FCC Chair Carr Outlines Policy Agenda for Infrastructure Development
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr has unveiled the Build America Agenda, a comprehensive plan aimed at boosting U.S. telecommunications growth and competitiveness. The agenda, presented during a speech in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, focuses on several key priorities.
The main objectives of the Build America Agenda include unleashing high-speed infrastructure by modernizing regulations and streamlining the permitting process to accelerate broadband and internet build-out nationwide. Additionally, the FCC plans to free up wireless spectrum to create jobs, increase competition, and lower consumer prices. This involves voting on licensing more spectrum to meet growing demand.
The agenda also seeks to expand America’s space economy by accelerating satellite licensing and supporting U.S. companies in orbit, fostering innovation and leadership in space. In terms of FCC operations, Chairman Carr has proposed deregulatory and modernisation initiatives, such as the "delete, delete, delete" campaign, aimed at removing unnecessary regulations to improve agency efficiency.
National security efforts are another significant part of the agenda, with the FCC aiming to protect telecommunications networks and infrastructure, ensuring resilience against emerging threats. The agenda also includes investments in workforce development, focusing on building digital skills and creating opportunities for telecom workers to support sector growth and innovation.
Chairman Carr emphasised the need to reform telecommunications policies to support a new era of American economic growth and global leadership. The Republican-led FCC is poised to implement these priorities swiftly, starting with upcoming votes on spectrum and permitting reforms.
The Build America Agenda is designed to accelerate broadband infrastructure, expand wireless spectrum access, advance the space sector, streamline FCC regulations, safeguard national security, and develop a skilled telecom workforce to drive U.S. telecommunications leadership. Carr stated that the agenda will ensure the U.S. maintains secure and resilient networks, and that the FCC's deregulatory agenda is crucial for unleashing high-speed infrastructure builds.
In his first major policy speech, titled "Build America Agenda," Carr also highlighted the importance of freeing up more spectrum for the wireless industry and the need to cut red tape in FCC operations. The speech included plans to boost America's space economy and a comprehensive initiative to eliminate unlawful, outdated, or unnecessary regulations from the FCC.
However, the agenda does not discuss broadcasting, the transition to ATSC 3.0, or ownership caps. The focus of the agenda is to encourage and speed up the process of building high-speed infrastructure, extend America's leadership over China in the race for critical technologies like 5G, 6G, and AI, and ensure a strong U.S. workforce for the success of the Build America Agenda. Carr gave the speech at a training facility for tower workers in Sioux Falls, SD, underscoring the importance of a safe and sustainable environment for tower and telecom crews with rising wages.
- The Build America Agenda, unveiled by FCC Chair Brendan Carr, aims to boost U.S. telecommunications growth by unleashing high-speed infrastructure and modernizing regulations.
- The FCC plans to free up wireless spectrum to create jobs, increase competition, and lower consumer prices, and this involves voting on licensing more spectrum to meet growing demand.
- The agenda includes investments in workforce development, focusing on building digital skills and creating opportunities for telecom workers to support sector growth and innovation.
- Chairman Carr emphasized the need to reform telecommunications policies to support a new era of American economic growth, with the Republican-led FCC poised to implement these priorities swiftly.
- The agenda does not discuss broadcasting, the transition to ATSC 3.0, or ownership caps, but it aims to encourage and speed up the process of building high-speed infrastructure and extend America’s leadership over China in the race for critical technologies like 5G, 6G, and AI.
- Carr highlighted the importance of freeing up more spectrum for the wireless industry, cutting red tape in FCC operations, and boosting America’s space economy, as part of the comprehensive initiative to eliminate unlawful, outdated, or unnecessary regulations from the FCC.
