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Good morning and welcome today hearing on the other side of the federal communications commission. And we have them here today. As a special welcome to our distinguished and all witnesses upon. Today we will hear from fcc chairman. In the commissioner and other commissioners. The fcc is the nations primary regulator and later state International Communications network. The core part of the agencys vision is to ensure that all people in the United States have access to rapid efficient and nationwide Communication Services at reasonable prices. Never before has the fccs responsibility to achieve this mission been more important. In the covid19 Public Health emergency experts a spotlight the Nations Communications networks in the American Peoples access to Broadband Services. Since march there has been a dramatic and sustained surge and internet usage. But the u. S. Network has performed well and we are very much better than other countries and in meeting this increased demand. This is to be applauded but there still more work to be done of course. Today there are far too Many Americans that are underserved and lack Affordable Access through any broad than connection whatever. I appreciate the fccs continued efforts. It and close the Digital Divide in a secure u. S. Leadership in the next Generation Communications technologies. Especially during this pandemic. Through the commissions keep americans connecting flight pledge from over 700 providers have voluntarily committed not to terminate Broadband Services to any residential or Small Business customers because in the ability or inability to pay the bills. This is been pivotal in keeping Many Americans connected. Clearly the businesses who have participated cannot sustain that effort indefinitely. Twentytwo engaged in a thoughtful debate about ways to transition from the pledge when it expires. In addition, the welcome fccs work on a newly created covid19 Telehealth Program authorized by the bipartisan carriers act. This program is designed to provide access to critical lifesavinlifesaving, to qualie during this Global Health crisis. Sen. Roger wicker todays hearing is an opportunity for todays commissioners to discuss what more can be done to expand Broadband Access in the Digital Opportunity for all americans. This word begins with the implantation of the broad broadband data act. Accurate bread band accurate maps are essential to targeting use essential funds. And to unserved areas and communities in need and need it. To ensure the success of new programs such as the funds. The fcc develop accurate, broad and maps. And with more precise data about where broad band is available and where it is not. And at what speeds. I have the commissioners outlined what funding will be necessary to comply with all before moving forward. I appreciate the commissioners oreillys commission this Committee Last week. That he not support moving forward with this fun until the fcc completes the new maps required by the broad band data act. In addition to developing the act, the congregant Congress Needs to explore more resources for broadband and full deployment to areas that are not economical to server a families that he springs Economic Hardship as a result of the pandemic. Look forward to discussing and accelerating Broadband Connectivity act which im offered which would incentivize providers to expedite broadband buildout plans without undermining the options. I hope the commissioners were also discussed ways to provide immediate connectivity to students. Minority communities. And experiencing Economic Hardships because of the coronavirus. Another core part of making broadband universally available as having Regulatory Framework that fosters investments and promotes broadband deployment. Im sure the commissioners will want the recent adoption of five g great order. That modernizes rules for the installation of Communications Equipment as well as other efforts to streamline regulatory processes that can delay or indefinitely stall broadband deployment to too many communities across country. On appreciate the commissioner cars leadership on the 5g upgrade. As americans rely on increasingly on the intranet connection to engage in professional educational, healthcare, then personal activities, and is vital that we ensure that the Security Networks and broad change. It should include network and supply chains security. Including full funding for the fccs newly authorized program. I hope the commissioners will discuss funding needs that Critical Program and other plans to increase Network Security and reliability. Finally, section 230, of the Communications Act is intended to preserve a vibrant and competitive online marketplace for the benefit of all americans. Section 230 protects Interactive Computer Services such as social media platforms from being held liable for the content posted by the users. Section 230 also specifically arousallows Interactive Computer Services to restrict access to the availability of content that it considers to be insane, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable. A deeply troubled by recent reports that suggests some Online Platforms are disproportionately sensory conservative voices and opposing and fair bias through their policies in terms of service. Lastly the federalist and online magazine, was notified that a publication would be removed from googles advertising platforms, because of planes from nbc news about content in the federalist comments section. Information i have is that comments contained on the site were indeed derogatory and impermissible. However, policing offensive content is one thing. Threatening the demobilization of an entire site is quite another. And just yesterday we learned of comments about facebook moderators that seem to confirm a blatant anti conservative bias. The there appears to be intimate over section 230, is clear that each side has a responsibility to ensure that the internet entered a form for a true diversity of political discourse. And promotes competition, and innovation. This committee will evaluate the merits of section 230 and whether modifications are necessary to promote transparency. And accountability across internet platforms and services. It clearly is much to discuss today, think the commissioners again for the testimonies and i think my friend and colleague senator cantwell, for her cooperation in the making member and i turned to her for whatever opening remarks she chooses to make. It. Thank you chairman and thank you for holding this time a hearing test can see all of here in person. Her opportunity for sure. And what i think is a Pivotal Moment today, if we were still in doubt that the covid19 crisis has impact clear to us it is very clear today when it comes to the issue broadband. Sen. Cantell it is really an essential service. Now millions of americans remain trapped on the inside of the Digital Divide. The statistics are well known. At least 18 million americans without access to broadband and even that number may be artificially low. 12 million children currently lack access permit prohibiting their ability to learn remotely. It is imperative that we deal with this issue. The state of washington, 16 percent of families with children have no access to broadband and 31 percent of households on tribal lands, lack access to highspeed broadband bands compared to 7 percent in non tribal areas. We must expand high quality affordable broadband, and underserved and underserved communities of the americans who are being isolated can effectively endure during this pandemic and learn remotely. I would also say have access to healthcare. There is so critical that Rural Communities increase the ability to use broadband as a tool to help deliver medicine at this critical time. When a real opportunity here to close the Digital Divide. But i know it will take being bold. He accomplished and just incremental change or crossing out some numbers, or require significant investment. In the callings a promise more than hundred billion. But we have to make sure the low income and minority tribal communities that connectivity is an issue we do address. Many to invest in programs that will promote Digital Literacy and Digital Adoption targeting the marginalized communities. So i hope this can be part of our discussion today. I run them at march 5th, asked for of the fccs existing authority in programs is all temporary policies are role waivers that would be used to help ensure the nations was being well served during the covid19 crisis. Specifically on some of what emergency actions to facilitate at home connectivity to cape students in class promote school work being done during the covid19 crisis. Not interested in applying progressive laws. If interested in making millions of children caught in the gap of not being able to do their homework, dont fall further behind. So im looking for emergency orders by the commission. And if nothing has happened. Im concerned about that as well. Nowhere in a very highprofile dispute that the fcc has federal experts whether transportation and safety and National Security. Excited. These public disputes is just another site is internal chaos with the administration but i believe is more than that. It seems to me that the agency has narrowed its interest in the standard for public broadband policy. Today the fcc dismisses National Priorities and evolved to blend the highest and best use of spectrum as always terrestrial broadband. Nowhere is this development more obvious than the legato decision. Despite unified opposition from the executive branch agency, aerospace agencies and others, that cause harm to the gps critical to safety operations. But despite the mental discriminate over competing studies, of which there were many. The fcc continued to move forward. So i hope can also discuss this issue. I believe nancy should not be the place to just move forward but the plaintiff of the discussion to make the joy of these discussions are well addressed. It is important that these issues move it forward now address by the many spectrum of these issues the spectrum is not going to go away. So to become even more in demand. If you think your Default Agency to make a decision, and exasperate the phone, has just moved over to the Armed Services committee so i would ask you today to think about how we are going to do a Better Process and given increased need for spectrum in the future. So mr. Chairman, i know many other issues you want to discuss today food but that i believe my remarks and ask and i do have to go to the floor that will return for question at some point in time and i miss my queue, im sure my colleagues senator blumenthal others will jump in my absence. I think the commissioners for being here in person. Sen. Roger wicker thank you. We are recognizing in this order today. We will start with the chair and then recognizing that commissioners in terms of seniority. So we will begin with the r r goal chair of the fcc and we will receive a written testimony and ask you to summarize in your readiness for five is pretty. Ajit pai thank you. I appreciate you inviting me to testify for this commission. In the on onset of the covid19, the connectivity is more important than ever. Americans rely on bar broadband, telework, to learn and to default with doctors and a stand touch with loved ones. That is why weve been using every resource at our disposal to deal with this unprecedented national emergency. Most importantly, challenge broadband and telephone providers in march to take the deep american connected the pledge. Among other things, not to terminate service to residential or Small Business consumers because of their inability to pay the bills to the distractions caused by this coronavirus pandemic. More than 780 providers to pledge including all of our nations Largest Party to the pledge is been critical to maintaining conductivity for millions of americans consumers. These companies especially small ones tend continue to provide Service Without being paid for an indefinite period of time. No business in any sector of our economy could bring an end to pledge ends june 30th the mike called up the providers not to disconnect consumers and Small Businesses in july. Who have fallen behind in the bills. But to instead adopt extended payment plans to ensure that these consumers have a chance to catch up. The transition period will also give congress a chance next month to provide funding to help ensure the Many Americans have continued access to Broadband Services. Along these lines i applauded chairman wicker for the framework. I welcome the opportunity to work with the committee to work with this and other legislative activities. Speaking of funny i want to thank you for establishing covid19 Telehealth Programs. That is part of the cares act. Fcc has worked quickly to a adopt rules for this program. And to open the application window. Im proud as of this morning, weve approved 444 applications in 46 states and the district of columbia. Partial of 157. 6 million. The county hospital mississippi, to a country doctor and Health Center in seattle. This program is enabling Healthcare Providers to treat and monitor pete and patients remotely. An improving care for the patients and doctors and nurses. During this national emergency, networks have been tested like never before. And im pleased to say they have performed extremely well. For example, verbal broad span are higher than before the pandemic it. A record deployment of the last two years amid real difference. But we cant rest on our world. Thats when fccs continuing to take aggressives steps to expedite five g deployment. In july will begin 7 megahertz spectrum for priority access in the three. Five gigahertz. Also on track to the public option 290 megahertz spectrum in the seabed in december. Because satellite operators are hitting spectrum have committed to accelerated relocation, the spectrum will become available for five g to 24 years earlier and otherwise wouldve been the case. And just yesterday a major court victory, the court rejected the request to stop our progress. I especially like to think the chairman wicker for the leaderships on this issue. The tribal priority window for the hearst man is now opened which enables tribes to get first dibs in this prime that been spectrum before withholding option next year. Weve also unanimously open of the entire six gigahertz band for the unlicensed use. Massive 200 megahertz test bed for innovators innovation. It almost finished the tv transition. Because this transition is going well, Wireless Services including five g, are not being provided throughout america unceasing hundred megahertz band. Finally, i would like to mention a personal and professional priority that is literally a matter of life and death. Suicide prevention. Three weeks from today, the fcc will vote on final rules to designate 988, the new nationwide three digit number to reach professionals and Staff National Suicide Prevention lifeline. By making it easier for those who are in crisis to reach those who can help, we can save lives and reduce the stigma is associated with mental illness. In time and suicide rates in america are on the rise, and historic levels, especially for vulnerable populations. Youll be gq in african emerging teens, is three digit number, 988, could make all the difference. I would like to think in this regard Senators Gardner and baldwin for their bipartisan leadership on this issue. Chairman wicker, Ranking Member caswell and members of the committee thank you for hauling this hearing and i look forward to and soaring questions today. Sen. Roger wicker precisely five minutes. Thank you very much. Welcome commissioner. It is good to see you today. These are historic dates, a Public Health emergency strainer hospitals and fast our economy. Protests the filler streets in our largest cities and smallest towns, winning connections now and digital. The strength and our mutual bond is sprayed because number that connect more people in more places, left us all. So me start by telling you about a conversation i had a few weeks ago. I spoke to a middle school teacher. She was from a small town in northern vermont. One of those places is perfect for a postcard the truth is it could happen anywhere. Rural or urban america. This teacher was out and about and she ran to the mother of one of her students. The student had not been going to online classes during the past week. And of course the mother knew pretty yes but after she exchanged the usual pleasantries with this teacher, she blurted out an explanation. She said, ran out. In other words, her kids could go to class because their house, like so many others, they had limited data cap Internet Access. And during this quiet crisis, they were entering out life longs, allocating is a Smart Phone Services to classes, work, healthcare and emergencies. That is daunting but not surprising. Because this crisis has exposed the hard truths, our Digital Divide is very real and its very big. He stayed in stories like this one. And you also see it on nationwide wifis become a thing. People are driving to places where the signal is free and sitting in the cars doing work, going to class and just trying to maintain some semblance of normal modern life. We can do better. First, we declare broadband for all. It was just a few weeks ago, the fcc released its annual broadband progress report. As a going assessment that all is well. Kennelly 80 million americans do not have access to broadband. Thats just not credible. The numbers based on the same problematic methodology you call for us to stop using the broadband data