Things hold. But im pretty impressed where things are now. Beenveryones lives have thrown up in the air. Im being interviewed from my bedroom. In the nursery and i did a press conference basemas basement where all the toys are. Trouble. Is facing and more people are having more circumstances more difficult i do. So were all living through this together. Is this a permanent change in our lives . Aboutl, i dont know that. I have to defer to some of the health experts. Terms of some of the issues, some of the certainlyhome issues, conferences being done through more likely to increase over time. I wouldnt say this is the new a lot more this way than returning to the old style, in my opinion. This is a continuing trend, whats the f. C. C. s role in this . Well, it depends on what service were talking about. But i mean, just from a more practical sense, we have a big new building were building and movewere getting ready to into. And its use is going to be much different than the past. Meeting yesterday via this technology that were able to use, video conferencing, went pretty smoothly. You start to venture out and wonder, how much do you have to physically in the f. C. C. , and what does it mean for policy in general Going Forward . Certainly have a role in a lot of these issues. Making sure the consumers are protected, making sure the networks are running well. But some of the pieces, were talkinghat about, are outside our theres fine lines there. Lets bring Margaret Mcgill into this conversation. Thanks, peter. Commissioner. The f. C. C. Launched a keep americans connected pledge a few months ago with the idea being broadband providers would promise not to cut off americans who cant pay for their internet theice because of coronavirus pandemic. That pledge expires june 30. Do you think the f. C. C. Needs to extend it . Well, i defer to the chairman. He worked hard to get it established. Understand its over 700 companies have agreed to the pledge. And they lived through it through a couple months. I have heard from some parties that it is becoming very revenue sidethe for them to hold the pledge Going Forward. See. Just have to ill take my cues from the chairman and his program. Im certainly mindful what it means for americans facing difficulties Going Forward. Of, how the tension long can you stretch the inevitability . The back fees, do they get exonerated, do they get lost . Were not just talking about penalty fees. Were talking about the actual rates themselves. Going to bey not collected . Are we talking about a situation of two more months or 18 months . Those things all matter but ill take my cues from the chairman on this one. Able to tracken how effective the pledge has been in terms of customers that or newying Online Customers that are being signed up . What kind of difference this pledge has made. In fairness, i dont have a data points that i normally would in a regular setting. Of anecdotallot evidence suggesting its been very beneficial. Connectivity issues that americans are facing in ther daily lives, on entertainment side and also on the business side. Weve had really good successes out. Rms of people reaching ive also had some complaints in terms of the pledge and thats something that the chairman, im sure, will defer to as appropriate to the refer to as neededement bureau to see if theyre living up to their commitments that they made to the commission and public at large. This is an opportunity to, you know at some point, there will be Lessons Learned of how worked, whether there are ways we could have made it work more efficiently. Throughe struggling this as everyone else is at this time. What kind of complaints have you heard . Just nk people are they said theyve been turned off when they were unexpectedly. This carrier did this or this provider did that. Infrequent to have ofails to my account on some those some of those turn into legitimate issues. Out not to be. There was some other problem disconnected. Got it wasnt a billing issue. It was a network issue. Facts really does matter Going Forward. Well just have to see if anything materializes there. I guess kind of on the complaint front, do you think that the f. C. C. Needs to change how its tracking complaints or how effective the been . Has it sounds like its mostly anecdotal. Do you think there should be transparency, perhaps a database of some sort . Anecdotale at the level than i would be if i were at my office, able to talk to Ae Commission staff on regular basis. Everyone is scattered throughout the washington, d. C. Region. We have folks from gettysburg that handle some of the process. That is different than normal. Im getting some of that and im sure the chairman has a much higher, more mechanism and is able to rely on the data from the different folks. Possible, to, best as let staff do the hard work thats been asked of them. Try to leave them alone a little bit. Everyones got other issues. Ase got child care issues you can imagine that monopolize my time. Its balancing life and work at time. Me so ive tried to be more respectful, if i can, but these are going to that go away. There are things that we need to look at. Certainly things will be from Lessons Learned, whenever we get more stable point. Commissioner orielly, has the covid19 crisis put more urgency into developing 5g . Yeah. Yes and no. Weve already had a very aggressive interest and schedule and agenda to deploy 5g and the environment for private carriers to extend their the new and build out revolutionary, you know, what itre expecting from 5g when fully matures. So there is the the are there. S same thing on the fiber side. A bigger perspective, it does highlight the importance of broadband. Been critiqued in terms of my views toward broadband. Said its incredibly vital to individuals. I havent been willing to do the said soessity but ive much more, about how and i spent so much time trying and working hard to get broadband out to all americans. 