENTS THAT WE'VE
HEARD.
I'M WONDERING HOW YOU WOULD
RESPOND TO THAT.
LISTEN, WE DO HAVE BROADBAND
CHALLENGES IN RURAL PARTS OF
THIS COUNTRY.
STATES WITHOUT BROADBAND AS
WE'VE DEFINED IT TODAY.
AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES.
AND INSTEAD OF HAVING
THEORETICAL ARGUMENTS ABOUT NET
NEUTRALITY, I WOULD LIKE TO MAP
WHERE THOSE PEOPLE ARE AND
IDENTIFY HOW WE'RE GOING TO
BUILD SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR THE
INFRASTRUCTURE, AND NEW
TECHNOLOGY THAT IS GOING TO MAKE
SERVING THEM FOR FEASIBLE.
WHEN YOU SAY WE, DO YOU MEAN
WE THE GOVERNMENT?
WE AS A NATION.
PUBLIC SECTOR AND PRIVATE SECTOR
ACTORS.
DO YOU THINK IT'S POSSIBLE
THAT ALONG WITH ADVOCATING FOR
NET NEUTRALITY, YOU COULD
ADVOCATE FOR GOVERNMENT
INCENTIVES FOR INDUSTRY TO DO
JUST THOSE THINGS?
ABSOLUTELY.
THOSE TWO THINGS ARE NOT
INCONSISTENT.
YOU CAN DO BOTH THINGS AT THE
SAME TIME.
I THINK THAT IS A FALSE CHOICE
TO PRESENT IT AS ONE OR THE
OTHER.
SO GETTING BACK TO THIS IDEA
OF EQUALITY, COULD IT NOT BE THE
CASE THAT MAYBE LESS THAN
EQUITABLE SERVICE MIGHT ACTUALLY
BE BETTER FOR THE WHOLE?
I MEAN, FOR INSTANCE, THINK
ABOUT THINGS LIKE ROADS, WHERE
WE GIVE A PREFERENCE TO SOME
VEHICLES, PERHAPS VEHICLES THAT
ARE TRAVELLING WITH MORE THAN
ONE PERSON IN THEM.
OR AT THE GROCERY STORE, YOU
KNOW, THERE IS A LINE FOR CASH
AND A LINE FOR CREDIT CARD.
SEE, HERE IS THE PREMISE THAT
YOU HAVE THERE.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE LINES.
THE POINT IS THAT THERE IS A
LANE FOR TRAFFIC WITH PEOPLE YOU
KNOW, CARPOOLS.
AND THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER
LANES.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS
PLAUSIBLE IN A MARKET THAT IS
COMPETITIVE ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN
MULTIPLE LANES.
THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH OUR
BROADBAND MARKETS RIGHT NOW,
EVEN DATA FROM THE FCC SUGGESTS
IT'S NOT.
I THINK THAT THAT ANALOGY HAS
LIMITATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO
BROADBAND SERVICE.
DO THE LIMITATIONS STEM FROM
THE FACT THAT THERE TENDS TO BE
FROM EACH MARKET, ONLY ONE OR
POTENTIALLY TWO BROADBAND
PROVIDERS?
I THINK IT'S A SIGNIFICANT
PROBLEM.
IF THERE WERE A GREATER
PROLIFERATION OF COMPETITION --
I THINK WE WOULD REVISIT
THIS, YES.
WE MIGHT NOT NEED NET
NEUTRALITY?
WE WOULD REVISIT WHETHER IT'S
NECESSARY.
THAT DOES MAKE SENSE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE FREQUENTLY
SEE POINTED OUT BY PEOPLE
ADVOCATING FOR NET NEUTRALITY IS
THIS IDEA THAT THERE WOULD FORM
CARTELS OF RELATIONSHIPS OF
PEOPLE ACROSS INDUSTRIES.
SO THERE WOULD BE THE PEOPLE WHO
-- THERE WOULD BE THE BROADBAND
PROVIDERS WHO LIKED NETFLIX AND
THE ONES WHO LIKED YOUTUBE.
RIGHT.
AND THAT IF YOU WERE WITH
ONE, YOU WOULD GET ONE SERVICE
MORE QUICKLY AND IF YOU WERE
WITH THE OTHER -- IS THERE ANY
EVIDENCE FOR THAT?
I THINK THERE IS DISCUSSION
SOME OF THAT IS STARTING TO
HAPPEN.
IT DOESN'T PRECLUDE YOU FROM
REACHING THE OTHER.
BUT WE'RE ALL SUPER IMPATIENT.
THAT CIRCLE OF DEATH COMES UP ON
YOUR SCREEN AND I DON'T KNOW
ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M SURPRISED
ABOUT HOW SWIFTLY I CLICK OFF
THAT AND TRY TO FIND SOMETHING
ELSE.
EVEN THE SLOWEST BITS OF
THROTTLING CAN CHANGE CONSUMER
BEHAVIOR.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WHAT YOU
JUST DESCRIBED IS ALSO REAL OVER
TIME CORROSIVE FOR
ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
HOW ARE THEY GOING TO FIND A WAY
TO GET INTO THE MARKETPLACE WHEN
IT'S BEEN DIVIED UP BETWEEN
THESE MAJOR PROVIDERS?
IT'S MORE LIKE ORDERING YOUR
CABLE SERVICE, WHERE YOU CHOOSE
CHANNELS.
I THINK THE GREATER CONCERN OVER
TIME IS FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND
THE INABILITY TO DEVELOP NEW
SERVICES THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO
AFFORD THE PREMIUM THAT IS PAID
FROM THOSE SWEET SPEEDS.
I SUPPOSE THAT CREATES AN
OBSTACLE FOR THE ARGUMENT FOR
NET NEUTRALITY.
BECAUSE IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT
FOR MOST PEOPLE TO IMAGINE THE
WORLD A LOT DIFFERENT THAN IT IS
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT.
THAT'S RIGHT.
ABSOLUTELY.
HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THAT?
YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD.
I CAN POINT BACK TO A WHOLE
BUNCH OF SMALL EPISODES, WHERE
VOICE-OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL
PROVIDER WAS DENIED SERVICE.
ANOTHER TIME WHEN GOOGLE WALLET
AND FACE TIME WERE NOT AVAILABLE
ON CERTAIN SERVICES.
BUT THE TRUTH IS, WITH CONSUMER
PRESSURE AND NET NEUTRALITY LAWS
IN PLACE, WE WERE ABLE TO
OVERRIDE THOSE.
ON A GOING FORWARD BASIS, I
THINK MY AGENCY HAS DENIED
ITSELF THE AUTHORITY TO FIX
THOSE PROBLEMS AND I HAVE
CONCERN THAT ABSENT OUR PRESSURE
COMBINED WITH CONSUMER PRESSURE,
IT WON'T BE SO EASY TO DO SO IN
THE FUTURE.
ONE CHALLENGE GIVEN PEOPLE IN
THE ROOM HERE, EVERYONE HERE HAS
ACCESS TO REALLY HIGH SPEED
TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH THE
UNIVERSITY.
IF YOU LOOK ON THE MAP IN THE
UNITED STATES, SOME OF THE BEST
BROADBAND IS IN BIG UNIVERSITY
TOWNS.
RESEARCH.
THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE.
YOU ALL USE IT IN WAYS THAT ARE
NOT AVAILABLE TO SO MANY OTHER
PLACES IN THE COUNTRY.
IT'S ALMOST HARD TO FATHOM.
BUT I'VE BEEN IN SCHOOLS WHERE
STUDENTS CAN'T ALL GET ONLINE AT
THE SAME TIME TO TAKE SOME
STANDARDIZED TESTS BECAUSE WE'LL
OVERWHELM THE SYSTEM.