act. Despite having made no effort to improve this data, about to head up millions of an broadbent support with a new rural Digital Opportunity fund based on that, in our own grades also proposed the same course the wireless five g fund. We can afford to delay this any further. Because without it we will never be sure that we are targeting our universal Service Support to the right places. We will eat communities behind meza cant limit our focus to just deployment. We need to address barriers to adoption. Because the Digital Divide is not just a problem in rural america. By some estimates there are three four times eight households without Internet Access. We declare plan to fix the hallmark app. Need to work during summer months to come, no student is without the Internet Access they need to go to class online. A program right now but if you choose to address the home work gap through legislation hoping it meant that so no child is left off line. Jessica rosenworcel Nuclear Plant to keep all americans connected it. The fcc, and the chairman direction secured nation. So they will not cut off consumers during this crisis prevent that commitment comes to an end this month. We shall worry about is on the other side. The sky high implement rights, we need to find a way to extend this commitment. Ross would have to rethink the Lifeline Program from top to bottom. Which have a broader conversation about data gaps and overage fees. Made a clear plan for a secure five g future who want to be a global unit in the next generation of wireless known winning a whole government approach to five g service pretty but we dont have unheard National Strategy is nearly a year overdue. Federal authorities apart fighting in public over this. They also have work to do to secure the supply change and the need to address the security of the growing internet. We clear plan to sustain local media incentive for the First Amendment. Local news is vital. The economic sender like the industry are changing. To be distant challenges, i believe the study of rules that identify Company Better support local Media Diversity. But one thing we should not do some riser values including those the First Amendment. Nowhere is this clear in the race and executive order concerning section 230 of the Communications Act. I know of the social media can be frustrating. But an executive order would turn the fcc into president s Speech Police cannot meet the answer. Finally we need a clear plan to learn from this crisis. So we can take stock of changes in Network Demand and is what we discovered to inform our efforts in the future. Thank you. And i look forward to answering any questions that you might have. Sen. Roger wicker thank you very very much. And commissioner oreilly think welcome back. Comm. Oreilly chairman wicker, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to be here to discuss these important matters. My fairly lengthy written testimony, thought about the focus my comments on a few topics. In the forefront of my priorities, spring Broadband Access to unserved areas and expeditiously as possible. When assigning idea is to provide financial incentives for fcc entrepreneurs to accelerate the broadbent deployment obligations through funding provided by congress. I think chairman wicker, senators blackburn and ouppercaseletter, for introducing accelerated content and activity predicament to continue working with the committee and staff on this important initiative. And with members of congress, and limiting our obligations under the broadband data act. Ive long been critical of the fcc data for purposes of determining the funding and applaud the bipartisan effort that led to the mapping being signed into law earlier this year. I agree we must produce new accurate coverage before moving forward with any new subsidy mechanisms. Switching gears to spectrum. One of the primary obligations of the commission, is to allocate licensed spectrum for commercial purposes. To accommodate the incredible demand new spectrum uses existing licensees for commercial and federal and often locate and track their footprints or cease operations. Sometimes are opportunities to voluntarily alter their current use such as with these broadcast incentive options in its satellite services. The vast majority of our efforts require assessing the current usage and actually making changes to the spectrums not being appropriately used pretty nine gigahertz, it would be correct to say that in 20 plus years, little progress estimated twopoint this technology. Mandated by the commission. The finer point of the matter, implemented University Vehicles Current Technology limited to only a few thousand jim xuppercaseletter. Auto manufacturers are currently deploying the current models and no one has have any plans uses a role in the u. S. In the future. Autumn mobile safety envisioned someone has been searched by other technologies and other spectrum bands. On top of this, new Technology Based on wireless standard, prominent in many automobile companies, they are actively considering and for auto safety enhancement. It thoughtfully balance the circumstances with the increased demand for wireless spectrum. In this case the unlikely communities have sought to share a portion of the living a sufficient amount for dedicated purposes. In American Families are now being connected to broadband over five. Nine for hers via wireless and or temperate commission authority. Millions of americans could enjoy activity from expanded wifi with the commissions board with his balance approach will allow unlicensed and abortion while having safety systems. In terms of print spectrum for future wireless offerings, whose ideal band after cement in the three. One three. Five band. The spectrum, singled out by this committee and a mobile act. After looking at this, i respectfully argue with an of 200 megahertz needs to be clear for exclusive use commercial services. The book of the remainder of the shared use. In the same Time Congress and the Commission Must Work Together by taking every action drew closer spectrum and future spectrum poplin which lies empty. Francis we should look at this fort license or unlicensed use. I hope the committee will look closely including my written testimony including to expedite the appointment of the master. Establishing International Commissioner modify this Commission Marketing and import rules to promote device innovation. I think the committee and look forward to answering any questions the members may have. Sen. Roger wicker thank you very much sir. Commissioner park. Mr. Carr chairman wicker, distinguished members of the community. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. It is a privilege to be here. Since we last testified, the country has been seized by pandemic that is seriously altered americans lives. Our daily returns, driving to work, sending our kids off to school, even catching up with friends, were offended. Staying at home, prompted us to recreate these routines online in an instance. The sudden massive transition meter Internet Connections more important than ever. But so americans rely on the internet, it wouldnt come undone providers in the commission to ensure continuous quality service. Im proud of her efforts to meet the moment. First, the private sector and regulators joined together to make sure the pandemic related Financial Stress in our own support rules, did not cut off service when american needed it most. Chairman, keep americans connected pledge open up free wifi hotspots and give families online through job descriptions predict weve cleared the way for providers to donate and kids could learn from home, with the life line rule and provided flexibility for services vital to the death in the heart of hearing. And second, we turn to the surge in Network Traffic took steps to expand capacity. The pandemic internet traffic spiked about tony 5 percent on six networks around 20 percent of global ones. Throughout all of this, Americas Network blared exceptionally well. In some countries were so fortunate. There networks stranded to maintain the quality and speed. In europe, officials asked netflix to reduce the video quality. In our networks, showed no significant degradation in speed or latency. Vacuous Wireless Networks increases. By contrast, china saw him to a 40 percent reduction in speeds, trading many other countries that experienced significant declines. Marcus networks performed because of the private sectors massive investment in our internet infrastructure. In 2018 for example, memories wireless providers invested 70 percent or per prescriber than their counter partners in europe. In 2019, the providers build up more fiber than ever before. Those investments increased speed and hold families across the Digital Divide. Especially important to invest five g. The very first commercial five g service that much here in the u. S. In 2018. In a five g networks are alive and 381 communities across the 50 states making some to the world leading five g platform. Networks performance under stress, the five g buildout, all of this did it happen by chance. There fostered by a light touch regulatory approach infrastructure. At the commission, of letter modernization efforts we updated historic environmental rules, we built on commonsense reforms adopted by states and in just two weeks ago he reacted to it expedite thousands of hours a five g. And while wireless towers are being upgraded to five g, theres another wave of upgrades, threepoint oh. The standard allows broadcasters to offer 25 megahertz per second download speeds over the same powerful spectrum that americans now use for tv. These new broadcast Internet Services to be used from everything from connective scars thus please they wanted this month to promote the nationwide development of those services. Discussing broadcast internet or upgrading towers to five g, american care about these investments because a Life Changing Services delivered his services can be more lifechanging than telehealth. I trip to mississippi, i first learned about any trend in telehealth is connected care. Back then we annoyed to how important providing care at a distance would be buried because of the work that we started, the fcc was able to stand up a covid19 Telehealth Program in record time to build on the lessons that weve learned in mississippi. Finally, after discussing her work to accelerate investment, and update you on our efforts to secure this networks. We prohibited subsidize from and trusted vendors from going into her networks. We are looking at removing any such equipment that made its way into her networks are considering unsure about the authorities of certain carriers to connect to her networks. As Congress Considers additional action, one step i recommend is to remote this with transition to softwarebased networks. It will advance our National Security goals while decreasing the cost of building out networks. In closing i want to thank you again, chairman wicker, and cantwell and distinguished members for holding the steering and look forward to your questions. Sen. Roger wicker thank you very much. Mr. Starks members of the committee, thank you for inviting me here today. It comes to the historic moment. Its a far more than 2 Million People in the United States have been infected with covid19 over 119,000 have died. An employment has hit its highest level since the Great Depression and millions of children have missed months of an classroom education in all of this as proof and implications for the fcc and look forward to discussing that with you. Today however i also want to shed light on additional perspective in my remarks by speaking not only is nancy measurement as an africanamerican father, two Young Children deeply cares about my country and my community. This protest of the past few weeks have sparked a movement that is centered on the black experience in america. Each of us our own unique personal narrative about being black in america. Theres also a common story. A, a collective thread. The last few weeks, a tighter bond it has formed through shared emotion. Here. Frustration, and most of all of course, hope. Last week, alongside civil rights leaders reverend al sharpton, i published an advantage in america, particular focus on communities of color. An historic closing the Digital Divide of an eight devastating impact on communities of color both rural and urban. Which the coming months will magnify exponentially without more urgent and successful intervention. In 2020, black americans and other people of color are still by a wide margin significantly less likely to have a Home Broadband connection and there than their counterparts. They have frequently worked on this issue by searching for libraries, restaurants, offering free wifi. Pandemic has changed these fundamentals. Children placed orders enclosing restricted and foreclosed completely in many instances, Broadband Access, many of the Public Places and spaces provided. In classrooms and workplaces has moved online. In their longstanding Digital Divide has morphed truly into a monstrous covid19 divide. A few thoughts. Access to highquality broadband is a civil right. We cannot afford to lose it and one that many cannot afford to have. We must focus on affordability as axis issues pretty many the pandemic more than 18 emergent hassles did not have broadband at home simply because it is too expensive. And with unemployment at Great Depression levels of people trying to decide with a have enough money for groceries or for rent, the problem is undoubtedly the problem. There never legislative proposals currently available for broadband connections and devices for low income families. The newly unemployed and i cannot overstate how i believe these efforts are essential to connecting and empowering allamericans and for my part in the commissions authority, have also long advocated that we require rural providers who build out universal service dollars that the offer and affordable band option. Lifeline Program Remains disappointingly underused benefits do not meet the needs of lowincome consumers in the sarah of social distancing. The fcc must coordinate with agencies that administer Services Like snap, medicaid to determine eligibility for Lifeline Programs to ensure low income communities learn about it and avail themselves of this benefit. Americans cannot afford close government to work in silos. I am thankful with the 40 senators the sign a letter doing without proposal, including many on this committee, think before senators called you charge leadership on the congressional push on the interagency coronation to increase lifeline enrollment. We should also increase the data and offerings the lifeline covers to meet connectivity needs of low incomes subscribers during this Public Health crisis. We also need to focus on our youngest learners. Millions of students across the country remain disconnected even though the said the spring inhome classrooms away from school grounds. They must meet the demands of the moment. And respond to the ongoing need for Distance Learning we should permit schools to offer broadband connections including hotspots to the students in School Reopening for the fall remains opaque so this issue is not going away. I may keep my own investments in these issues pretty earlier this month he announced my Digital Opportunity equity recognition. The doer program. And when the program, i plan to recognize organization committees individuals, who helped the quality affordable Broadband Services available to underserved communities with a particular focus on the challenges of covid19. The army and predicted impacts of covid19 make clear, the ring and can no longer wait for connectivity. Inspired by the fierce urgency of course my hope, want to make sure that all communities have access to affordable reliable broadband. I know we will create a better country for allamericans if we were Work Together. Thank you for inviting me here today and look forward to your questions. Sen. Roger wicker well thank you. For your excellent testimony. Let me say that we need to do everything we can for Distance Learning. Hunted same time, we need to get this economy open. We need to get the schools opened. Nothing can take the place of that. That ought to be one of the major priorities of this congress and this administration to get out the elementary and secondary institutions open so that the parents can go back to work the kids can go to school. There were educators are taught and trained the best job in teaching and we need to get her colleges and universities lofgren so thank you for your efforts. Its a broader solution. We got a lot to discuss. Chairman by, and commissioner is concerned that were not going to get the broadband data act information in time rated the rural Digital Opportunity fund in the five g fund. I think he said, recently that we could get information in the months rather than years which is optimistic and welcomed on your part. And respond to her concerns and only, the first step in the application in figure two, july we will be here before we know it, what do you say to her point that we will be doing that blind without new information on the data act. Always say that concern is displaced. It focuses on unserved areas for darius as we know especially after the challenge is just that we received, do not have any service. According to the maps, or any met the look that. So to me at least, of millions of americans in the wrong side of the Digital Divide, who we know on wrong side of Digital Divide is not adequate for me to say they should be denied Digital Opportunity potentially for months or years what we figure out the