Off to a Good Start, Speechwise

FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai gave his first significant speech today in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University, and there is much in this maiden address to like. The title, "Unlocking Investment and Innovation in the Digital Age: The Path to a 21st Century FCC" sounds the right note, and the address itself contains some good substantive ideas that deserve serious attention. I encourage you to read the speech, and especially to consider the sections concerning removal of barriers to infrastructure investment and expediting the process of repurposing spectrum for mobile broadband.

In my view, there is much more that needs to be done, of course, to reform our nation's communications laws and policies -- and to reform the FCC itself -- than what Commissioner Pai tackles in his maiden speech. But Rome wasn't built in a day, and the FCC won't be reformed overnight on the basis of a good speech. The real work is in the follow-up and tough votes.

But, congratulations to Commissioner Pai in getting off to a nice start in traveling down the reform road.