I'VE BEEN IN TOWNS WHERE THERE
ARE KIDS WHO ARE SITTING OUTSIDE
THE LIBRARY LATE AT NIGHT
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET SERVICE
UP THE ROAD WHERE THEY'RE AT
HOME.
JUST TO GET ONLINE.
THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN
THE UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW.
I FEEL LIKE IF WE CAN CREATE
THIS ABUNDANCE HERE, WE MUST BE
ABLE TO FIGURE OUT SUPPORT
SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES TO HELP
GET IT EVERYWHERE.
THE ONLY TIME I NOTICE A REAL
DRAG ON THE SYSTEM IS DURING
FOOTBALL GAMES.
OH, MY GOSH.
MAYBE YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE.
SO I THINK A RARE THING HAS
HAP
HAPPENED, MAYBE IT WON'T BE RARE
IN THE FUTURE.
LOTS OF AMERICANS NOW KNOW THE
NAME OF THE CHAIR OF THE FCC.
I KNOW.
WHAT'S THAT LIKE?
ISN'T THAT STRANGE?
I THINK THAT'S STRANGE.
I LIKE A LITTLE ANOMITY.
ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, IT'S OKAY.
ON ANOTHER LEVEL, I THINK THAT'S
TERRIFIC.
BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE'RE JUST
MAKING DECISIONS WITHOUT PUBLIC
INPUT.
WE'LL GET SOME BIG INDUSTRY OVER
HERE THAT WANTS THIS.
MAYBE AN INDUSTRY ON THE OTHER
SIDE THAT WANTS THAT.
BUT WHAT'S TERRIFIC RIGHT NOW IS
THAT THE PUBLIC IS STARTING TO
UNDERSTAND THE WORK OF THE
AGENCY AND THEY'RE SPEAKING UP.
THEY'RE LETTING US KNOW.
AND I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT ON
PUBLIC SECTOR ACTORS LIKE MYSELF
TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TALK ABOUT
THESE THINGS WITHOUT DROWNING IT
IN INDUSTRY SPECIFIC LANGUAGE
AND ACADEMIC TERMS AND FIGURING
OUT HOW TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE.
SO THAT A BROADER SWATH OF THE
UNITED STATES GETS TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE DECISION
MAKING IN WASHINGTON.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO THERE IS UPSIDE TO PEOPLE
KNOWING WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE
DO.
IT LEAVES ME EXCITED TO REALIZE
THAT THAT IS TRUE.
WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT
HERE.
EVEN THOUGH YOU PREFER A MORE
ANONYMOUS APPROACH.
BUT I THINK IT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE
TO ENGAGE.
RIGHT.
I'M WONDERING, HAVE YOU
NOTICED WILL THERE BE ANY --
BECAUSE YOU'RE SPEAKING OUT
AGAINST THE POSTURE THAT YOUR
COLLEAGUES TOOK.
DOES THAT CREATE CONSEQUENCES?
SURE.
I MEAN, PEOPLE -- GO IN ANY
ROOM, SOMEONE IS GOING TO LIKE
YOU BETTER IF YOU AGREE WITH
THEM.
THAT'S THE WAY THINGS GO.
I LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN
WASHINGTON RIGHT NOW.
I THINK YOU'VE GOT TO SPEAK OUT
CONSISTENTLY ON THE THINGS THAT
YOU THINK ARE MOST WRONG.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM.
SO I BROUGHT US TO THE
DISCUSSION OF CHAIRMAN, AND I'M
INTERESTED IN NEWS THAT TOOK
PLACE RECENTLY RECENTLY.
BOTH HOUSES IN CALIFORNIA PASSED
A NET NEUTRALITY LIKE BILL FOR
CALIFORNIA.
AND WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF
WEEKS, ACTUALLY, WITHIN THE LAST
COUPLE OF DAYS, CHAIRMAN PI TOOK
A STRONG POSITION AGAINST THAT
CALIFORNIA WAS ILLEGALLY TOUTING
LAW.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE
PROPOSAL?
HE IS A NICE INDIVIDUAL.
I HAVE PRETTY FUNDAMENTAL
DISAGREEMENTS WITH HIM ON SOME
THINGS LIKE THIS.
WITH RESPECT TO CALIFORNIA, I
THINK I ALLUDED BEFORE, I'M
EXCITED, I SEE DEMOCRACY IN
ACTION, IN STATE LEGISLATURES
GETTING INVOLVED.
I DO THINK THE FCC IS IN A
STRANGE LEGAL POSITION WHEN IT
COMES TO ISSUES WITH PREEMPTION
WITH THE STATE.
AND I DON'T THINK YOU NEED A LAW
DEGREE TO UNDERSTAND THIS.
BUT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT
PREEMPTION FOR A SECOND.
THE AGENCY IN ITS DECISION LATE
LAST YEAR SAID WE DON'T HAVE
AUTHORITY.
WE MADE A MISTAKE BEFORE TO HAVE
THESE NET NEUTRALITY RULES.
I'M GOING TO ROLL THEM BACK.
WE CAN'T POSSIBLY DO THIS
BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AUTHORITY.
I DISAGREE WITH THAT.
IF THE POSITION IS YOU DON'T
HAVE AUTHORITY, YOU DON'T HAVE
THE RIGHT TO THEN GO TELL THE
STATES THEY TOO DON'T HAVE
AUTHORITY.
BECAUSE BY VIRTUE OF YOU
CHOOSING TO EXIT THIS AREA OF
THE LAW, YOU DON'T GET THE RIGHT
TO PREEMPT OTHERS.
AND I THINK THAT THERE IS SOME
COGN
COGNITIVE DISIDENCE IN THAT
POSITION.
IT NEEDS EXPLAINING.
I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
REALLY WHAT HE WAS GETTING AT.
I WAS WONDERING WHETHER HE WAS
GOING TO MAKE A KIND OF FIRST
AMENDMENT ARGUMENT, THAT SOMEHOW
THIS WAS GOING TO BE A
CONSTRAINT ON THE ABILITY OF
CORPORATIONS TO FACILITATE
COMMUNICATIONS IN SOME WAY,
WHERE A STATE LIKE CALIFORNIA
MIGHT OVERSTEP.
I COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT.
I THINK IT'S MORE ABOUT
COMMERCE CLAUSE.
WE'RE NOW LIVING IN A UNIVERSE
WHERE THESE INTERSTATE NETWORKS
ARE SO IMPORTANT TO WHAT WE DO.
AND THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE
HAVE A MIX OF FEDERAL AUTHORITY
AND STATE CONSUMER PROTECTION
THAT MANAGES THESE KIND OF
SERVICES.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE
DIGITAL AGE JURIS PRUDENCE TO
FULLY MANAGE THAT RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I SEE HIS
POSITION, HE'S TRYING TO
ARTICULATE.
WE MIGHT COME OUT IN DIFFERENT
PLACES ON IT.
BUT I THINK THAT IS AN ISSUE AND
I RESPECT THAT HE HAS CONCERNS
ABOUT IT
BEFORE WE LEAVE NET
NEUTRALITY, I WAS WONDERING IF
YOU MIGHT HELP THE AUDIENCE AT
LEAST BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE YOUR
VIEW IN A PITHY WAY.
HOW WOULD YOU SUMMARIZE YOUR
VIEW SO WHEN PEOPLE GO HOME FOR
DINNER, I JUST WENT TO THIS
AMAZING TALK TODAY, I LOVE
SEEING GOVERNMENT IN ACTION,
HERE IS WHAT I LEARNED?