mapping partially served areas. That is what is at stake here. Sen. Roger wicker please hold that point. Commissioner, this make sense to me, we know that these areas arent served. We are making it a choice between accuracy and speed. I think the government meet needs to develop. Humming a little bit about accuracy. The nations largest broadband providers came together and discussed how accurate our data was. But they had is 38 percent of the homes and businesses that are danas have service today, do not. It is an error rate of two and five. They said that data. It. Sen. Roger wicker with their regards to some of those areas, we know there underserved areas. Makers the problem. The americans without service tonight, theyre in areas that are on the outskirts of the suburbs. In our maps say those people have service when they do not. The problem is. It. Sen. Roger wicker are they subject to this pretty. Sen. Roger wicker and trent. Voice again at 16 million based on the maps that we know are wrong. That is 80 percent of the funds it for the next ten years we have. I dont think we have any business giving out that much money without first making some effort to fix our maps that we know our own party. Sen. Roger wicker so what is your suggestion. I respect the chairman says about trying to move past. I am think giving up 80 percent of the funds for the next ten years, we know our data is wrong, is the right number. They would have to reserve part more of those funds for times when maps are correct and accurate. These we dont, we will not have fundus to get to every american and we will leave people behind. Sen. Roger wicker groups of citizens contacting us. Inmates need to speed this up. And make it even earlier. Ive had people tell me that when i haves service on the mass, but i really dont. It in error rate of two and five. Sen. Roger wicker but i was hoping. I was hoping that you would answer the question rather than making a speech. Our these areas that are subject to the art off, among those suburban areas that youre talking about. Jessica rosenworcel no, i think there areas that are not conclusively served today. I think we should move ahead but i think taking 80 percent of her funds for next ten years doing this without fixing data is a mistake. We should find a way to be both fast, and accurate. Sen. Roger wicker well okay. How do we get the broadband data act complied with more quickly. Any funding to be able to do that pretty 65,000,001st on the cost of the first year alone. Otherwise it is an Unfunded Mandate production repeatedly we need money before maps rated in the way you just heard his name from the concession without it, most americans some americans i met with places in West Virginia and the gulf of mississippi, another organic crosscountry, they will have to wait potentially for years until congress is this funding and we determine what suburban areas might be partially served. I think Digital Opportunities should not be denied to americans were on the wrong side of the divide by any metric we use. But it seems to me of a man to do this. Sen. Roger wicker and it is incumbent upon the congress to provide fundus. To get this going as soon as possible. Because it is an urgent need. In thinking very much. Do you to have dinner together. [laughter]. Socially distance pretty youre both terrific and very articulate. Who is next. Thank you for much mr. Chairman. Give to all of you. And thank you for your heartfelt words about what this pandemic has met particular thank you to you commissioner starks into so many families across this nation. Senator kramer and i have, i know youre aware of, weve created a major find it the sec to help providers, some of the small internet providers that are the ones that are stepping in right now. Tell so many families. We know that cosponsors including nine on this committee peters Young Baldwin and rosen. Chairman fight last week we send to congressional leaders requesting legislation help ensure the nearly 800 broadband providers, keep american connected to pledge content continue to provide services to consumers after the pledge expires at the end of the month. You also stated in your testimony you then called, especially Small Companies connecting continue to provide Service Without being paid for an indefinite period of time. Do you agree the legislation like the one the senator kramer 900 this would help ensure that we can keep americans connected to pretty. I appreciate the question read theres no question that some of the smaller providers that was the subject to be bill have endured a significant losses in many cases as we have hard. They can legislation is an important step in the right your direction to make sure that the consumer perspective, they can continue to enjoy the services they relied on for the last three months. Thank you. Thank you for your leadership and i agree with everything the chairman just said. Very good im sure thats always the case. [laughter]. Commissioner start, last week in a joint essence, with the civil rights leaders, i think it was one you mentioned. You called on lawmakers to improve conductivity from these communities during these prices and in the future. We have a bill of connectivity for Higher Education and the need to act with senators peters and rosen. To help the national co Communications Administration and at the College Students with financial needs access critical Internet Freedom to believe that ledge session will be helpful. Yes senator. I do believe that is extremely helpful legislation. I held an hp ceo roundtable myself with president s from age use largest towers to market state and each of them discussed how important this will be to make sure the development students, students that are going back to their homes in rural areas, urban areas making sure they were thinking through that is extremely important. You also mentioned the Life Line Program and senator durbin and myself along with hundred 40 members urging the fcc to take action. To make sure there aware to get access the internet so we know this is always put a magnifying glasses problem. What additional measures are necessary to close that gap and increased productivity for students moving forward. We know that only seven a half million americans are on lifeline right now. In upwards of 3m are eligible so will be increasingly important and to hhs into other agencies that are prerequisites. They will be extremely important that those agencies be part of this. The fact of the matter is we cannot afford to have the markets work in silence are now predict. I will send and other broadband questions to the other commissioners. Thank you but this is about the tmobile and sprint. You know have opposed that and im very concerned that we have only three nationwide wireless carriers. Once this would go through. And very concerned about what is happening with consolidation in general. This hearing going on unrelated to these matters. Rhino but related is over the house. It involves disturbing news on some of the antitrust investigations. And political interference parents and them related to the cannabis industry and some other things. I was pretty shocked. Thats how i started my day today. And its relevant here, something involves fcc. But that the concern about any political interference in the merger decisions. When you think the impact will be having on this nationwide wireless carriers on the countrys ability to deploy five g. Thank you for that question pretty its a problem throughout the economy. Less competition is less competition. That means higher rates and less innovation. As we went from four three, major wireless carriers, when they went from four to three Major Airline carriers, baggage fees of the fees for the same thing will happen here. Ive seen today, are thousands and thousands of job losses. We should be concerned. Sen. Roger wicker thank you, senator fisher joins us remotely. Can you hear me okay. Sen. Roger wicker absolutely. Thank you very much. One of several states across the country. Particulate important in the past fcc and the Nebraska Service fund, the very complementary way. The secs upcoming initiatives to understand, todays fcc views. Do you believe that the fcc has effective ways to the state commissions. Then have universal service fund such as but the state so that both the state and the federal funds are maximized. Ajit pai thank you so much i do hope you can hear me. Yes, apple became chairman, was to submit a partnership for the state of new york make sure that federal and state funds for broadband into rural areas. They were working in concert. We have cooperated relationships like that. Just a week ago, and great conversation with broadband leaders in Washington State about making sure we are working in concert. Not just enrolled broadbands. A tribal bar broadband to make sure that we stretch every tax payer dollars for his conventional divided. It. One make sure that we dont have very efficient coordinating efforts would you agree without. Ajit pai i couldnt agree more. All level of government should be working together, not in silos. I know nebraska has a very dynamic and thoughtful and involved Public Service commission. So i hope that we can continue that partnership, to be beneficial to the customers in my state. Also chairman, due to the pandemic, across the country that have had major shifts over the past several months. And that students have received their class works from home. If now students will be back in school to be solved. Face extra stress on addressing both the affordability and access challenges they have for internet conductivity. In light of the judge that will be expired in the lot next week, but promises you see and most helpful in tackling these challenges. Ive had a couple of roundtable with people in telecom and state officials and with other districts from across the state. Ajit pai this by three months ago i sent a letter to congress urging the creation of her most learning initiative. As far as that cares act print something similar to what they did with telehealth. And in my vision, the congress to give the fcc similar authority to be able to and streamlined way direct is funding to the schools and schoolkids who really need that conductivity. In the meantime will continue to follow the stops with our existing authority to make sure that we provide the connectivity to the maximum extent possible. Extended the number of deadlines. We want to work with School Districts and also the department of education because he cares act to allocate 60 million in funding that can be used for education technology. Or working with the officials to make sure that the district are aware of that funding and they can use it. Certainly by the time school is back into the fall. I really appreciate you taking this leadership. Because you certainly understand this when it comes to money market states in this country while also recognizing the importance of access but also affordability which we see and many of our urban areas. So thank you. I was pleased to see and in omaha from the trend 20 oh program. How has that program. [inaudible]. Thank you for your question on expanding of the telehealth. Im glad to see that some these funds are going there. Indian reservations which run along the south dakota nebraska border. Mental Health Service providers able to remotely deliver care in nebraska. So we stood very quickly are moving hundreds of millions of dollars ultimately were at a hundred million so far today. And those into the healthcare system. I think thats a great result and im really pleased with the progress we are making on that front. Are your findings being recorded and can be applied to the fcc efforts that youre working on with telehealth. Ajit pai a three year Pilot Program. There will be Lessons Learned from this in that context two. If they lose another semester in the fall, it will irreparably harm their education, so this homework has been turning International Scandal and i would like to know why the fcc is unwilling, apparently to waive the rules to allow schools to use their funds to provide devices in connection for students. I recognize youve done some on the gifts, i know youve taken some very limited steps but why not go further to waive those rules. Thank you for the question senator, the answer is the law, we can wave role, we cannot waive a statute in the statute says it can only subsidize servers of his classrooms, using that specific term, thats why in the context of the care that been developed i urge congress to give us the authority to set up the learning initiative so we can do to schoolkids what we done for patients. On march 16 senator and i wrote a letter, with 16 of her Senate Colleagues saying in effect the sec can do it. Under your present authority. Do you disagree . What do you think. I think we need to meet this moment, 2011 and 2012 we use the ebay program to help connect disconnected kids at home, there is a reference to classrooms but those classrooms are online and in addition there is reference to using Additional Services for educational purposes and we have Forbearance Authority under section ten, were tying ourselves on not by doing so were not helping students who need to be connected. I think the sense of this committee as youve heard the sec has to do more and do it quickly and has to do it now. I hope that you will heed that sentiment, i think you had an obligation to the students of america to do it and to their families prethe mask on the subject of authority, would you agree with me that the sec has no authority to do the rulemaking that the president has ordered in his most recent executive order which is section 230. Senator as you know the executive order of hia for rulemaking and i can express at this time your fellow commissioners have. I cannot speak for them i can only speak for myself, for rulemaking and we have not yet received. We commit to dealing with that petition in the coming weeks. We have not received a petition,. Will you deal with as quickly as you can after its filed. We will follow the appropriate process that we do for such petitions. This executive order is plainly and blatantly simply an assault on the credibility and the legitimacy of the First Amendment and of your agent. It is directing you to do something and not have the authority to do it. If you care about its integrity and authority, you will stand up for and avoid the president s effort to engage in retaliating against the rivals and the companies who happen to be on the other side of issues from him and i would like your commitment that you will expel the overhanging threat to them into the constitutional right of this executive order reflects. If youre asking for a substantive answer cannot provide that, i will not prejudge a petition for rulemaking. But i will say what i set on every issue, i will follow the facts. Nothing more, nothing less. Im assuming that everybody on this panel agrees that the Lifeline Program is an important and viable program, if you disagree please read entry and raise your hand, im assuming and no one has. Im assuming you all would support more funding for it as i have urged with a number of colleagues i wrote a letter with 26 of them urging leadership to allocate a billion dollars and you agree that that is the least the additional amount. Anybody disagree . Commissioner and audible. Were under a billion dollars in terms of spending,. You are in favor of more money, in favor absolutely. I voted for in the past, in terms of how much more i cant tell you what the number is. Youre the only one among the commissioners that feels that you have any doubts that a billion dollars is necessary theres only a specific number that i did not have a nine. Youre telling this committee you had no idea how much money is necessary for the Lifeline Programs . I dont know if the billion dollars is a right world wrong it could be more it can be less. Thank you, senator blumenthal. Members of the commission are asked fire technical staff to turn on the microphone when you are speaking but to turn off after your answer is complete. I think senator is next. Thank you for being here, thank you for all your service and under extreme a difficult circumstances. But nonetheless, lots of challenges we face as a nation, youre right in the middle of it. Very quickly, section 230, the Communications Decency act is garnered by partisan interest, today i will join the senator introducing apart from accountability with a packed act which is a bipartisan bill that will provide for more accountability and transparency for large tech platforms with respect to content moderation decisions. Its two forwards and recommendation for reforming section 230, the attorney general concluded section 230 is ripe for reform. For each commissioner, yes, sir no, do you agree with the attorney general that section 230s right for reform and bipartisan congressional action that would be the most effective way to achieve this . Yei cannot give you yes, siro answer, its important but i have not formed something in that particular question at this time. Congressional action is only way to do that. Yes. Its right for reform and i think all stakeholders and government from the sec and commission to congress all have a responsibility to look at their roles in updating and reforming the approach of section 230. Yes senator, i think the way that section 230 is currently written the fcc does not have a role in highly skeptical on that and i think congress for any further dialogue. Yes. That you have to work on chairman. Last week i introduced legislation that would provide additional funding to the fcc for the pullout of Broadband Networks