5g, the wireless what i refer to wireless fiber that is pose of oura solution Going Forward, in my mind. There is the idea of getting home. To everyones not probably in the cards. So wireless is going to play a fixed,ole, whether its mobile or everything in between. The generalhnson, council at the federal Communications Commission in they had an oped Washington Post about 5g, the headline 5g conspiracy theories u. S. Recovery. Whats the genesis of this story . Well, i havent talked to tom, you know. But i think that the genesis comes from a number of who have likened 5g number of Health Concerns that just arent realistic or accurate. The boogeyman of what they think may come from 5g are the same ones we heard on 4g and 3g and everything before that. Not surprise me. Theres a group of folks in america and worldwide who shun thatology and believe there are nefarious purposes from what is being deployed at the latest time. We have to be cognizant of that. Mindful ofvery Health Issues at the commission. I worked hard to get a couple up for voting so we could dealingdeployed and with the radio frequency issues, the Health Issues. So i think that it is something that is going to be beneficial and its within the Health Standards from the therts, which we at f. C. C. We rely on policy experts at a number of health agencies. Thats, in a very respectful way, im sorry that some individuals have a totally perspective. And their active and some of the threat that they laid is problematic. Like to believe that were issues outate these in a thoughtful way versus some buthe rhetoric ive seen well just have to play it out. Given the fact that broadband become so vital to many americans, especially in the last couple of months, is there chance that broadband will be considered a utility . I dont see that in the cards in the near future. You know, it always depends on what the Political Landscape looks like in washington, d. C. Know, when you say utility, theres a lot of different it. Ingings that go with is it someone that wants to regulate the rates, someone that to mandate there only be one provider . In many communities, theres existing providers and its competition that drives down price. A power heading towards company or water company, i think we surpassed that and moved past that, for most of americans. There are certainly places where theprovider, you know, is best we can get and we work hard to subsidize a number of those so we can at least have somebody to serve those areas that dont have access. Thats one of my Top Priorities during my time at the commission. So i dont believe were heading universe. I think the market is much more resilient and responsive. Benefitsy you see the i talked about earlier in terms of how our network has handled increases andhe how its been diverse traffic. Used to be in urban centers, because we many of us went to our jobs downtown. The you know, were finding traffic being distributed in different places. And the networks have been able increases in the traffic overall. So thats very arentful and appreciated respectful and appreciated. Netjust the issue of neutraneutrality but it is a 10r sure that ke 10year effort to make that good enacted. S there were hiccups along the way. But most general compared to other nations, were in a much better situation, in my opinion. Margaret mcgill. On the performance of the networks, we have heard from companies and from their trade groups that their networks are performing well. What kind of work is the f. C. C. Doing to validate that, to investigate on its own how performing . We have a whole team that looks at these issues and well, of sure, have a number reports as we go forward, as we examine Lessons Learned and what thosehis mean and how performance numbers have looked. What ive heard from the chairman have been pretty terms ofdata points in what the network has responded to, all the increases. Testament tos a how well weve been willing to have good policy lead to the united states. And that should be a feather in our cap compares to other nations around the world. Regardless of the performance, one big issue has peoples peter mentioned, who dont have access to broadband. Thats especially important for parents whose children now need to do their schoolwork virtually. Given that schools might be relying on some kind of remote in the fall, what can the f. C. C. Do in the coming months to ensure that children devices they need to do school from home . Well, its a huge issue. It starts from not just education but how do we get to those areas that are toughest served . It canose that want actually have broadband. Thats been what my focus has been in terms of broadband performance. Some want to spend their time on affordability, some want to spend it on competitors. Im trying to focus on those who relying on dialup. Weve done some really good work on that. Not easy trying to get to the hardest parts of our nation. Limitations on the the f. C. C. Can do, on statutes that exist and then the funding. How much funding do we have and what does it mean. I certainly appreciate some of the turn and the debate over foration funding technology. And a number of providers in the vascularsmber of the have advocates have shifted from it has to be fiber. Is very, wireless important. Its something i pushed for a long while. This bigis part of problem a solution. I appreciate that that debate is i expected it once would. But it is a heavy lift between fall, to be able to stand up to schools that may not face a seconde wave. Im very mindful of that. We have some limitations on what we can do at the commission. I know well be continuing to work on this in the months ahead. Have acommission does program, broadband connections. Some discussion about, could that money be used to make sure that students can connect from home . Do you think thats something that the f. C. C. Should explore, what concrete actions can be done in the next two months before School Starts back up again . Well, i think thats an issue for congress to decide and the statute isse quite limiting. It lawful references something i littleon when i was a bit younger. It actually says classrooms. To view every persons home notwithstanding our experiences as a that means there