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO
WHERE YOU WANT AND DO WHAT YOU
WANT WITHOUT YOUR BROADBAND
PROVIDER MAKING CHOICES FOR YOU.
ALL RIGHT.
ALMOST BUMPER STICKER.
I EXPECT WE'LL GET QUESTIONS
ABOUT THAT.
IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU, I WANT TO
STROLL INTO A FEW OTHER AREAS.
THE FCC HAS THOUGHT FOR AT LEAST
MEDIA.
AND I'VE NOTICED A CHANGE OF
LATE IN THAT POSTURE.
AND I'M WONDERING WHETHER YOU
COULD UNPACK THAT ISSUE FOR US A
LITTLE BIT AND THEN TALK ABOUT
WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE.
YEAH.
LOOK, MEDIA HAS CHANGED.
THERE WAS A TIME SOME PEOPLE IN
THIS ROOM ARE TOO YOUNG TO
RECALL, WHEN YOU GOT THE NEWS IN
THE MORNING AND NEWS PRINT ON
YOUR DOORSTEP.
AND IF YOU WANTED THE NEWS AT
NIGHT, YOU TURNED ON THE TV.
AND THREE GUYS WITH REALLY GOOD
HAIR COULD DELIVER IT TO YOU.
AND THAT WAS IT.
I MEAN, I CAN'T FATHOM THAT NOW.
WE EXPECT TO GET WHATEVER
INFORMATION WE WANT, WHEREVER WE
WANT IT, ON ANY SCREEN HANDY.
THAT CYCLE IS EXHAUSTING.
BUT IT'S ALSO CHANGED THE MEDIA
BUSINESS.
AND IN MANY WAYS, FCC POLICY,
WHICH OVERSEES CABLE SYSTEMS AND
BROADCAST STATIONS STRUGGLES TO
KEEP UP.
BUT I THINK THAT YOU CAN HAVE
DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO THAT.
AND OF LATE, THE FCC'S RESPONSE
HAS BEEN WELL, WE SHOULD LET
THERE BE MORE CONSOLIDATION.
BECAUSE THESE OLDER FORMS OF
MEDIA NEED MORE HEFT AND SCALE
TO COMPETE WITH EVERYTHING THAT
IS NEW.
I UNDERSTAND THE THINKING BEHIND
THAT RESPONSE, BUT I ULTIMATELY
REJECT IT.
I THINK WE NEED MORE COMPETITION
AMONG NEWS ORGANIZATIONS THAT
HAVE JOURNALISTS THAT GO DIG
STUFF UP.
AND I'M WORRIED THAT DESPITE ALL
OF THE COMMENTARY THAT WE HAVE
OUT THERE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE
LESS, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES
TO LOCAL NEWS.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE
CONSOLIDATION THAT WE HAVE
ALLOWED AMONG BROADCASTING.
THOUGH I RESPECT THAT THEIR
MODEL NEEDS UPDATING FOR DIGITAL
TIMES.
SO THE CONCERN THE FCC HAD
HAD ABOUT CONSOLIDATION WAS THAT
IF THERE WERE TOO MANY MEDIA
OUTLETS IN A LOCAL AREA,
CONTROLLED BY THE SAME PARTY,
THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE ENOUGH
DIVERSITY.
GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
SO JUST IMAGINE A MARKET,
WE'LL SAY DETROIT, SO THERE USED
TO BE POLICIES THAT SAID THE
NEWSPAPER COULDN'T OWN ANY OF
THE TELEVISION STATIONS OR RADIO
STATIONS.
THERE USED TO BE POLICIES THAT
SAID NO COMPANY COULD OWN LIKE
HALF THE STATIONS IN THE MARKET.
THERE USED TO BE POLICIES THAT
RESTRICTED OWNING SIMULTANEOUSLY
THE NEWSPAPER HALF THE STATIONS,
AND THE RADIO STATIONS.
WE GOT RID OF THEM.
LOCAL MEDIA IS STRUGGLING.
WE SHOULD LET THEM ACHIEVE MORE
SCALE.
THERE IS CERTAINLY AN ARGUMENT
THAT THAT MIGHT HELP THEM.
I THINK YOUR OBJECTIVE ISN'T SO
MUCH HELPING THEM.
YOUR OBJECTIVE IS HOW DO YOU
SUSTAIN DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS.
THE HEALTHIEST ECONOMIES AND
CIVIL SOCIETIES ARE ONES WITH
MANY VIEWPOINTS AND BY REDUCING
THE NUMBER OF OWNERS OF SOME OF
THOSE STATIONS, NEWSPAPERS, I
DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE
CONTRIBUTED TO DIVERSIFYING NEWS
POINTS.
WE'VE JUST CONSOLIDATED THEM.
WELL, I GUESS WHAT DO YOU
THINK ARE GOING TO BE THE NEXT
STEPS ALONG THOSE LINES?
AND HOW SHOULD WE BE THINKING
ABOUT GOVERNMENT STEPPING IN IN
THIS INSTANCE?
WELL, THERE ARE CONGRESSIONAL
LAWS THAT CONSTRAIN A COMPANY
FROM NATIONALLY OWNING I THINK
IT'S 39 PERCENT BROADCAST REACH
FOR TELEVISION HOUSEHOLDS.
AND THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHETHER OR NOT THAT THRESHOLD
SHOULD BE RAISED.
THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHETHER OR NOT CONGRESS SHOULD
DO IT OR THE FCC SHOULD DO IT.
ALL OF THIS MIGHT FEEL REAL AT A
DISTANCE FROM YOUR REALITY.
BUT ALL OF THIS SORT OF FEEDS
INTO THE SYSTEM OF JOURNALISM
FOR WHICH WE GET LOCAL NEWS.
FOR ALL OF THE DIVERSITY OF
RESOURCES THAT WE REACH OUT TO
TODAY, ALL OF THE DATA SUGGESTS
MOST AMERICANS STILL GET THEIR
LOCAL NEWS FROM TELEVISION AND
RADIO.
WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW THOSE
RESOURCES REMAIN STRONG.
LEARNING WHAT IS HAPPENING IN
OUR COMMUNITY REALLY HELPS US BE
GOOD CITIZENS.
OVER THE LAST YEAR, I'M
SHIFTING TO SOMETHING ELSE,
WE'VE HEARD THE PRESIDENT
SUGGEST THE POSSIBILITY OF
REVOKING THE LICENSE OF A
PARTICULAR MEDIA COMPANY.
NBC IN PARTICULAR.
PURPORTEDLY THIS IS BECAUSE
THERE IS CRITICISM, MAYBE IT'S
FELT THAT THAT CRITICISM IS
UNWARRANTED OF THE PRESIDENT OR
THE ADMINISTRATION.
THAT'S COME UP A NUMBER OF
TIMES.
HOW REALISTIC IS THAT KIND OF A
THREAT AND I GUESS I'M HOPING
THAT YOU CAN UNPACK THAT FOR US
AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO FIND A
DIPLOMATIC WAY TO DO THIS.
LET ME TAKE YOU BACK ABOUT A
YEAR AGO, WHEN I THINK THAT
THREAT WAS FIRST THROWN OVER IN
THE TWITTER-SPHERE.
THIS IS ACTUALLY FUNNY.
I BROUGHT IN A NEW MEDIA POLICY
ADVISOR THAT DAY OR THE DAY
BEFORE.
AND I DID WHAT I NORMALLY DO IN
THE MORNING, WHICH IS LIKE DRINK
TOO MUCH COFFEE, COMB THROUGH MY
E-MAIL AND SEE WHAT NEWS IS
AVAILABLE ON TWITTER.
SEE SOMETHING THE PRESIDENT HAS
WRITTEN.