broad served areas, with the framework the one established under my role connectivity Advancement Program act make it easier for the fcc to utilize congressional dollars for broadband employment . Yes senator, it would help exhilarate the role in concert with some of the fcc initiatives like Opportunity Fund and speeding up broadband deployment, is a top priority of his commission as well the congress. Absolutely. Yes. Array we have consensus. I will direct this to the chairman, the United States weve largely taken a light touch approach to broadband regulation by the federal government and because of that we see investment in the fixed and mobile networks increase which means more individuals can telework and students can utilize distancelearning and benefit from teleHealth Services, can you speak to the telecommunication infrastructure reform in the fcc has recently taken to ensure that we continue to see more investment in Broadband Networks and should congress consider reforms like the bipartisan streamline, deployment act for more investments . I would be happy to, as your question suggests, hes been the leading role in the effort but what i will say, recent Wireless Infrastructure for ruling clarifying section 6409 role is a good example of trying to streamline the process to give Wireless Companies and others the certainty that they need to build the next Generation Networks at scale, capital is fickle, talent is scarce, the more difficult the regulatory system is for infrastructure deployment the less likely we are to get it, thats right was a step in the right direction and i would add with three years of infrastructure reform that we have made often with great heat taken but ultimately over the last three months those Strong Networks have been provoked concept for the regulatory approach. I think the infrastructure reform including the one that you have championed in the streamline act we continue and accelerate our efforts to close the digital vibe. The trajectory would gone over the last three years when it comes to building out internet infrastructure is a contrast for eight years, we wasted a tremendous amount of time chasing around partisan political agendas at the fcc rather than focus on what matters which is building out internet infrastructure in rural america, i think this pandemic has put telecom and crucible, what comes out of this is what we have to focus on, not partisan but closing the Digital Divide and thats where weve been the last three years and its paying off, we have not raised the compliment flag yet but speeds are increasing in the infrastructure held up better and a lot of our global counterparts because of the investment the private sector generated over the last couple of years. Weekly routine 5g deployed across the country including south dakota, it will require a combination of spectrum in the fcc had successful auctions to free up high band spectrum but ensuring that we have additional maybe on is key to winning the race. I appreciate your work that is said to take place at the end of this year, can you speak to the benefits of getting the spectrum to market quickly. Because of the satellite operator with relocation that will be available to 4 years sooner and that means American Consumers will be ahead of the curve enjoying 5g services. American companies will get quicker access to the spectrum of the critical parts have the system. America will be ahead of the curve compared to other countries that are looking to seize the advantage when it comes to 5g. It was critical to her efforts and im very proud to the work that weve done thanks in part to you and senator wicker. Thank you all for your service. We appreciate you being here. Thank you senator thank you, mr. Chairman and the commissioners for being here. Im going to start with a followup question on the exchange, commissioner that you had, she said that 80 of the 16 billion for broadband is going to be deployed over the next ten years and will be decided upon this october and it has a 40 error rate, do you agree those are the facts. Those are not the facts. With respect to the 80s 30 thats the estimated cost, if that is not meant that will rollover into phase two, it may be lower than 16 billion, secondly the 38 she is talking about has nothing whatsoever with the unserved areas that are part of phase one. What is the number. The error rate has to do with partially served areas, phase one is only the unserved areas, were talking apples and oranges here. What is the error rate. At north error rate exactly is. I know you can go find your own, i want to make sure i get my questions in here. You dont know what the error rate is, were asking you to get better fidelity on what the error rate is in a basic point is making that measure twice cut once, this is a significant investment and is not 80 of the 16 billion, may be something less than that was certai certas significant chunk an incomplete picture as we deploy billions and billions of dollars, commissioner i want to give you a chance to respond to commissioner here. Thank you for the question. Again we should have a policy that involves both speed and accuracy. Thats how we should spend federal dollars and i think the record reflects that we dont have accurate data, we say 18 Million People, dont have broadband, theres other studies as suggested is 42 billion or 162. We just dont know well enough to get up 80 of the funds for the next ten years in october. , i want to follow up on senator blumenthal regarding the definition of a classroom. You and i had a conversation about this but it seems to me and i consulted with lawyers about the that the definition of a classroom under the statute, it certainly could be captured by an online classroom and im just wondering why you chose to interpret the statute in the middle of a pandemic so narrowly because the consequences are so dire, why not allow the dollars to be used to provide more connectivity when brickandmortar classrooms are actually closed. I share your frustration, thats why three months ago and they cares act i urge congress to give additional authority. I got it, he wanted the statue to make it clear. Now you have an opportunity to interpret existing statute in a way that does not run with the law but provides more broadband, can i get a commitment that you will be look at this and consider the possibility that you have a more narrow legal path to get this done. A moist happy to look at new legal arguments about this issue. We will send that in. Finally they cares act appropriated 200 million for telehealth, 36 states have received funding, why has hawaii, north dakota, montana and alaska not received an award at all. Thank you for the question, the reason is because weve applied objective of county level data from John Hopkins University and we are considering an area to be hardest hit if the county were the lead was located in the 75 for confirmed cases or confirmed deaths. The highest county in the state. Hold on the only criteria that you are using is current covert rates during the time you consider the application, i want you to know how absurd that is, number won this virus moves across the country in unpredictable ways, you might be a highly impacted county one month in a low impact the next month. Another thing this is telehealth, this is about providing healthcare generally speaking, not just covert related healthcare in every single part of this entire country has been impacted as every single hospital was told to whenever possible to utilize telehealth for noncovert related services. The idea that the only county hospital can be hit is b if that has high covert rate based on nothing at all based on the adjunctive for one set of data, that is not the intention of the statute and that is not fair to state and counties that have done a good job in managing the pandemic. I understand your frustrati frustration, we objected criteria that is flexible for changing circumstances. Is not an objective criteria. They demonstrated that. If theres areas of hawaii that meet that objective criteria, let me know but we cannot give it out on a whim. What im saying is its not an objective criteria to tie exclusively to the covert rate in a particular county. That is not what the statute was for, that is not what telehealth in hospitals is exclusively for. I want you to understand just because your time does not make it an objective. Again were relying on data as advised by hhs, other than that. I got your talking point. What im saying is that what you need to do is consider the possibility that the statute was not only about serving places with a high covert rate. If i did anything different and did not use objective criteria id be criticized for picking winners and losers across the country and thats not what im going to do but when they based on the Expert Opinion of those who advise us to use the john Hopkins County level data across the country and flexible to meet the circumstances. I apologize to the chairman for exceeding my time, ill extend a letter. Thank you, will take other rounds and submit questions. Let me ask you mr. Chairman. The Telehealth Program was voted commission and the staff is been developing the criteria of which one is relying on the county level data from John Hopkins University. I just want to make sure, you are not proposing that it be postponed, are you . What are my proposing that we reconsider the sheer volume of dollars that were rushing out the door before we have more accurate data. Lets calibrate so we have enough funds for the next ten years to reach everybody, i think that should be our goal. Would you change the scheduled art often a new way . I would support us having a real Digital Opportunity Fund Opportunity in october but i think giving out 80 for the next ten years before we have better data is a mistake. I think we should actually identify how we can preserve some of those funds for a moment we have a lot better data because leaving 20 for the next ten years is likely to leave community behind. Chairman, you understand. The interview question was yes, instead of argument, we should not do phase one, that is not going to happen immediately, that will not happen in 2020, i think people should own it, we know and served on the wrong side of the digital device until suburban areas or other areas are filled in a perfect color, that is not acceptable. Number two distinction between phase i and phase ii in terms of the budget is false, if the budget is for phase one, they will lower the phase two in the commission can always increase the size of phase two if need be to meet the circumstances, thats a decision for the circumstances to make. Commissioner let me give you 30 seconds and then all apologize to senator cruz and the two of you can supplement. At the end of the day i think we need to have speed and accuracy together. Two years you told us about broadband data and not to give out funds until we actually know with clarity where people have service and where they dont, we have really high error rates on the data and we should do some funds fast but we need to make sure the boat goes out when we have accurate mass. Can you supplement your answers on the record, senator cruz, thank you for indulging the chair, you are recognized pgh thank you, mr. Chairman, thank you each of you to your service for being here. We talk about the topic of big tech which is a difficult topic, i believe its an incredibly important topic. We have been seeing in recent years in recent months in recent weeks, growing assertion of power from big tech. Sensor to shadow band used with which they disagree. Just within the last two weeks. We saw google at the hats of a foreign advocacy group. Threatened to de monetize the federalist conservative online journalistic outline and the federalists was told the reason they face being monetized was because objection comments in the comments section, nothing that actually anyone at the federalist had written but rather thirdparty users have unidentified comments that google found and is not a policy google applies and shows dozens of progressive that have comments and have all sorts of nasty things being said that are not facing the thread of the monetization and indeed it doesnt need to look as far as a third party site, youtube owned by google and anyone of us can go into youtube comments right now and read a host of profane and racist and otherwise offensive comments on youtubes platform, if google was not applying the standard to its own profitable subsidiary but was instead of hiding it to the federal to force them to do monetized. The federalist, im just pulling the Comment Section down because googles power is such that challenging the star chamber is almost impossible. Yesterday we saw twitter decide the sensor and blocking tweet from the president of the United States that said anatomic is zoned will not be allowed to be created in washington, d. C. And if anyone attempts to do so Law Enforcement will stop them. Google deemed the president pledging to protect Public Safety and stop the creation of a lawless zone in our nations capital, twitter deemed that abusive and put a content lock on it. Something else that complicates a challenge. There is an utter lack of transparency. If one asks, i have asked representatives from google and facebook and twitter and youtube over and over and over again, how many posts are you blocking, how many posts are you throttling, are you reducing the number of people, they want answers, there are 0 data that exist about comparative blocking. In other words blocking. Ive asked a very simple question, we have two Major Political parties, i asked each of them the question, how many post from republican candidates for office have you blocked. How many post from democratic have you blocked, we do know for example twitter blocked my colleague senator blackburns launch video percentage that shes a sitting candidate of the house running for senate and twitter deemed her launch video unacceptable and blocked. They refused to answer these questions. They then respond, theres no data showing are biased because the only source of the data is a black box of their internal file, nobody has the information but google and youtube and facebook and twitter. But much like the individual who kills his parents and pleads mercy of the court because hes an orphan. The absence of data is a creation because they refuse to answer these questions. The fcc has recently been brought directly into this issue with an executive order from the president. I understand from comments, at least, you have concerns of the extent of legal authority. This is the topic ive been deeply engaged in a long time and i will readily admit solving is complicated, part of it is complicated because it cuts so many jurisdictions lines that it does not fit neatly into one silo, it does not fit neatly into fcc or d. O. J. Or antitrust or Civil Division or consumer protection, it cuts across all those lines and i think our federal government is straining to figure out how to address author with a question to each of you. Do you agree it is a problem that a handful of Silicon Valley billionaires have power to silence speech to which they disagree with no transparency and accountability whatsoever. Yes. Its what i agree, the absolute lack of transparency and also the social media is frustrating. But i think when it comes to the First Amendment, it is there to protect all forms of media from government, not to protect government from all forms of media, i think the executive order has a backwards but i would understand and support efforts used with the committee and congress to revisit the law, as you said it is complicated. Yes i believe in transparency is horrible in their position and how they treat different groups of conservatives. The prodigy and the messaging boards of the day when congress has section 230 have long since shed their swaddling clause, they are now corporate, twitter, google, facebook, they more power, more control over more speech than any other institution weve ever known in history. The immense concentration of power, the application and arbitrary way, those of us in government cannot look at and sit on our hands and do nothing, thats why theres bipartisan consensus from senator blumenthal and the boys from the fcc commissioner to take action. I think the status quo is no longer going to hold, we have responsibility of the fcc to take a look at section 230 and the federal trade commission needs to look at the unfair Business Practices in the attorney general barr needs to look at competition and antitrust issues. Thank you for the question i agree this is a crosssectional issue theres a lot of complications in the lot of the heavy issues, what i would focus on is the First Amendment which i think prohibits the government from focusing on the speech of these companies. What i would also really like to fixate on is that we will we really need to do is make sure this does not cloud our elections, i encouraged in gia to bring the executive order to the fcc as quickly as possible so we can have a vote amongst us, i do not think there is legal authority, im happy to engage without my colleagues but so this does not overhang without our elections and have a dark cloud on online speech is something im interested in making sure we do as quickly impractical. My time is expired, let me make a quick observation, i look forward to working with each of you on this. In your observation about the need for transparency, the fcc were able to do one thing and simply provide real transparency, the American People can see how many people are being silenced, how many people are being shadow band, who