are classroom. Ons to its not what congress intended at the time. Go there they want to now. Thats certainly their option. They can appropriate money. Do all the things that i used to recommend when i worked there for many years. Thats something they need to consider. Its something i cant overlook, because i may agree or disagree decision that someone would like to make. You cant just ignore the statute. How it works in my business. It sounds like you want to action from congress and maybe theres not a ton that in these next do few months . Well, im not advocating that congress do something. Think thats up to them. Theyre left to representatives of the people of america. I dont try to tell them what to do. I try to have the responsibility. Its the opposite. They tell me what to do. I think our hands are tied in regards. There are some limitations. And the chairman has been very ofxible on a number different covid policy changes that weve done in the last few months but there are limitations that we face and whether Congress Changes those or not are certainly up to them. Commissioner orielly, could you please explain section 230 Communications Act . An what the president has as executive order and your view on that . Well, i dont think i can fully go through that in the time that we have for this program. Liabilitya legal standard, statute created as the governs, you know, the activity online. Those that offer services and from thet benefit services. And from the mom and pop shops up a website to the big provider that you can imagine. It provides them certainty in terms of their liability over what is said over the network or what is portrayed. Then that is something thats 25 years. Lmark for the executive order you reference comes from the president ive had an opportunity to read it a couple times. Sympathize with his point in terms of ive made the argument, both, you know, here and elsewhere, that the president has the full right to review any statute as part of his, you obligation to proposed changes. And that was part of my old job, the president proposes and the congress disposes. That was his right to examine see if its being abused. I think thats completely consistent. Concerned, as a conservative, that my fellow conservatives have been their words are being limited on certain tech platforms. I think thats pretty problematic. Are both outstanding data anecdotal evidence. Its nott mean happening on the other side of the aisle as well, but conservatives, its fresh in their mind and happening pretty regularly from my conversations with folks. Thats problematic. Two, what we do about that is a different story. Issue thatnto the ive had concerned about, you know, what are the limitations in the statute . Did congress provide us theorities to act, for what president has asked for, or is it intentional authority, or was oraccidental authority, there is no authority . Thats something really important. Tot the president would like see happen is for the f. C. C. To define certain components of the statute, whats the scope and how its being handled and whether we can provide the appropriate limitations if necessary. And i think we have to start with, you know, its jurisdiction. Then First Amendment. And then you get into, what are the paths of the First Amendment go down this route . What would happen if we do x, y does it mean for the future of the internet and communications, digital and i. P. Traffic . Im mindful of all that. I havent taken a position, do mye i have to homework. I think thats what people regulator, someone who has a history of doing the heavy lifting on policy, digging themselvethemselves into the we, ofeone who has a background writing statutes. Thats what you expect from me and thats what im doing right now. Concerns upfront and now im in the process of lifting andhe heavy talking to some really knowledgeable people here. I want to reach out to those that actually wrote the statute and those that are continuing to weigh in on the matter. Colleague onratic the commission, jessica that ansal, said executive order that would turn the federal Communications Commission into the president s the answer. E is not well, her comment, i would agree with. That. T know if this does im going to do the heavy lifting before making a comment try and make an assertion such as that. Then i were the effect, would i can see her point. I dont think that we can make that assertion now. Think that anyone can rightfully, especially since we dont have a recommendation from administration through ntiaa, of actually what the petition would look like. Will certainly advocate to the comesan, whenever if so forward, whatever document comes forard, that we put it out Public Notice and let all comers take shots and applaud what they see is appropriate in the document. From there, we can see if theres something we should do explore alld well the thorny issues that are so important in our democracy. Margaret mcgill . Well, one issue thats come the executive order is whether the f. C. C. Has any authority in this area to enforce or regulate or decline section 230. You have a lot of experience on hill. Do you believe congress intended to give the f. C. C. Authority here . I think thats what you just made the point of. Whether they intentionally Gave Authority or accidentally gave us authority. Thats what im exploring and i want to talk to some really knowledgeable people about the matter, because my memory funny. I can remember some of those conversations better than i can the conversation i had, you wife. Yesterday with my and i remember the votes we had on some of these things in the the capitol, in the conference negotiations with my and the house managers, who had a different opinion than we wentte managers when to conference on the bill. My memory is pretty good on those things. That they i have deep reservations that they provided any intentional this matter but i want to listen to people. I want to see if other memories from mine. Nt there werent many people in the room. Some are no longer with us. Have moved on. I want to hear from those that have