IT'S NOT RIGHT ON SO MANY
LEVELS.
CONSTITUTIONAL PROBLEMS.
WE DON'T LICENSE NETWORKS.
WE ONLY LICENSE INDIVIDUAL
STATIONS.
I TOOK A SWIG OF MY COFFEE AND
JUST PECKED OUT ON TWITTER IN
RESPONSE.
I THINK MY OFFICE THOUGHT I WAS
DRINKING SOMETHING STRONGER THAN
COFFEE.
AND I WROTE NOT HOW THAT WORKS.
I LINKED TO THE 34-PAGE SINGLE
SPACE FCC MANUAL ON BROADCAST
LICENSING.
IT'S TRUE.
AND SOMEWHERE OVER THE MORNING
IT'S LIKE THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
SUDDENLY LIKE THESE CABLE NEWS
NETWORKS ARE ON THE PHONE, WILL
YOU COME AND TALK ABOUT THIS.
WILL YOU COME AND TALK ABOUT
THIS.
BUT IN MANY WAYS, I THINK IT WAS
A STORY ABOUT WHAT'S TO COME.
ANTAGONISM TOWARDS THE NEWS.
I THINK IT'S TROUBLING BECAUSE
IT'S NOT POLITICIANS CRITICIZING
THE NEWS MEDIA.
THAT'S AS OLD AS TIME.
PRESIDENT KENNEDY DESCRIBED THE
NEWS AS HIS NATURAL ENEMIES.
THERE IS NO SHORTAGE IN OUR
HISTORY WHERE YOU SEE
ADMINISTRATIONS COMPLAINING
ABOUT NEWS AND JOURNALISTS.
SO LET'S TREAT THAT AS SOMETHING
THAT IS NOT UNCOMMON.
BUT WHAT WORRIES ME MOST IS WHEN
YOU HAVE GOVERNMENT USE THE
TOOLS OF ITS POWER TO TRY TO
CHECK ON THE MEDIA THAT COVERS
WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE ABUSING
THAT POWER AND THAT YOU DON'T
WANT GOVERNMENT USING ITS TOOLS
TO PREVENT MEDIA FROM SERVING AS
A CHECK ON POWER.
YOU WANT MEDIA TO HAVE THE
ABILITY TO COVER.
AND I THINK IN THAT THREAT TO
TAKE AWAY LICENSE, UNFOCUSED
INACCURATE AND WRONG, I THINK
YOU SEE THAT PROBLEM.
AND THAT LEAVES ME CONCERNED.
SO IN THE 2016 ELECTION, DATA
CAME OUT, AND SOMEWHERE AROUND
VOTED.
SOMEWHERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
I KNOW THE NUMBERS VARY A LITTLE
BIT, DEPENDING UPON WHICH STUDY
YOU LOOK AT.
BUT IT SUGGESTS THAT PEOPLE,
MAYBE MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM,
FEEL DISENFRANCHISED AND DON'T
FEEL A PART OF WE THE PEOPLE
MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR
PROCESS.
EVEN IN THE VOTING BOOTH.
AS PEOPLE ARE THINKING, IN THIS
ROOM ARE THINKING ABOUT TRYING
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, I'M
WONDERING IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS,
MAYBE THEY HAVE STRONG VIEWS
ABOUT NET NEUTRALITY.
MAYBE THEIR VIEWS HAVE EVOLVED
SINCE THE DISCUSSION STARTED.
WHAT CAN THEY DO TO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE?
AND ALSO, HOW CAN THEY FEEL AS
IF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING
MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE OF MAKING A
DIFFERENCE?
YEAH.
WELL, I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR
ANYONE'S CYNICISM.
I'M A PUBLIC SERVIENT.
I'M AN IMPATIENT OPTIMIST.
YOU GOT TO DECIDE, IF YOU DON'T
SPEAK UP, WHO WILL?
IF YOU DON'T VOTE, WHO WILL.
IT HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER TO
BUILD A MOVEMENT.
WE HAVE THIS ONLINE RECESS, THE
INTERNET, THAT PART OF THIS IS
ABOUT.
WE'VE GOT A CAPACITY TO ORGANIZE
AND MAKE NOISE NOW THAT IS
UNPRECEDENTED IN HUMAN HISTORY.
I THINK AS CITIZENS WE NEED TO
USE IT.
I DON'T WANT TO BE LOBBIED BY
THE BIGGEST CORPORATIONS IN
WASHINGTON.
I WANT TO HEAR WHAT PEOPLE THINK
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY.
AND I THINK THERE IS NOTHING
STOPPING EVERYONE HERE FROM
HAVING A BIGGER VOICE IN
WASHINGTON.
JUST GOT TO CHOOSE TO EXERCISE
IT.
WELL, THAT'S GREAT.
I CAN SEE THAT WE GOT A WHOLE
BUNCH OF QUESTIONS THAT CAME IN.
I WANT TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY
TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND SO I WILL TEE IT UP TO OUR
STUDENT TEAM TO TAKE THE VOICE
OF THE PEOPLE.
HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS JACKSON BOSS.
I'M A STUDENT HERE AT THE FORD
SCHOOL AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE
STPP CERTIFICATE PROGRAM ALSO
HERE AT THE FORD SCHOOL.
I'M LINDSEY, CHEMISTRY PH.D.
CANDIDATE.
WE HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FROM
THE CROWD.
YOU MENTIONED THIS EARLIER IN
ONE OF YOUR ANSWERS, LAST MILE
INTERNET ISSUE.
THE NUMBER THE PERSON HERE GAVE
IS 30 MILLION AMERICANS WITHOUT
RELIABLE HIGH SPEED INTERNET.
I'VE HEARD MUCH HIGHER NUMBERS.
I'VE HEARD VARYING NUMBERS.
BUT WITH RESPECT TO THIS
PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT RURAL, TRIBAL
LANDS AND ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO
LIVE IN URBAN AREAS, WHO ALSO
DON'T HAVE RELIABLE ACCESS TO
HIGH SPEED INTERNET, WHAT NEEDS
TO BE DONE TO CONNECT THESE
PEOPLE?
AND THE SECOND PART OF THIS
QUESTION IS, WOULD THIS GAP
EXIST OR WOULD THIS GAP BE A BIG
A PROBLEM IF WE TREATED THE
INTERNET MORE LIKE A TRADITIONAL
UTILITY?
SO MY NUMBERS FROM MY AGENCY,
BROADBAND.
THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE.
YOU DON'T HAVE A FAIR SHOT AT
MODERN LIFE.
MOST OF THEM ARE IN RURAL
AMERICA.
BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.
SOME OF THEM ARE IN URBAN
COMMUNITIES.
IF YOU ASK ME, ONE OF THE THINGS
WE SHOULD DO AS A NATION WITH
MORE ACCURACY AND AGGRESSION IS
SOMETHING PRETTY SIMPLE.
WE NEED TO MAP WHERE
THE
BROADBAND IS.
WE ACTIVELY HOLD UP OUR PHONES
AND REPORT HOW MANY BARS WE HAD.
WHAT IF WE CROWD SOURCED ALL OF
THAT INFORMATION.
WE HAD IT WITH GREATER ACCURACY.
BECAUSE IF WE DID, WE WOULD KNOW
WITH SOME PRECISION WHERE
SERVICE IS NOT.
AND WHAT KIND OF TECHNOLOGIES.
ARE YOU DEALING WITH A COMMUNITY
THAT IS SO FAR OUT THAT WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER
TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES TO
REACH THEM.
I THINK THAT IS AN IMPORTANT
PART OF MAKING SURE WE HAVE
SUCCESS.