in what the relative ratio is, that would transform the ability to address this problem, transparency would be a very valuable thing to focus on. Thank you very much senator cruz. Thank you, mr. Chairman, i apologize for my absence, these issues are very important and important to the state of washington and to all of us, i made in my Opening Statement, i want to come back to that i know my colleague from hawaii brought this up as well, i think commissioner, you visited Washington State, you looked at the education gap and also we focus a lot on the healthcare gap, both of them are incredibly important and i see you were a little shocked when i sent your numbers because your thinking in washington, yes, that is true even in washington we have a gap. Following up on what my colleague from hawaii brought up, how can we address the ebay issue with the authority that you have . Sure we have adequate authority right now so all of our nations schools could loan out wifi hotspots, routers get every student connected at home. We have 50 million kids were kicked out of the classroom but not all could go to online schools. Lets use that you rate program to meet this moment, we use this authority in 2011, 2012, the statute mentioned classrooms, those are online and we also have Forbearance Authority to forbear from that in the extent they think its impediment. Lets not get tied up, lets figure out to help students who no child left offline. Wire we doing this, despite my understanding of the statute, i dont believe ive convinced my colleagues. But i know youre leaving on a piece of legislation to compile the agency to use earache and make sure every kid gets connected and i hope we can proceed and use the summer months to get it done. Thank you, i cannot agree more that we cannot afford the gap, cannot afford it, crisis is brought into focus, many inequities but clearly the inequity by not having good Broadband Access for education is one of them. I say the same thing. I think commissioner oreilly, i know the chairman has a tough job, he has to fit all these people in, we had a panel, too many people on the panel to get the timing questions in, im going to give you a question today. Last year the International Community rejected the fcc and adequate protection for weather spectrum to the 24 gigahertz band, instead they adopted a more stringent protection based on sound science and analysis. It was part of a Bipartisan Coalition who believe the fcc had put the weather data at risk, we had many conversations about that with the colleagues, what is fcc doing to ensure that domestic Wireless Company will comply with the International Interference protection and will you commit to working with nasa and knowing what to ensure that these protections on interference are improved . My federal agencies and partners i will work with them, in terms what were doing now the king that i was there in egypt, as some point theyll be transferred into the fcc order and while the chance to consider and they take a number of years in time to put before us, were voting on previous every four years doing a couple of them catch up, it will take a little bit of time before they adopted. So you are going to adhere to those International Issues that were brought up saying there is inadequate protection. We will put that into the heideman have an opportunity to consider at the time, that was the position of the United States and they agree to it. Commissioner, can i ask you about this in the legato issue, why not go back, if 70 people are involved now saying holdup, timeout, this is like all of these issues fighting around, should we listen to these International Standards and look at the case and say wait a minute, look at this. Aviation safety is critical and it bothers me too think that our Aviation System is going to be hampered if that is not adequately addressed. The 24 gigahertz band, i agree with my colleagues, were gonna have to take the standard that were developed at the world radio conference, put them into our policy, i understand this to be more stringent in terms of protecting Weather Service than what the fcc and initially proposed, we will have to do that and because we believe they have the force of law we will do that in short order. With respect to legato, i want to be clear that i respect deeply the work that the fcc engineers, they worked on this issue for ten years and so many adjustments and changes have been made over time including extraordinary reduction in power level, a much larger guard band, i think their work is solid but i want to respect you and your point that theres a lot of concerns about the continuing viability of gps as a result of this position. I think balancing those equities and out of respect for you and your colleagues who have said theyre concerned about this, the chairman was interested in circulating a decision, saying the decision that we recently reached, that would be certainly something i would support because we have to iron this stuff out if we want to have a big future. Thank you, mr. Chairman, i see my time is expired and i dont know if her vote has expired. It has not expired yet. Thank you very much, commissioners thank you for being here, i have a view that we have a solid and impressive fcc and i appreciate all five of you, particular believe fcc is enhanced by the presence of two of my colleagues from kansas. Chairman, let me start with you and procreation process, fsg g appropriates money for the fcc, as you know an experienced weed taker oversight responsibility pretty seriously and you have been in front of her subcommittee numerous times now, one of the things that i understand, the fcc staff is working to provide our subcommittee with specific information on the fcc previous Broadband Availability data and mapping efforts. I want to hear from you that you commit to me this information will be provided to our subcommittee as soon as possib possible, as we begin the deliberation and continue about appropriation for the ensuing year and i want to make certain that we have the information in there can be no complaint that the fcc has not fulfilled its responsibility, can you commit that to me chairman . I know the staff has a number of crosswalks and briefings and will provide you further information as needed as soon as we possibly can. Our managing director is working on the issue that you raised in your question. Thank you very much. Chairman, last week, we discussed the fcc keep america connected pledge, that pledges with nearly 800 broadband providers, i had since then conversations with a number of kansas providers, i think the expectation is, covid19 consequences are lingering longer than perhaps expected in the amount of the resources that these companies are foregoing for their customers is increasing. , based upon your conversation with providers, do you have suggestions for any future legislative package, does fcc have any recommendation for targeting federal relief to those providers who are foregoing the payments from their customers, are there certain sides of broadband providers that need to be prioritized and are there certain types of Eligible Services for recipients of federal resources should be focused on and is there a preferred method industry bidding the federal funding, should federal support be provided to the consumer or the provider. Thank you for the question, thats a really important topic and complex and if its okay i like to follow up with your team and committee in more detail. I think you put your finger on the problem, as illustrated with amy klobuchar, smaller providers in particular below 2 million subscribers, Something Like that have incurred a great deal of cost which is disproportionate to them given the smaller scale and i think its important as a pledge expires as we move into the post pledge to think about Creative Solutions to ensure that at the end of the day those consumers who are with the smaller providers have service. And as to what it looks like with kids entering companies and the like, its important to address us as soon as possible because a lot of the consumers continue to rely on the pandemic. I appreciate senator klobuchars issue, let me see if any other commissioner have anything that they would like to respond to the question. I would just say i agree with the chairman, that legislation is important, timely and i hope this committee and congress act. Let me highlight the fcc announcement yesterday, im a sponsor with another member of the committee, senator gardner of a three digit suicide hotline and let me highlight and express gratitude to the fcc for the efforts that you are undertaki undertaking, would any of you care to speak to the importance of the transition deadline of july 16, apple goal to all telecommunication carriers and based upon your conversation with industry are you expecting any challenges to get us to that point by that date meaning the transition deadline . Id be happy to take the first crack since i ordered my colleagues yesterday. Based on the record we believe the twoyear implementation deadline was the soonest feasible given the fact that we have thousands of not hundreds of thousands which is of the United States that need to be reconfigured or replaced. Industry one is a longer period of time but to me at least we need to match the priority of the issue and as soon as i mentioned, we have the technical feasibility and i wish her my heart it could be sooner but we believe the twoyear transition period is most appropriate given the facts and the record. Thank you, i appreciate again your attention to the issue i served as the chairman veterans committee, its an important issue for all americans and i understand that im yielding back, no time. The gentleman yields back, senator udall you are recognized on remote. Madam chair and Ranking Member cantwell, i want to thank all the members of the committee of the commission for being here today, the Public Health crisis and the resulting economic crisis caused by covid19 has put a spotlight on the work that you do to connect americans, Broadband Services more essential than ever for new mexicans to stay connected to schools, medical and emergency services, work, social services, friends and family. The commissions role in protecting free speech and the freedom of the press is especially important as protesters continue to call for justice reform. Chairman, as part of your confirmation hearing in july of 2017 and that you would speak out that we are under attack. You also pledge to exercise your authority of the fcc to regulate the media and impartial manner free of white house political pressure. We are talking about it because the president is engaged in high profile with social Media Companies. In light of the president s repeated threats to use government power against enemies of the people, this looks like a bad attempt to retaliate against criticism of the president. On top of that, there are far too many examples of journalists being unconstitutionally restricted in fish slickly assaulted and detained as they are trying to cover historic black lives matter protest. There are dozens and dozens of documented assault by Law Enforcement, if theres any time to speak up it is now. Chairman, will you take this Committee Hearing as an opportunity to reassure us you will not buckle the white house demands on section 230 and support suppress freedom that cover the protest. Not only do i reaffirm that commitment i made several years ago but i actually have done that over the last couple of weeks including standing up for liberal broadcasters that must be allowed to do their work free from attack and i rejected the cause of some who argue that Television Broadcaster should have alliances threatened because of disagreement with the political viewpoint and expresses. Dance your question is yes. Commissioner, during these times of crisis like this, we do sesee how local journalism is, its how people stay informed on local infant situations to keep their families and community safe, what more Must Congress and the fcc do to protect the First Amendment and increase support for local journalism. Thank you for the question, i cannot agree more especially when were talking about the black lives matter rally, the Civil Rights Movement that i see right now, it is deeply important that we continue to protect oliver journalist, to your point on section 230, i have strong concern about what i see as a clear intention to influence social Media Companies in particular with regard to their coverage of political issues especially in the upcoming election cycle. Commissioner. Thank you, senator i agree with what my colleague said, news is really important and it tells us what we need to know about our lives, community and our country. I think the economic pressures on local media are significant right now in the fcc needs to spend some time looking through the rules to identify how we can sustain local media because we all needed, its essential for our democracy and essential for our communities. Thank you, i want to align myself with my colleagues, blumenthal, the Ranking Member when it comes to the rate and expanding access. I want to specifically think commissioner for her work to close the gap and improve wifi access to students, commissioner i have a bipartisan bill that would make wifi hotspots on School Buses Eligible for a rate, the house infrastructure package includes similar running which, you said the fcc has authority now to do something similar but you believe such a legislative approach will help close the gap in underserved areas and do you believe the senate should consider such a bill . Yes, were heading into the next School Year End we dont know what it looks like, so the professionally and the parents of the Young Children. With to make sure every student can get online and go to class, we dont want any of them locked out of the virtual classroom. Thank you, yield back manager. The gentleman yields back. I want to welcome all of you and thank you all for being here, it has been a while since weve had you in front of us and i was sitting here thinking and commissioner stark, you have not had the opportunity about the browser acting why we shouldve passed it years ago and consumers control over their data to protect their virtual view into put in place guardrails being able to opt in and opt out. If we had done that, we would not be where we are today. Discussions on tec section 230,e need for Greater Transparency in the need for competition. It shows the cost of not taking action and not having congressional action. Lets hope that now with reforming section 230. , there has been some talk about the president s executive order, lets go to that, are you planning a comment process pursuant to this executive order . Senator pretty executive order, the department of commerce and tia to file a petition with rulemaking with fcc and when that happens will follow the appropriate process. Do you plan to follow through with the process. Yes we will follow through. Absolutely, that sounds great. Lets move on to the telehealth issue, i want to thank you for the work that you are put into that and as we discussed when we were in the house, telehealth was considered a luxury in a convenience but what we found out in covid is that it was something that was a necessity and very important to people that were suffering and had complex medical conditions. Thank you for the attention that you put on that, lets go to the broadband and expanding broadband which is vital. I agree with every, that you all said about the necessity for that. And i agree mr. Chairman, you are talking about the 6409 rules and beginning to relax and move things out of the way and senator baldwin and i have the Internet Exchange act. And that is something that she move forward but its a part of this also. So commissioner, you have the lead on some of these things and we appreciate the outreach from you, talk a little bit about on the horizon and looking at the spectrum recouping it, we know other agencies ntia has got to do the inventory so we can recoup and then we can options to speak to that. Would do great work, i believe in high bands in the sea bands are already scheduled for future parts and for the next five years, what is it look like, the three got 55 which is being fought over and theres nothing else, that we worked on. And we have time with manufacturers and experts in space, and commercial purposes in the claim spectrum and it is a have decisions who are using it today. Commissioner rosenman, i think he wanted to comment. I agree with my colleagues, were going to need to have more airwaves, right now we have knockdown drag out prices between different federal entities of what we can reclaim, were getting need a better way in the future and how to value existing federal assets and will have to figure out how to create structured incentives and the authorities. I think as we look at the nda, we have a section 214 and we discussed this and to make the spectrum available and its going to be essential, commissioner, i want to come back to you on the issue of giving people the ability to air their grievances again in one of the reasons we refer to it in there no longer companies, their babies, theyve grown up in there the biggest that are over there, the censorship that we see in the virtual space which is absolutely unprecedented. What i continue to hear from people, they want to see some kind of public comment. So there is a way to air those grievances and senator cruz got on this issue a little bit but i want you to speak to the important for supporting a process where the fcc have a notice of inquiry and allow the public to