Trump’s Pick for FCC Chief Hostile to Net Neutrality
President Trump named Net Neutrality critic Ajit Pai as the 34th Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
This afternoon, I was informed that @POTUS @realDonaldTrump designated me the 34th Chairman of the @FCC. It is a deeply humbling honor. pic.twitter.com/Joza18aP33
— Ajit Pai (@AjitPai) January 23, 2017
“I look forward to working with the new Administration, my colleagues at the Commission, members of Congress and the American public to bring the benefits of the digital age to all Americans,” Pai posted on Twitter.
The FCC regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable for the entire country and its territories.
Pai has been a long-standing opponent of Net Neutrality rules which, on the face, force internet providers to give everyone the same access to bandwidth. When digging deeper, what Net Neutrality does is give the government the right to regulate the internet.
While pushing net neutrality, then President Obama said that “We cannot allow Internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict the best access or to pick winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas.”
Translation: The government should be allowed to pick winners and losers on the internet.
This pick for FCC commission will likely undo another terrible policy by the failed Obama administration:
Though the net neutrality rules — after years in limbo — have now been affirmed in court, Pai and his fellow Republican FCC commissioner Mike O’Rielly have indicated plans to revisit those Internet regulations as well as other FCC rules.