I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
ONE OF YOU COULD START
BROADBAND FOR US.
I LIKE IT.
ALL RIGHT.
SO ANOTHER QUESTION, WHAT IS THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NET
NEUTRALITY AND THE PRIVACY OF
CONSUMER CONTENT, INCLUDING
METADATA ABOUT SOURCE AND
DESTINATION AND NOT JUST THE
CONTENT?
GOOD QUESTION.
YOU CAN WATCH IN REALTIME
CONGRESS TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
TO DO WITH PRIVACY POLICY AND
YOU'RE MAKING DECISIONS
CONTEMPORANEOUSLY.
CALIFORNIA JUST PASSED ANOTHER
BILL.
THERE IS A LOT OF PRESSURE IN
WASHINGTON TO IDENTIFY WHAT
MODERN PRIVACY POLICY WILL LOOK
LIKE.
NOW, WITH RESPECT TO THE FCC,
THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF
RELATIONSHIP.
IT DOES NOT TOUCH ON THE SOCIAL
MEDIA PLATFORMS.
BUT CONGRESS, AT THE START OF
MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT BROADBAND
PRIVACY.
THAT WAS REGRETTABLE.
SO NOW I'M LEFT WITH A LOT OF
AUTHORITY TO MAKE DECISIONS
ABOUT TELEPHONE CALL PRIVACY,
BUT NOT BROADBAND PRIVACY.
I HOPE, NO MATTER WHERE WE GO OR
WHAT WE DO, WE'RE GOING TO COME
UP WITH POLICIES THAT ARE SIMPLE
ENOUGH, ALL OF US CAN UNDERSTAND
THEM.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, DESPITE WHAT
I DO PROFESSIONALLY, IF YOU READ
THROUGH THE PRIVACY POLICY ON
ANY INDIVIDUAL WEBSITE, IT'S
TORTURE.
AND I DO THIS PROFESSIONALLY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW YOU'RE ASKED
TO TICK A BOX AND IF YOU DON'T
READ IT, YOU CAN GET FREE
SHIPPING.
THERE IT GOES.
DESPITE THAT DESCRIPTION OF MY
ONLINE ORDERING, MY HOPE IS THAT
WE CAN FIGURE OUT WAYS TO ALIGN
OUR PRIVACY POLICY ACROSS
SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY.
SO THAT WHATEVER YOU EXPECT FROM
A WEBSITE HAS SOMETHING TO DO
WITH WHAT YOU EXPECT FROM YOUR
BROADBAND PROVIDER.
AND IS SIMPLE ENOUGH THAT NONE
OF US NEED TO BE ENGINEERS OR
LAWYERS TO UNDERSTAND IT.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS
THAT I THINK ARE PARTICULAR
INTEREST TO PEOPLE HERE IN
MICHIGAN.
DSRC AND CONNECTED VEHICLES.
ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS IS
WHETHER OR NOT THE INTERNET OF
THINGS AND CONNECTED DEVISES AND
VEHICLES CHANGES THE
CONVERSATION AROUND NET
NEUTRALITY.
THE SPECIFIC QUESTION IS ABOUT
WHEN IS THE FCC PLANNING TO
DECIDE BETWEEN 5G?
THE
FCC DREAMED UP THIS
TECHNOLOGY 1999 OR SET ASIDE
SPECTRUM FOR IN 1999.
A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN 1999.
IF YOU TOLD ME ABOUT
SELF-DRIVING CARS BACK THEN, I
WOULDN'T HAVE BELIEVED YOU.
THINGS BEING TESTED HERE.
WE'RE USING RADAR AND CAMERAS
AND ALL OF THESE NEW KIND OF
SPECTRUM BANDS TO TRY TO FIGURE
OUT HOW TO HAVE CARS TALK TO ONE
ANOTHER.
IT'S ACTUALLY EXTREMELY EXCITING
FOR THIS REGION OF THE COUNTRY
AND FOR ANYONE WHO IS ON THE
ROAD.
THE QUESTIONS ARE, DOES THAT OLD
SERVICE FROM 1999 STILL HAVE
VIABILITY.
ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL
TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD,
IT'S GOING TO BE A FEW DECADES
BEFORE WE COULD HAVE DSRC IN
EVERY CAR.
SO THE QUESTION IS BETWEEN NOW
AND THEN, WHAT SHOULD OUR
SPECTRUM POLICY BE?
I HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
MOST NATIONS HAVE SET ASIDE LESS
SPECTRUM FOR DSRC.
I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE
COULD LOOK AT THAT BAND AND TRY
TO SEE IF WE COULD ACCOMMODATE
SOME PORTION OF IT FOR WI-FI.
SOME PORTION OF IT FOR AUTO
SAFETY.
AT THE VERY LEAST, WE SHOULD
START TESTING IN THE LAB TO SEE
IF THOSE THINGS ARE VIABLE.
ABOVE ALL, I DON'T THINK WE
SHOULD SACRIFICE SAFETY.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN LEAVE
OUR SPECTRUM POLICIES STRANDED
IN 1999.
I THINK THAT THE GOAL HERE IS
NOT TO DECIDE WHERE WE'RE
HEADING, BUT TO DO SMART TESTS
IN THE LAB TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT MODERN AUTO SAFETY
TECHNOLOGY LOOKS LIKE WITH THIS
SPECTRUM AND WHETHER OR NOT
THERE CAN BE OTHER USES THAT ARE
NEARBY.
SHOULD WE BE NARROWING THE
SPECTRUM OF ANY PARTICULAR
INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW?
THAT'S A LOADED QUESTION.
BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH
SPECTRUM, RIGHT?
WE HAVE CHOICES TO MAKE.
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT POTENTIALLY
EXPANDING SOME.
WHERE WOULD WE CUT?
OKAY.
SO THIS IS THE TWO-MINUTE
VERSION OF THE HISTORY OF
SPECTRUM REGULATION.
READY?
WE USED TO SET ASIDE OUR
AIRWAVES, THINK OF IT AS ZONING,
HERE YOU CAN DO THIS, YOU CAN
BROADCAST ONLY.
HERE YOU CAN DO THIS FOR AUTO
SAFETY.
YOU CAN DO THIS FOR RADIO.
BUT THEN WE DECIDED YOU KNOW
WHAT, MAYBE WE SHOULD DO LESS OF
THAT SETTING ASIDE FOR A
SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
MAYBE I DON'T KNOW WHAT EVERY
AIRWAVE SHOULD BE USED FOR AND
WE SHOULD START AUCTIONING OFF
FOR FLEXIBLE USE.
AS LONG AS WE CAN MANAGE
INTERFERENCE, CAN WE LET THE
MARKETPLACE FIGURE IT OUT.
THAT WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL
BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE A MOBILE
DEVICE IN YOUR POCKET.
AND IT'S BASED ON THAT
PRINCIPLE.
NOW GOING FORWARD, THE PROBLEM
IS OH, MY GOSH, EVERYONE WANTS
SOME.
YOU'VE GOT THESE LAWS OF
PHYSICS.
CAN YOU OVERWHELM THEM AND
SUDDENLY DO MORE WITH OUR
AIRWAVES.
WE'RE EXPERIMENTING WITH HIGH
AIRWAVES THAT HAVE LOTS OF
CAPACITY.
WE REQUIRE MANY MORE MICRO
TOWERS.
I THINK WE HAVE TO GET MUCH MORE
CREATIVE ABOUT SHARING AND COME
UP WITH THINGS LIKE DYNAMIC
FREQUENCY SHARING.
THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY, INSTEAD
OF SAYING THIS SPECTRUM IS FOR
YOUR WIRELESS PHONE USES, AND
THIS IS FOR WI-FI.