comment on the experience of big tech. Thank you senator and thank you for your leadership on these issues, i think its time for all of us in government to look for transparency and accountability and big tech from google to twitter, and refer you to a Public Statement on twitter from a website and whether the official, and the truth is we are impartial and believe impartiality, the twitter platform does not take sides, the diverse perspective are treated equally so users can see every side. Its hard to read this words with a straight face. I think this is why a lot of people are calling for accountability, i welcome the executive order and we should move forward and then fdc should engage in reforms. I yield back, senator peters you are recognized for five minutes. Thank you, senator for the recognition and to all of you thank you offer coming today. In the oped that you have published Broadband Access, the civil rights we cannot afford to lose but many cannot afford to have, i think its very powerful oped and it focuses on the need for us to make sure everybody no matter who you are and where you live in the Broadband Access in the Digital World at large, certainly in my state its a problem and ended to right nine out of ten students dont have access to tablets, computers or the internet. This is the time that the covid crisis when the School Shutdown commit to online instruction and we simply have no opportunity whatsoever to be able to avail themselves of. And perhaps you could talk to is a little bit about how do we approach is equitable fashion, the zip code should not matter in right now its a zip code of community of color that really matters. How do we change that, i could not agree more, thank you so much for your leadership, i am appreciate you. I have a Virtual Event and i was shocked to hear, is deeply disturbing when youre talking about 90 of the Student Center in detroit are without home connectivity, one thing that we havent talked about is the rate is designed to offer support for schools that are on free lunch and when youre talking about households that are on the headstart breakfast is, those of the families that are disconnected in exactly the students that you rate needs to further reach. Affordability is part of this making sure that were connection that are affordable for millions of struggling families, making sure that we have something that is ten, 11 ultimately and i think they deserve serious merit. Last thing i would mention, is lifeline, our Lifeline Program is going to meet the date, that is good to be expanding the data in the voice and expanding the number of dollars, something additionally i think i would focus on in the lifeline associates leander subscribed, 20 of people that are eligible are subscribers, over 74 senators wrote a letter saying that the federal government should use its advertising dollars to make sure broadcasters who are working right now can use advertising dollars that are working. It makes good sense for us to have lifelines advertised given the low subscriber ship to the local protesters. I think its a slamdunk winwin scenario. I appreciate your leadership, and your focus and compassion cream is a look at this issue, we need to think about ownership of broadcast accidents who leases the building and have diversity and ownership and it tends to lead the broader reach as well, i introduced expanding broadcast ownership opportunity to make sure the folks of color have a seat at the table just could a important, statistics are striking as well, women make up less than 6 of broadcast tv station owners and minorities account for less than 2 , similarly women own 7 of broadcast radio stations and minorities own less than 3 as well. My bill would establish the fcc Tax Certificate Program which incentivizes the sale of broadcast stations to socially disadvantaged individuals, my question to you commissioner, how would this help diversify the industry and what needs to be done to help bring back this important program. Take you again for the question, i cannot. That legislation work, when you look at the numbers on our Media Diversity and its important from the ownership to see whos in front of the camera and whos in the newsroom, the fact of the matter is in her latest report that we issued in february, first of all it covers data from 2017 and thats a bit stale. The data is trending in the wrong direction from 2015, asian ownership is down, latino ownership is down, as you pointed out women ownership is down from 7. 4 to down. 5. 3 . We know theres over 50 of our population and the fact of the matter is out of 1400 full power tv stations, 12 of them are owned by africanamericans. What that means if youre rounding that number, you would rounded down to 0 . That is unacceptable in this day and in this time, access to capital and opportunity, all of these are important, the tax incentive proposal that you have is the biggest shot in the arm that i see that we could take on this. I appreciate it, my time is up. Sender gardner is at the bat next. Thank you to the panelist to testify today. Colorado has one of the highest suicide rates of the country. And statistically approximately once every seven hours to suicide. Covid19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem. Here. We had been working together on this as well as with our house counterparts the legislation does not absolve to have the National Suicide hotline that any extra dollars raised actually go toward that intended purpose so lastly for special ed services at most risk of suicide the lgbtq youth and the concentration rate four times higher than their peers the ftc feedback unanimously we recently passed the bill through the Senate Unanimously as well. Asking a simple yes or no question beginning with chairman piety believe with all senators and that the commission should be swiftly passed by the house to help save lives commissioner we will begin with you yes or no. Yes senator thank you for your leadership on this issue. The answer is yes. Yes. Yes senator thank you for your leadership on this. Commissioner . I agree, yes this is tremendous work and i champion it. Chairman pai what about Public Education is clear and widespread . I appreciate the question in the first instance with the hhs department and others but i can assure you that whoever accompanies the future commission will use this to make sure we increase awareness. We are already doing that now with consultation of other organizations like the Trevor Project and others. 5g is the next wave of connectivity of economic benefits how that plays the leading role including major advancements and elsewhere along the front range and that is incredibly bright but some have suggested and it continues to arise in the conversation in order to stay competitive with china we must nationalize the 5g network i would like to ask a simple yes or no question do you support the plan to nationalize the 5g network or to operate . We begin with you. No i do not. No i completely oppose it. No. I strongly agree know. Thank you very much for that and i agree with your answers. Speaking with the small telecommunication providers with a resume call with them to find adequate personal protective equipment to perform maintenance and continued Construction Projects child providers on covid19 first and foremost but its important not to forget the Small Businesses as we reopen in the economy going into homes and interacting with people so those communication providers so what were the sec be doing to make sure providers have access . Thank you with americas contact during this pandemic early on some of these issues are being worked out as a country we have ramped up our supply of ppe i continue to work with you and colleagues across government to make sure we get this right. And those brought to my attention. Thank you to all the commissioners. Senator baldwin. Thank you mr. Chairman. I appreciate all commissioners joining us here today and for your service. I want to dovetail on senator gardner with the number to access suicide lifelines with the veteran crisis line. It was a pleasure to work with my colleagues, making it easier for americans in crisis to get the help they need to create that three digit number for those crisis service. Last month and i urge my house colleagues that chairman pie, chairman pai thank you for acknowledging in your testimony the importance of this issue. Just know to make it more heightened the pandemic and those consequences both physical and mental to see tremendous increase of those seeking help just by way of example march this year nearly a 900 percent increase in calls to hhs disaster in the help lines compared to the prior march. I hope we can all move forward expeditiously with the continued progress that mom at the sec. Looking forward to working with the commissioner to get that data done. Now looking at committed americans in need another lifeline the universal Services Fund Lifeline Program. It plays a Critical Role including trillions of seniors and veterans connected the lifeline is all the more important to the current environment they relied more than ever on conductivity to get medical help and stay in touch with friends and family and on the other hand many are facing other hardships that critical Broadband Service with the Opening Statement also how do we get these individuals connected to lifeline . With those growing needs . Such a good question the lifeline was started during the Reagan Administration when most were a jack in the wall and during the Bush Administration after Hurricane Katrina we saw there was a disaster and we expanded that to wireless telepathy. We have a crisis right now to figure how to make more americans connected and view the lifeline to do that remake that from top to bottom who is eligible and we consider what services we support and then something along the line to double the outreach every interaction with Public Services we make available so everyone gets a fair shot to stay connected in this crisis. Thank you senator lifeline is such an under described benefit we need to increase advertising and again the common sense idea we know that snap applications has skyrocketed during this pandemic and if you are eligible for snap or a new snap applicant you are also eligible for lifeline. So we have to have the m o you in place if you start to get snap benefits you should be told you are eligible for lifeline found follow up with email or direct mailing to make people aware of this program. We have millions of struggling americans right now. If they come knocking on one door they shouldnt have to knock on each door to get the help they need. I think there are some very administrative things we need to do the lifeline verifier has been down only 13 states are automatically connecting applicants through snap. We have to do better because the manual review for lifeline applications is not good and the error rate is extremely high and people dont get the benefit that they need there a lot of things from top to bottom and millions of americans are counting on us. Thank you. So i thank you for your services and for being here today. We talked about today it has been essential to impact the decisions that you have made looking forward we heard a lot of the conversation about it which will provide funding over the next decade according to the sec West Virginia has over 128,000 locations so we appreciate that in your visit to West Virginia and it is imperative to be eligible for this funding and im concerned about this. I would ask you as you look at the process and then to do that effectively and efficiently as we look at this process in that process. Yes senator we well. Im sure thats a revolving decision. It is ongoing but the list of eligible areas is scheduled to be published by a july 1st so we are in the final stages now. One of the areas ive been concerned about past programs is the accountability of actual delivery. How do you expect aimed at rule america how do we get better at transparency and accountability . All the taxpayer money in the world doesnt make a difference if the providers dont use that appropriately. We think bidders have to enter locations into the high cost of the broadband database. In addition to verify an audit that providers have done what they said they will do. Later they will be subject to drive testing to our verification and with any of the scores the providers will have support withheld and with this enforcement action to make sure West Virginia deserves funding and deployment. I encourage enforcement. It is a toothless enforcement mechanism. Commissioner oreilly thank you for addressing us with a 911 feed it is an issue West Virginia was impacting our ability to have these issues resolved so now we are eligible in the muchneeded nextgeneration for 911 funding thank you personally for that. Coming to West Virginia with a connected Care Initiative if we knew than where we are now it is amazing West Virginia University Just now got a grant to expand the teleHealth Services so we have a Telehealth Initiative going across the country for all Health Providers to be on the same page and then to have broadbased i dont want to say regulations and then to come back in five years and say the radiologist can help with a cardiologist, how do you see that playing out . Both through covert and the connected Care Initiative. Thank you for your leadership on telehealth joining you last summer in West Virginia when we rolled out our proposal that turned into the cove in 19 telehealth so that leg work has paid off. It was a real person. Its wonderful to see in West Virginia facilities have 2 million already. There are some important Lessons Learned like you flagged already with the Pilot Program a threeyear pilot running after this emergency covid one and if you look at hhs to update the licensing and reimbursement issues and to be power out of the covid19 pandemic to improve Patient Outcome outcome and drive down cost at the same time. Anecdotally those that have telehealth visits and on the provider side and the patient side, they seem to really like it, the convenience, the ability to be more efficient is not going to work in every instance but i think the face of medicine will change we look forward to working with you on this. Thank you mr. Chairman. For holding this important oversight hearing in taking you through your previous commitments for inmates and families and in the interest of time please raise your hand if you still believe more should be done at these facilities in the United States. Everybody has their hand up. Thank you is there anyone . And you said no. So each of you agree what more could be done or should be done . But the sec lack of action i think there is an opportunity i am not aware of any major action have i missed anything . No senator. We do have issues of the intrastate rates we need legislation to help us on that that with intrastate rates we have a crisis. A single phone call with someone who is incarcerated typically cost as much as you and i pay for monthly unlimited plan. Thats not fair and its not right and it harms the families of the incarcerated. When visits are limited and so much communication is cut off there should be far more creative with rate cap caps, ancillary fees and commissions we should be doing everything we can to lower those rates to make them fair and just thats what the law requires. Thank you. Chairman pai moving on there is a tendency to get in the weeds so when i examined the issue it is simple why is anyone pushing for approval . Its not mentioned in any budget plan no entity that im aware of has a 5g solution there appears to be among Key Stakeholders with the proposed network even as noted in the order and i quote the analysis should not be construed to say theres no potential for interference currently in operation in the market space the testing shows there is potential conflict by these devices. Chairman pai i understand with the proposal but yet you did not comment the first four times and in responding to request to members of Congress However that does not change the reality. And then to face the National Security at risk. This very committee in this case i believe the people of goodwill i dont see how the proposal can succeed otherwise. So chairman pai recognize the dot and various industries to be considered the order, why wouldnt the sec consider it isnt that the whole process to enable the sec for where there are disputes of the record the cost would be enormous why would you not reconsider this . Thank you for the question of the unanimous bipartisan decision to approve this was serious conditions it has been pending for over a decade in 2003 the fcc granted authority to companies to use the spectrum on the ground in 2010 it was teamed up and for the last ten years we are looking what the rule should be the end they decided to approve the application 99. Three reduction of levels that it has its own spectrum even though gps is bleeding over into the legato spectrum so any deployment that is occurring or have occurred would not occur interference to the gps if all of these were impose because we wanted to balance the necessary interest to allow the company to move forward as was granted 17 years ago to keep gps from harmful interference with the fact of the record we made a decision sharing with federal agencies over a year and a half ago to enable to give that feedback to us on the record we had a very open door this process is going on for long enough we made a decision based solely on the fact and law i would defend this before any quorum in this congress or around the country. Im out of time. I yield back. Thank you so