WHAT IF WE CREATED LIKE A
HIERARCHY OF RIGHTS, SAID THIS
IS SUCH A PRIORITY AND INVOLVES
SAFETY AND NATIONAL DEFENSE, YOU
GET PREEMPTIVE RIGHT.
IF SOMEONE IS NOT USING IT,
MAYBE WE CAN LICENSE OFF A
SECONDARY RIGHT.
AND THEN OPPORTUNISTIC USE FOR
WI-FI.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE NOT GOING
TO EXPAND THE PHYSICS.
BUT CAN WE BE MORE EFFICIENT
WITH THE WAYS WE DISTRIBUTE OUR
AIRWAVES.
WE COULD DO THAT WITH DATABASES
OR WE COULD LOOK AT NEW
DISTRIBUTED LEDGER TECHNOLOGIES
LIKE BLOCK CHAIN.
THAT'S SUPER BUZZY.
BUT I DO THINK WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE TO START EVOLVING SPECTRUM
POLICY TO THINK ABOUT IT.
BUT WE GOT TO RECOGNIZE THERE IS
PUBLIC SAFETY USES THAT ARE
GOING TO BE PRIMARY.
BUT MAYBE WE CAN COME UP WITH
SYSTEMS OF RIGHTS THAT ARE NOT
EXCLUSIVELY YOU OR THEM BUT
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF
US TO QUITE LITERALLY SHARE THE
ROAD.
AT TIMES THEN, IN THE HYBRID
MODEL WHERE LOTS OF US ARE USING
THE SAME FREQUENCIES, I MIGHT
GET THROTTLED BACK?
WELL, WE'RE GOING TO CREATE
TERMS OF USE.
YOU KNOW, SPECTRUM THAT WOULD
MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS IN
THOSE ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE
DIFFERENT.
AND WHEN YOU USE UNLICENSED
SPECTRUM, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, IF
YOU USE THE TWO DOT FOUR TO
CONNECT, YOU MIGHT HAVE THE
EXPECTATION THAT YOU FALL OFF
THE WI-FI.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT SERVICES
THAT YOU BUILD DIFFERENT
EXPECTATIONS FOR.
NEAT.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS, WHAT IS
YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON LOCAL
PUBLICLY OWNED BROADBAND, SUCH
AS WHAT'S IN CHATTANOOGA AND
WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK THAT
COULD PLAY IN ENSURING AN
ACCESSIBLE AND OPEN INTERNET?
GREAT QUESTION.
WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF MUNICIPAL
BROADBAND.
HALF THE STATES IN THIS COUNTRY,
THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS
PROHIBITED IT.
I THINK IT'S REGRETTABLE.
IT'S NOT THAT IT'S EASY OR THE
RIGHT SOLUTION FOR EVERY
JURISDICTION, IT'S EXPENSIVE TO
FINANCE, CONSTRUCT AND MAINTAIN
A NETWORK.
THERE IS A REASON THAT THERE ARE
EXPERTS IN THAT.
IT'S HARD STUFF.
AND EVERY CITY OR STATE MAY NOT
BE UP TO THAT TASK.
WE'VE GOT SOME COMMUNITIES IN
THIS COUNTRY THAT FEEL THAT THEY
DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE BROADBAND
SERVICE.
IT'S LIKE THE TRAIN PASSING THEM
BY IN ANOTHER ERA.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO
SUSTAIN THEIR ECONOMIC FUTURE IF
THEY DON'T DO SOMETHING.
AND IF THEIR INCLINATION IS TO
COME TOGETHER TO BUILD ROADS OR
BRIDGES OR BARNS, MAYBE IT'S
BROADBAND IS WHOLLY CONSISTENT
WITH THAT.
AND I THINK FOR THOSE WHO FEEL
LIKE THE DIGITAL ERA IS PASSING
THEM BY, I THINK IT'S
UNFORTUNATE THAT THE STATE LAWS
LARGELY PROHIBIT THEM FROM DOING
SO.
ALL RIGHT.
DELVING BACK INTO SOME NET
NEUTRALITY RELATED QUESTIONS.
BECAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL.
WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FROM
PEOPLE I THINK WHO WERE
WONDERING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT
THE ABILITY TO CHARGE FOR
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS TO
CHARGE COULD BE OF SOME UTILITY.
SO THE QUESTION SPECIFICALLY IS
BASED ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE
ANALOGY, WHAT MAKES A TOLL FOR
AN INTERNET PASSAGE, IF YOU WERE
GOING TO USE THE TOLL TO PAY FOR
CYBER SECURITY DIFFERENT FROM
PAYING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR
EXAMPLE?
AND ALSO, WHY SHOULDN'T
PROVIDERS BE ABLE TO CHARGE A
LITTLE TO DISTRIBUTE THINGS THAT
THEY -- THAT THAT -- SO ONE
EXAMPLE THAT WE GOT IS FOR
PORNOGRAPHIC WEBSITES.
WHICH MAKE UP A MASSIVE AMOUNT
OF THE INTERNET.
SHOULDN'T PROVIDERS BE ABLE TO
CHARGE A LITTLE TO DISTRIBUTE
THIS KIND OF STUFF IS THE
QUESTION.
I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO
ALWAYS COME UP WITH USE CASES
THAT SEEM PLAUSIBLE.
THE PROBLEM IS THE ONES THAT
SEEM PLAUSIBLE TO YOU MAY NOT
SEEM PLAUSIBLE TO THEM OR HIM OR
HER.
WHAT YOU WANT IS THE CONSUMER TO
HAVE FULL CONTROL OF THEIR
ONLINE EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE EXCEEDING A LOT OF
AUTHORITY TO OUR BROADBAND
PROVIDERS TO ALLOW THEM TO MAKE
THAT DECISION.
IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY
DON'T HAVE A LOT OF COMPETITION,
I'M NOT SURE THEY WANT TO GIVE
THEM AUTHORITY AND CONTROL AND
NOT HAVE A VOICE IN IT.
BEFORE YOU DIVE INTO THE NEXT
QUESTION, YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS
BEFORE, I WANT TO TEASE IT OUT A
LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE WE DON'T
HAVE A LOT OF CONTROL.
RIGHT.
I MEAN, WE HAVE THE SERVICE
PROVIDER THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS,
YOU SHOULD CORRECT ME, PLEASE,
IS IF WE DON'T HAVE NET
NEUTRALITY TO PROVIDE SOME SIGN
POSTS, GUIDANCE, CONSTRAINT, WE
HAVE EVERY REASON TO EXPECT IS
OVER TIME BROADBAND PROVIDERS
WILL DO THINGS THAT CREATE
ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE.
LIKE FORMING RELATIONSHIPS AND
SPEEDING UP SOME TRAFFIC AND
SLOWING DOWN OTHER TRAFFIC.
YES.
I THINK THE CHALLENGE FOR US
RIGHT NOW IS WHILE THERE ARE
INDIVIDUAL EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE
DOING THAT, WE HAVEN'T -- EITHER
WE HAVEN'T NOTICED IT THAT MUCH
OR WE'RE JUST COUNTING ON THE
FACT THAT PEOPLE WILL BEHAVE THE
WAY THAT -- OR COMPANIES WILL
BEHAVE THE WAY WE EXPECT THEM
TO.
I THINK IT'S FAIR.
I THINK THIS IS WHY IT'S HARD
TO MAKE THE NET NEUTRALITY
ARGUMENT WHEN YOU'RE SITTING
ACROSS THE TABLE FROM SOMEBODY.
BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING I DON'T
SEE FIRE HERE.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS
EARLIER, THE UNIVERSITY OF
MASSACHUSETTS AND NORTHEASTERN
UNIVERSITY.
THEY'RE NOW DOING TESTING.
AND LOTS OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING I
THINK STUDENTS, DOWNLOAD AN APP
TO TRY TO TEST HOW FAST THEY CAN
GET TO CERTAIN VIDEO WEBSITES.
DOES IT INDICATE REASONABLE
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT?
WHICH WOULD ENTAIL TREATING LIKE
SERVICES THE SAME OR DOES IT
INVOLVE SOME KIND OF BIAS FOR OR
AGAINST CERTAIN CONTENT.
AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN
INTERESTING UNIVERSITY CAMPUS TO
TRY TO DO THAT KIND OF
EXPERIMENTING ON AS WELL.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, AS
CONSUMERS AND AS CITIZENS, START
PAYING ATTENTION TO THOSE
THINGS.
AND DEVELOPING WAYS TO TEST
WHAT'S HAPPENING.
ANOTHER THINGS I'LL MENTION
ALONG THESE LINES, WHEN YOU
THINK ABOUT HOW WE DON'T HAVE AN
ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF EVIDENCE THAT
THIS IS HOW COMPANIES WILL
CONDUCT THEMSELVES, YOU DO HAVE
TO TAKE SOME TIME TO IMAGINE
WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE IF THEY
ALREADY HAVE.
THAT IS IN A WORLD WHERE THEY'RE
UNCONSTRAINED AND NOW WHEN THE
GOVERNMENT COMES IN AND SAYS,
OH, IT TURNS OUT WE'RE SEEING
THE PROBLEMS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE
ANTICIPATED, NOW IT LOOKS A
WHOLE LOT MORE LIKE A TAKING.
BECAUSE THEY'VE INVESTED AND THE
INFRASTRUCTURE HAS CHANGED AND
IT BECOMES DISRUPTIVE
REGULATION.
AS WE'VE TRANSFERRED
OVERSIGHT TO THIS TO THE FEDERAL
TRADE COMMISSION, THEIR TOOL IS
TO TAKE SOMEONE TO COURT.
I'VE AT LEAST GOT SORT OF THE
ABILITY TO MAKE RULES AND SAY
YOU CAN DO THIS, YOU CAN'T DO
THIS.
BUT TAKING SOMEONE TO COURT IS
ADDRESSING THE HARM AFTER IT'S
OCCURRED.
AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM DOESN'T
MOVE ALL THAT FAST.
IF YOU'RE A SMALL WEBSITE OR A
SMALL BUSINESS, I MEAN, DO YOU
HAVE THE RESOURCE, TIME AND
ENERGY TO COME TO WASHINGTON,
FILE A COMPLAINT, FOLLOW IT UP,
TO IDENTIFY IF THERE ARE SIMILAR
OTHER COMPLAINTS, SO THAT YOU
CAN GO TO THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO
GET RESOLUTION, TO ME THAT'S
IRRATIONAL FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
IN THIS COUNTRY.
JUST SETTING UP A CLEAR SET OF
RULES WORKS A LOT BETTER FOR
THEM.
IT'S ANOTHER REASON I THINK
THERE IS A PRO BUSINESS SIDE TO
HAVING NET NEUTRALITY RULES IN
PLACE.
IT'S UNDERAPPRECIATED.
WE TALK ABOUT BROADBAND
PROVIDERS AN INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT
SMALL BUSINESSES RELY ON ONLINE
ACTIVITY AND ONLINE GROWTH IN
WAYS THAT ARE EXTRAORDINARY AND
WE SHOULD SEEK TO CREATE PUBLIC
POLICIES TO GROW.
ALL RIGHT.
SO WE HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS HERE
THAT ARE KIND OF ALL RELATED TO
THE FAKE NEWS CONVERSATION.
SO DOES THE FCC HAVE ANY ROLE IN
REGULATING ACCURACY AND TRUTH ON
THE INTERNET?
NO.
CHECK THAT ONE OFF.
NO.
IN THE WAKE OF THE NET
NEUTRALITY DISCUSSION, WHY
SHOULDN'T INTERNET SERVICE
PROVIDERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO
BLOCK CONCERNING OR OFFENSIVE
CONTENT OR FAKE NEWS AND KIND OF
THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, WHAT ARE
THE IMPLICATIONS OF NOT HAVING
NET NEUTRALITY IF THEY DO CHOOSE
TO EXERCISE THAT POWER ON
FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EQUAL
ACCESS INFORMATION?
THE FIRST QUESTION IS EASY.
THE SECOND ONE IS SOPHISTICATED.
YOU KNOW, SO MUCH OF OUR TOWN
SQUARE RIGHT NOW TAKES PLACE
DIGITALLY.
WE HAVE OFFERED A LOT OF CONTROL
AND AUTHORITY TO ONLINE
PLATFORMS.
AND I THINK IT WOULD COMPOUND
SOME OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE BY
OFFERING THEM THAT SAME
AUTHORITY TO OUR BROADBAND
PROVIDERS TO CHOOSE WHERE WE CAN
GO AND WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T
SEE.
EVEN IF OUR AUTHORITY IS
EXERCISED WITH THE BEST OF
INTENTIONS, WE'LL GET RID OF
DISINFORMATION.
WE'LL GET RID OF FAKE NEWS.
I DON'T HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE
THAT THEY CAN EXERCISE THAT
APPROPRIATELY UNDER ALL
CIRCUMSTANCES.
I WORRY ABOUT PROVIDING THEM
WITH THAT AUTHORITY.
AND IT WOULD BE THAT IT
CONSTRAINS ALL OF OUR ABILITY TO
GO OUT AND GET THE INFORMATION
THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
THIS IS WHY WE TEACH CRITICAL
THINKING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
MICHIGAN.
SO YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
DECIDE FOR YOURSELF WHEN YOU
NEED MORE INFORMATION.
MAYBE IF WE CAN PROLIFERATE A
LITTLE MORE OF THAT, IT WILL BE
PRODUCTIVE FOR SOCIETY.
SOUNDS GOOD.
THIS NEXT QUESTION COMES TO
US FROM TWITTER.
THIS QUESTION CONCERNS CORPORATE
MERGERS SUCH AS AT&T AND
TIME-WARNER, WHERE INTERNET
SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE ALSO
BECOMING CONTENT AND
DISTRIBUTION AND PRODUCTION
COMPANIES AS WELL.
HOW DOES NET NEUTRALITY CHANGE
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE KINDS
OF MERGER?
OKAY.
GOOD QUESTION.
I SHOULD SAY AT THE OUTSET, IT
WAS THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
THAT REVIEWED THAT TRANSACTION,
SO I DIDN'T HAVE A ROLE.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS THE
COMBINATION OF DISTRIBUTION AND
COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTENT.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WITH
NET NEUTRALITY, THEY COULDN'T
CREATE WAYS IN WAY THAT
DISTRIBUTION WAS BIASED TOWARDS
THEIR OWN CONTENT, BECAUSE THAT
WOULD BE TREATING CONTENT IN A
DISCRIMINATORY WAY.
WITHOUT NET NEUTRALITY POLICIES
IN PLACE, THERE IS A LOT OF
CORPORATE INCENTIVE TO MAKE SURE
YOUR NETWORK IS BIASED TOWARDS
THE CONTENT THAT YOUR COMPANY
OWNS.
DOWNLOADS FASTER.
EXEMPT FROM DATA CAPS.
IS OFFERED TO YOU FREE OF
CHARGE.
AND SO YOUR VIEWERSHIP OF IT
MIGHT INCREASE.
AND YOUR VIEWERSHIP OF OTHER
VOICES, OTHER CONTENT MIGHT
DECREASE.