much senator. Thank you to all of you for being here thats fantastic maybe i will employ that technique especially for other commissions maybe if we have the Supreme Court in front of the judiciary committee. Chairman pai thank you a few weeks ago several colleagues and i sent you a letter asking some questions about the legato issue and the commissions decision to approve the spectrum modification. You responded and provided a number of very helpful answers to my technical questions and without objection that will be entered into the record for todays hearing. In a recently disclosed email there was an official at the department of defense who acknowledge the department of defense has not relied on their gps band for years and the department of defense uses the l to signal that is far away from the l1 band. If it is true the department of defense is relying on the l2 signal, then why do they argue legato will cause interference with the dod gps . A good question. One more appropriately presented from our perspective our determination is starting the operations are well below that to any of the gps spectrum especially in that band. If that is the case and the military operates on the l2 signal not l1, is interference even possible . We dont believe it is likely, to be sure thats why we impose very strict conditions you can rubberstamp this and say we dont think there is any engineering issues but to make sure we have receivers in others we incorporated those and that is why im very confident Going Forward we made a decision much more on sound engineering and the. Mongering. How far away from the l2 . Since 23 megahertz i cant remember its a significant amount more i believe it is 33 or more. And for context 600 megahertz we had a 3 megahertz band to prevent what rival companies we talk about broadband here almost eight times as large to protect against the l1 signal. Thats helpful. Thank you. My understanding mr. Chairman the National Advance spectrum and Communications Test network i want a acronym from that nasty. [laughter] but testing and modeling and analysis for spectrum policy. Its a joint effort involving federal agencies including and tia dod, nasa and nsf and noaa. Is there evidence it has biased results . No because those agencies are a member of that group. Did this group study the impact of those signals on gps devices . They did. With the dod comments and concerns heard and studied . I have no reason to think they were not. I have seen arguments the commissions decision what impact taxpayer dollars because the department of defense as a result of the decision would be tasked with updating Government Systems to comply. In the event there is harmful interference, my understanding is legato is on the hook to replace government receivers. Chairman pai did that issue gadd addressed in the fcc order quick. It did we impose that condition to remedy any type of situation that could include those receivers also l2 is 300 megahertz away its 1227 it is a significant distance away from the legato operations. One final point. The sec improve the legato communication unanimously no small feat for the fcc to agree in a unanimous manner and some would say in a bipartisan manne manner. Especially on a complex issue like spectrum allocation. Even though the commission unanimously agreed legato still took a decade to complete spanning multiple administrations for Political Parties as far as i can understand it wasnt for partisan reasons. Were was at the product of petulance or inaction on the part of commissioners but i do fear that it might reflect a broken interagency process for spectrum decisionmaking and if true this would hinder leadership and technology so the question i have for you should that be a warning sign for broken interagency decision process and what do we do with spectrum related decisionmakin decisionmaking . Thank you for bringing that up we need more airways to power the 5g feature we have to do better we cannot wait ten years to reclaim airways so heres what you do right now first you should reform the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee how the fcc comes together with other federal actors to figure out what spectrum to reclaim. Second like you proposed legislation, a full valuation what does that value when it comes to all spectrum assets . And then a series of incentives. People dont do things with a knockdown drag out fights. To make sure federal actors get the opportunity to have budgetary gain and not just loss for me allocation. I believe similar we need to improve structure how they manage a Different Agency to oversee that spectrum policy when they complain to congress whether noaa or nasa or dod coming at us oneonone has been very problematic at that they use to do and then weed out the bad arguments but thats not what we are getting today i also suggest we need more thats why the budgetary impact to understand how much funding or assets they are sitting on to be a part of the budget and then the last thing i would say is Congress Needs to identify the band that need to be converted it has been done in the past by committee and requires a lot of lifting. Well said. I turn it back over to the chairman. When somebody goes up against the issue the fcc has addressed for a decade with expertise, on the issue of Great National importance as this it darn well better come to the argument something other than the catchphrase of National Security or trust as we are right. I cannot tell you why i think this because it is classified but trust us National Security dictates we not do this. That is wrong. They know its wrong and we cannot let them get away with it. Thank you. Thank you senator lee. Senator lee and senator blackburn have been very gracious during this hearing to take the gavel. Im very much appreciating that. We might as well as we are talking about legato then who wants to take the issue of the decision being made in the dark of night . Chairman pai it is nonsense i circulated the orders on thursday the majority of those were in the following day on friday. We had to do so many things remotely in this timeframe. Absolutely. Of course we do things in the regular process. When you circulated that was it provided only to members and staff or Public Record . With circulation is all commissioners and staff. We also shared six months earlier that exact draft with the department of defense to the regular Advisory Committee they had that possession months in advance. Why didnt you just vote on thursday do you have to wait a certain period of time . There are two different ways. One is at the monthly meeting the chairman has to designated item three weeks in advance and the other is through circulation you email the proposal to all various commissioners they have in an indefinite period of time to suggest changes. In this case, we did that circulated on thursday. I cannot speak for the other officers but then we removed it the following thursday one week later. You can have 32nd. The chairman is correct when he says the regular policies were followed. Waiting to friday to vote i had four meetings phone call meetings with all interested parties that wanted to wait and listen to their arguments and voted not over the weekend. So with this terminolog terminology, harmful interference potentially impacting. Help us parse that is that a term of art . Terminology widely used by our colleagues at and tia. Is something significantly to interfere with that existing communication. In every environment we are tasked with trying to give meaning to that and as i mentioned before. To the extent this new proposal hurts the gps functioning, that word not be permitted without compensation and correction by legato. Am i correct . I believe thats that is it. Senator rosen. So there are two different issues first how do you measure harmful interference from those operations and the department of have a certain standard and that metric isnt even for harmful interference and to take that seriously to wipe out Wireless Communications as we know them. You can see that change with any type of device. Putting aside the standard which has never been embraced or rejected so what will happen in terms of harmful interference . The fcc tested a bunch of different receivers and they found with the parameters we are talking about would not cause harmful interference. With the argument that there may be some type of interference. We said okay. Lets make sure we impose these different conditions to ensure thats not the case and on top of that back it up what legato has to do for federal agencies and were any affected agency can tell us there is interference and needs to be remedied asap. So given all these conditions its hard to say they would rubberstamp this to send it out into the ether. We took a very careful look at this it wasnt easy to kick the can down the road we are called to these to make these difficult decisions to promote wireless from harmful interference we have to make those tough decisions and you have to make them now i will not kick the can down the road any longer. We could use the race to 5g. Three. One, four. Nine, six gigahertz, legato every Single Agency every single band of federal agency will say i am completely in favor of 5g just not in this band. [laughter] to take this seriously it would never go anywhere thats part of the reason why we have done the hard work based on engineering to promote American Leadership and the common interest otherwise we are still stuck in the starting blocks and other regions that are racing ahead of us. Thank you senator and the Ranking Member to bring this important oversight hearing today thank you for your hard work in those areas i want to talk about in turn all mapping and Health Outcomes because in nevada and across the country the way that telehealth can receive care while complying with the stayathome orders due to the pandemic so although not a substitute for receiving the evaluation it does include keeping those to access maternal care maternal care and especially crucial to use every tool and resource we have for every new and expected mother this is for the high risk population in the africanamerican and Rural Communities even more important during the pandemic introducing data mapping and this Bipartisan Legislation would direct the sec and ftc to incorporate data on maternal Health Outcomes and with Broadband Access. And for the maternal Health Outcomes where they overlap in order to determine where telehealth is most needed. Thank you to your office for reaching out and to understand the issues and the commission for those shortages and obesity and Maternal Health should not be a challenge. Commissioner thank you for your leadership like to address how easy or difficult it would be for the commission to ask for a minute add maternal Health Outcomes to that platform. Thank you for your leadership on this may have a crisis in this country the only industrialized nation with a rising level of attack on mortality those in real communities and no longer have the Maternity Ward so spending time in arkansas at the mayo clinic what i have learned they are coming up with all forms of telemedicine to take on the Maternal Health care crisis it would be terrific if we could use our mapping data to understand which communities are connected and have the highest levels of Maternal Mortality its the start of a solution to make sure our work gets us ther there. Are there other Health Issues if we add Maternal Mortality for other things at the same time . There are two things to talk about here what type of hair healthcare on healthcare problems are we seeing that we need to correct for and what are likely to be effectively managed the telemedicine we see early demonstrations with the mortality in diabetes with continuous home monitoring to make a huge difference. I will, dialogue to identify what meets that two criteria and think about broadband. Thats terrific. And the Telehealth Program with the future teleHealth Services for the rural and underserved communities. 100 milliondollar program we have announced it is a pilot rather than giving the money here or there, lets choose mortality and see what we can do with that. Thank you. I appreciate that. We certainly havent been worried during this hearing. Let me see if we can narrow a few things down with the Education Department was provided in cares are you all coordinating with secretary divorce and how we can facilitate . Working with the department of education to make sure lou call on local School Districts that under the law passed by congress for technology we want to make sure they are able to use that for connectivity. Recently i can tell you one of the first things we did after the cares act was passed to figure how to strategize with the department of education. And with a 13 billiondollar coordinating with the department of education. Also teacher training. That schools will need to get back up and running and to identify with a dedicated pool of funding to get students connected. Senator young is now in the queue . Yes. So good to see you. The pre pandemic a lot has changed since then but since the pandemic thank you for your work to establish the 100 milliondollar connected care program it benefited our state 200 milliondollar telehealth find just today the tenth street clinic in richmond Indiana Community Health Center the cater County Memorial Hospital in greensburg indiana were awarded nearly 1 million from the fund to support our efforts. The resources are getting out there. And we very much appreciate it. Briefly to discuss the importance of both of these programs of the pilot of the telehealth and and then if you can quickly pivot if there were flexibilities related to telehealth temporarily available that should remain in place on a permanent basis based on your early assessment. Thank you for the question and then to visit a healthcare facility we light relying on highspeed Internet Connection it will be a game changer we focused on connections to brickandmortar facility that now with the covid programming connected care program so people can access high quality care is so important as it has Healthcare Facilities its hard to get a general practitioner let alone a specialist but what we do now is lay the groundwork to get everybody in the country a fair shot there are Lessons Learned we need to keep with this pandemic hhs has done a lot of great work in short order with reimbursement issues and that 100 milliondollar program we are moving in the right direction we will keep the red tape. So why dont we maintain a dialogue if confirmed to this position telehealth and working with hhs on that issue. But commissioner oreilly recently blogged about removing unnecessary barriers to maximize competition with any universal service fund for the auctions such as the upcoming Opportunity Fund extending broadband and rural indiana across other rural areas around the country. Can you expand on this idea of maximizing competition to remove unnecessary barriers to identify specific actionables that need to be taken . And those that are willing to participate in those auctions. And those who would like to participate and then drive down the cost and with the affiliate on 50 billiondollar program into an expenditure that is true competition. And then compete for different areas. There is a barrier with the burdens hitting this today and then it doesnt make any sense in my opinion for any longer they are both areas outside state jurisdiction. Congress could really be helpful. And when those auction winners are designated under the statute and with more value for the taxpayer in the end. And through that nation absolutely. Thank you so much amount of time. Have you had lunch yet . Thank you for carrying. First of all thank you for having this hearing and to the fcc for being here. You get to hear what has been said before i want to go back to allocating 80 percent at the end of this administration and i think it still there its bipartisan to spend the money and not waste money. Well over 16 billion if my math is correct and then to reallocate money. And to chairman pai i dont know how you put that money out. And the potential for wasting money is just over the top. It is just the crapshoot thousands upon thousands. And then someone it argue how the suburbs in milwaukee are getting covered or not. And you have maps that are 16 million in the marketplace that the money goes to underserved areas. Phase one goes to unserved areas and then to go through the challenge process so those are thousands of locations for the first time. Thats music to my ears but why hasnt the money already been appropriated. And the very first thing they did was answer parts of the country with that Digital Divide. Its high time those in montana got Digital Opportunity. Or what those areas that are served. And to then get on the right side of the Digital Divide. One of the major problems has always been. Thinking everybody on the fcc to make sure the money is well spent. And those on that commission. And from that Digital Opportunity Data Collection. Congress has now passed the broadband data act that prohibits us to create that it also any funding with that mandate. 65million the first year alone is required we dont have it thats what im coming to you to ask for the necessary funding we needed to create that. So i just think that had accountability issue becomes a problem because if you do it before you walk out the door potentially and we are counting on those being corrected and we displaced a ton of money. That we need to have this work be seen anything in montana healthcare shortchanged and education is shortchanged and we hope you are right. And 200 million of the cares act. And in covid19 i would just say that those actions to stop things from acting and then to be penalized and we dont know where the virus will go and then to go back and look at those. And giving grants to those in seattle with a Million Dollars in funding. And also to get a grant with to help those providers across the state. And what it needs under this program. But chairman pai first went to the fcc first conceive of this and start working on this . Late 2018. It has been a while. If it goes forward on time but the problem we will say one c is it will take a long time to build this out. And then to get the build out done much faster. And then to welcome that. But that idea to speeded up because people cant wait and then to get additional funds and then to nail that down. And then to expand affordable Broadband Access so this question is for the commissioner. Now more than ever and those am at the sundance resort and we cant reach 911 and that 30 minute call between the staff and the residents the call was dropped three times. Because it was just plain wrong. So how do you recommend to help those of arizona . Thank you for the senator not having Wireless Service isnt just an inconvenience but you cant call 911 or get healthcare. So for a long time the sec has been trying to figure out where service is and not we have found many were profoundly wrong maps we have to take that authority to give the broadband data to figure out where service is and is not an thats not just do what here in washington with the five of us but to arizona and every other state in the country if you know what you get bars on your phone and where you dont. Jessica rosenworcel can utilize Broadband Services. But this window for the spectrum, to the Digital Divide in the country, but trying to see and try to learn about the spectrum and understand how they can use it. Unfortunately, in disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. And requested additional time to apply to the spectrum. Would you commit to a 180 day extension for the tribal priorities window in the 2. 5 megahertz band because of the coronavirus. Thank you for the question. Appreciate your leadership under issues of tribal con activity. It was my idea to give the priority window. Im aware of the request from advocates for the extension of the window and that is something we are constantly considering we would hate happy to deep keep your team prices make a decision. Jessica rosenworcel please do. There are several arizona that are facing higher outbreaks in than others in the entire country. So the need for them to have additional flex ability during this very Dangerous Things to the community is important. We need to consider expending time for indian tribal communities to have access. Yes, its a onceinalifetime opportunity for tribes to promote wireless Broadband Services. There from the least connected communities in the country. I think we should give an extension of that august deadline because tribal communities have been more affected by this virus than others. I think the extension of 180 days warranted. Thank you. I will followup with you directly. On the specific needs of these tribal communities in arizona and i would ask you again very strongly to consider granting them an extension. Find out there communities are entirely focused on issues of life and death during this pandemic. Sen. Roger wicker thank you so much. Limited about some loose ends in a do appreciate the commissioner indulging us. Theres some buildout and unserved areas through our u. S. , the role utility service. Is there a chance that in the process to be duplication there and how do we avoid that. There is not mr. Jimmy. Part of the order, we want to make sure there is no company, no provider than is under legal obligation are either federal or state program to fill that broadband to that area. Both types of areas, they would not be eligible in phase one. We dont want to give companies essentially twice the money to do the same thing. Sen. Roger wicker commissioner car, broadcasters in the process of implementing a technological evolution. Hpsc 3. 0. Over the next combined broadcasters list. Is there opportunity sadly beyond broadcasting. Can you please explain what the new ntsc zero technology is. How it works how you think this will facilitate greater applications in rural america. Given the question. I think twopoint oh is a really fascinating technology. Ajit pai it takes the same spectrum that americans perceive tonight over the television. The broadcasters use some or all of that to alter effectively at 25 megabits per second spurious think of it as a highspeed internet down lake and over its existing footprint so it can be used for anything from obtaining connective cars with these large scale files they make needing for mapping. It could be smart egg for also downloading movies on your phone for the future can be one while you dont have to necessarily have the same type of download pipe and upload pipe at the same time. He may be able to couple together a different option from different technologies and different spectrum get bands pretty think broadcast can be part of that future of productivity in the decision, removes the overhang of some regulations that could slow down the buildout nationwide a broadcast Internet Services. Sen. Roger wicker thank you. Commissioner oreilly, let me get your comment about universal service fund, stakeholders have voiced concerns about the sustainability of the funding mechanism. What solution do you recommend a penny to ensure the u. S. Is sustainable in the years ahead and what are your thoughts on making sure this remains sustainable. Comm. Oreilly it is not sustainable. So that recent increases because of this pandemic things going on but its the rising part far too long. Have been a number of ideas that are been put forward to. Of those pushed forward by the state commissioner which involved attacks on broadband prior to havent favored that. We havent been able to get past that conversation. I would ask any idea to be debated out. Lets figure out how to get a new mechanism for u. S. Of funding. How we collected. It. Sen. Roger wicker would you like to jump in on this conversation commissioners. I think that commissioner riley and i have had the pleasure of running universal Service Joint statement forward. Its hard to wrestle with these issues. And honestly is really hard because a system that was set up, the telecommunications a 1996, assumed the future was interstate Long Distance voice. What that means as that is what we have been up against in order to come up with all of these broadband funds pretty so that keeps rising because the pool the way are up against, keeps falling. Simple math. I think of come to the conclusion that we will have to work with this congress to get what comes next because i think the law of what we are contemplating in 1996 is quite adequate for the moment that we are in. Sen. Roger wicker doing this hearing today, can appreciate this a lot. The commission needs to work with congress. Temporarily, lifeline oversight. The expire in a day or two. Any plan to be sure that lifeline users remain collecte d while also does not express waste fraud or abuse. Ajit pai we try to make sure that we provided maximum flex ability for the consumers. For example just recently we could state can step up that the rural trial consumers, cant produce documentation are able to get 45 days or less of an application is submitted. The provider gets an additional time to verify their documentation. And relaxed enrollments and roles. We then taken others have sweet be happy to can considered to make this needs of this emergency. There been a whole bunch of different stuff like this that we are taking. To make sure that the consumer can have that connectivity. In a number of my colleagues, supported a very important in that process. Sen. Roger wicker thank you. We havent talked about replace yet. The fcc recently collected data from the telecommunication providers, names of all way. In networks based on the information on so far, are we doing. How much you think it will cost throughout the equipment and replace it from trusted suppliers. And we all agreed that this needs to be done and this Congress Agrees to. And according to the statute party. Ajit pai the estimate is that it would cost up to 2 million if you rip and replace it a different troop trusted vendors. We have a Data Collection that we have now received all of the information from the office of economics right up to that information to verify the nature of the equipment involved in with the scope or the price tag would be replacing it. So weve reached out, we be happy to work with your team to make sure that adequate resources are given to companies so that we can replace that. Sen. Roger wicker think its worth worth 2 million to the taxpayers. Ajit pai in this regard, it is needed. Making sure that we have trusted vendors. And our net work is incredibly important. Sen. Roger wicker what is the timeframe of getting this done. Ajit pai evening in terms of the mandate. In a rip and replace. In the trusted communication networks. As good as we can, i mean, we want to work with you to make sure that we do it as soon as possible through the issues that ive been banging the drum about for a couple of years. We need to make sure that we take action. Sen. Roger wicker hudson can be done. Ajit pai i can give you full answer because i dont know the nature of the funding being provided. I would hesitate to give you an answer. Thousands of providers out there are hundreds. The time frame shifts very significantly. Sen. Roger wicker lets talk about regulatory barriers. Commissioner clark. I think this is your question. The fcc recently approved an infrastructure order that clarifies key siting rules for Wireless Infrastructure deployment including five g. In various signing on existing infrastructure accelerate the networks of praise. I understand it is a leading commissioner on this order is that correct sir. And what effect do you see from five g upgrade order. Do you anticipate decreased investment bill that as result. Mr. Carr thank you for this question. In the accelerated building for structure. Our goal, the commission is a c5 jew built in every single community. The finish line was never went near a San Francisco see the first five rebuild. Wes break progress over the last couple of years. In one way we ultimately close the Digital Divide humans to make sure the internet infrastructure is available in every community. The five g upgrade order looks at the existing macro towers which serve Rural Communities. I was one in maryland, couple him get climb up the tower. Is Hardworking Taxpayers swapping out an antenna from a to g style. The five g incident took them less than an hour. But as a process can drag on for months and months. So we have dated and approach under section 649. Which Congress Passed i do think it will accelerate the upgrade to five g critically and Rural Communities. Sen. Roger wicker who will fight you on this. Ajit pai deals with the buildout of the internet and for structure. Pushback from state and local governments pretty. Mr. Carr ultimates alethea burke see the siting process for not been pleased by those pre begun support for a lot of state and local officials who want five g built out in the community. And understand that if we drive down the regulatory possibility now, it will happen in their communities faster. Sen. Roger wicker commissioner, will this be easy. Weve been here for three hours and nothing seems totally easy from this point. Sen. Roger wicker inc. You will, we have so many issues. No no no. Listen, we can streamline the deployment of infrastructure in this country. Absolutely given. Jessica rosenworcel will have a tenth amendment and a long history local control in this country. He will not take kindly to unelected people telling them what they can and cannot do their own backyard to clean and sober enough to figure out how to balance those two things. I would suggest this to be a future infrastructure legislation, but dollars attached to me she conditioned them on the resolution of signing and permits of the local level. Lets figure out to carrots for other than to get this done. Sen. Roger wicker we are anticipating such legislation. Jessica rosenworcel so i read. Sen. Roger wicker so can you tell us about the pending proceeding of the fcc to create a new radio broadcast class referred to as fm class c4. Have you ever heard of that. Ajit pai im a little bit about them is determined. Sen. Roger wicker can you just give us an update there and tell us with the considerations hard. Ajit pai appreciate the question. We have received a position from among other advocates suggesting that the creation of a class at four for certain radio protesters. I put that in the floor for my colleagues consideration. In the request of my colleagues, we converted was originally intended to be a rulemaking into a notice of inquiry. My understanding from last time that we had these discussions theres not majority support for going ahead with the rules were making. So i look forward to create a solution to try and advance the ball in a way that reflects consensus on this issue. Sen. Roger wicker who has doubts about this that you would like to voice. Yes commissioner oreilly. Comm. Oreilly i dont like to voice bible voiceprint have concerns, harmful interference from other radio broadcasters. And a disagreement among broadcasters and the impact of this and when it did and i asked the chairman to go from one to another. I thought we had a understand what it explain what this is. But the value is going for treatment in it. Hopefully this been fully fleshed out and they seen it. Sen. Roger wicker what is that. Comm. Oreilly is more big approaching a process. Sen. Roger wicker other people out there will very much benefit from that answer okay. Mr. The potter my last question. Commissioner carr, you said something that make sense to me. About how will we have done during this recent. As compared to her friends across the ocean and some adversaries across the ocean during in terms of the internet working read perform because of the private sectors massive investment in our internet infrastructure over the past years. So the question is, why did this happen. And you conclude that works under stress. The five g buildout. They are fostered by it like to touch. To infrastructure pertinent it keeps pace with changing technology. An apparently in your view also encourage Investment Funds and private sector which got us to this very position that weve had in the last few months. Youve expressed your opinion there. Anybody in the panel, a length anybody discuss this. And challenge it or take a different view. Do we all agree with the conclusion of the commissioner carr. In that regard read are you raising your hand. Jessica rosenworcel lets say that we are proud. Sen. Roger wicker i am proud. Jessica rosenworcel i think i would like that we collected data. Milliman collected standardized data on broadband outages print is not part of our Network Outage reporting systems and the one thing i would say, and im not sure if we know on a regional and local level, holland has performed because not collecting data on that pretty. Sen. Roger wicker and how would we do that. Jessica rosenworcel i think we would update our broadband age. We primarily collected data on legacy telephone outages. Just last week that a major wireless provider that had an outage that affected big part of the country. The Wireless Phone didnt work for made Major National provider. We gotta figure out how are outage system and recording and reporting reflects the way for people to use Services Today and we can use that data to make sure policies are smarter in the future. Sen. Roger wicker thank you. Okay chairman, you get the last word here. On that topic. Why, is it a fact that in our system perform so much better. Ajit pai i think the answer the commissioner carr gave is correct. If you get up from 60000 feet of the last three years, but that make very decisions. Some of the more popular and some of them were not so. But did the end of the day the print is in the pudding. Because of some of the positions we made, to give an up regulation in the infrastructure, get rid of heavy handed the regulation of business data services. To streamline the infrastructure deployment. To in courage companies. It these type of decisions, they need a get to create an incredibly strong incentive for companies to make necessary investments just like this. We have next some of these decisions. It had to proactively go to netflix and youtube means Understanding Services and ask them to throttle their own consumers bandwidth in order to make sure the networks didnt camp lapse pretty were incredibly proud duchess of the american broadbands performance but all of the building that were in place for that success. In the critical ones which was a Regulatory Framework that weve established for the last three years pretty. Sen. Roger wicker thank you and thank you all. And these are words that youve been longing to hear. This will be remaining open for two weeks during this time the senators are asked to submit any questions for the record. On the seat of the are requested to submit their written answers to the committee as soon as possible. Rhino no later than midnight wednesday july 29th, 2020. And i think you. In this hearing is now adjourned. [background sounds]. [background sounds]. [background sounds]. [background sounds]. [background sounds]. [background sounds]

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