SO I DO THINK THERE IS A NET
NEUTRALITY CONVERSATION TO BE
HAD THERE AND THAT THE
COMBINATION OF CONTENT AND
DISTRIBUTION HAS CONSEQUENCES,
ESPECIALLY IN A WORLD WITHOUT
NET NEUTRALITY IN PLACE.
ALL RIGHT.
SO THE NEXT QUESTION IS KIND OF
PLAYING OFF OF CALIFORNIA'S NET
NEUTRALITY.
BUT ASKING IF THIS WAS FROM THE
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS, DO
YOU THINK IT IS POSSIBLE AND IS
IT POSSIBLE FUNCTIONALLY AND
LEGALLY FOR AN INTERNET SERVICE
PROVIDER TO SAY WE ARE GOING TO
PROVIDE NET NEUTRALITY TO
CERTAIN CONSUMERS FOR A FEE
BASED ON SOME SORT OF BIAS?
SO THIS WOULD BE A WORLD IN
WHICH NET NEUTRALITY WAS
AVAILABLE TO ALL OF US BUT FOR A
FEE.
I BELIEVE THAT THAT WOULD HAVE
THE RIGHT TO DO THAT, SINCE THE
FCC CHANGED ITS POLICIES.
CALIFORNIA LAW YOU DESCRIBED
WOULD MAKE THAT COMPLEX IN
CALIFORNIA.
I'M PRETTY SURE A COURT IS GOING
TO SORT ALL OF THAT OUT.
NOT ME RIGHT HERE.
BUT YES.
SO WE HAVE A COUPLE OF
QUESTIONS ABOUT ENCOURAGING
BROADBAND COMPETITION.
IN YOUR VIEW, WHAT ARE SOME WAYS
THAT BROADBAND COMPETITION COULD
BE ENCOURAGED FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF THE FCC, BUT I
THINK MORE IN GENERAL.
WE NEED TO BE IDENTIFYING
EVERY WAY WE CAN ENCOURAGE
COMPETITION.
AND SOME OF THEM ARE REALLY
MUNDANE, BUT.
WHEN YOU RIP UP THE ROADS, YOU
SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE
KNOWS SO THEY CAN LAY DOWN FIBER
FACILITIES AT ONE TIME.
IT ONLY ADDS ONE PERCENT OF THE
COST TO CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
BY VIRTUE OF MAKING IT KNOWN TO
EVERYONE THAT THEY CAN LAY FIBER
FACILITIES DOWN, WE CAN
RADICALLY INCREASE THE
LIKELIHOOD.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ONGOING ROAD
CONSTRUCTION.
WE'VE MADE CHANGES TO OUR ACCESS
TO TELEPHONE POLES.
AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT THE SEXIEST
ISSUES.
BUT FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE
SURE OTHER PROVIDERS CAN GET
ACCESS TO THEM.
AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN DO
IT WITH A MINIMUM OF
BUREAUCRACY, WILL INCREASE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMPETITION.
BUT I THINK THE BIGGEST COMES
WITH TECHNOLOGY CHANGE.
BECAUSE THE ECONOMICS BEHIND
NETWORK DEPLOYMENT RIGHT NOW ARE
PRETTY HARD.
IF YOU'VE GOT MILLIONS AND
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN A SQUARE
MILE, PRETTY CONVINCED THAT THE
COST PER SERVING EVERY ONE OF
THOSE CUSTOMERS IS MANAGEABLE.
YOU MOVE TO A RURAL LOCATION, IT
BECOMES HARDER AND HARDER TO
SERVE ALL OF THOSE CUSTOMERS.
FCC TRIES TO HELP THOSE
PROVIDERS, TO MAKE IT MORE
FINANCIALLY VIABLE.
OVER THE LONG HAUL, WE'RE GOING
TO NEED NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
I DO THINK THAT FIFTH GENERATION
WIRELESS IS PROBABLY GOING TO
HAVE MANY TIMES MORE THE
CAPACITY THAT OUR CURRENT
WIRELESS HAS RIGHT NOW AND WILL
BE COMING MORE VIABLE
COMPETITION TO TRADITIONAL MORE
HOME BROADBAND.
I THINK THAT'S THE MOST EXCITING
THING ON THE LANDSCAPE FOR
BROADBAND COMPETITION.
BUT IT'S NOT SATISFYING.
BECAUSE IT'S STILL FAR OFF.
SO OUR NEXT QUESTION ASKS
ABOUT HOW CLOSELY THE FCC
COMMISSION WORKS WITH NETWORK
ENGINEERS WHEN YOU ARE
DETERMINING YOUR POLICY.
WE DO HAVE A PRETTY BIG
OFFICE OF ENGINEERING AND
TECHNOLOGY.
BUT I BELIEVE IT'S NOT BIG
ENOUGH.
I ACTUALLY ADVOCATED FOR SEVERAL
YEARS IN FRONT OF AN
ORGANIZATION THAT THE AGENCY
NEEDS TO START AN ENGINEERING
HONORS PROGRAM.
WHICH IS LIKE GO TO SCHOOLS LIKE
THIS ONE AND SAY CAN WE ENTICE
YOU TO COME FOR A TWO-YEAR TOUR
OF DUTY IN WASHINGTON AS AN
ENGINEER?
AND BRING IN YOUNG ENGINEERS AND
CYCLE THEM THROUGH.
AND MAYBE THEY'LL GO OFF AND DO
OTHER EXCITING THINGS IN
INDUSTRY OVER TIME.
OR THEY'LL CONTINUE IN PUBLIC
SERVICE.
BUT WE'VE GOT TO FIND MORE
ON-RAMPS TO BRING ENGINEERS INTO
GOVERNMENT ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE NEED MORE DIGITAL NATIVES
SERVING IN GOVERNMENT.
WE NEED MORE PEOPLE WHO SEE
OPPORTUNITIES WITH DIGITAL
TECHNOLOGY, AND NOT BUREAUCRATIC
HEADACHES FOR NEW SYSTEMS.
WE NEED MORE.
ALL RIGHT.
I THINK THIS WILL BE OUR LAST
QUESTION FOR THE EVENING.
IN YOUR OPINION, COULD INTERNET
ACCESS BE CONSIDERED A HUMAN
RIGHT?
IF SO, WHAT WOULD BE THE
ARGUMENT FOR THAT?
YEAH.
THIS IS A QUESTION I FEEL LIKE I
GET ASKED FROM TIME TO TIME.
I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M NOT
SURE HOW YOU CLASSIFY IT.
YOU DO NOT HAVE A FAIR SHOT AT
PROSPERITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE
INTERNET.
I THINK IF WE CAN AGREE ON THAT
PROPOSITION, THAT IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING.
SO FIGURING OUT HOW WE GET MORE
PEOPLE CONNECTED IN MORE PLACES
AT HIGHER SPEEDS.
IN WAYS THAT ARE OPEN.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE THE
TICKET TO OUR CIVIC AND
COMMERCIAL SUCCESS IN THE
FUTURE.
AND IT NEEDS TO BE A FOCUS OF
OUR NATIONAL POLICY MAKERS
ACROSS THE BOARD.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU'VE BEEN INDULGENT WITH YOUR
TIME AND CONVERSATION.
SUCH GOOD QUESTIONS.
WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT.
THANK YOU.
AND PLEASE JOIN ME IN
THANKING OUR WONDERFUL PANEL.
[APPLAUSE]
WE'RE GOING TO GO FROM HERE
TO A RECEPTION OUTSIDE.
HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE
COMMISSIONER MORE INFORMALLY.
JUST OUTSIDE.
AND HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.
THANK YOU.