Free Press Slams Pai on Wireless Competition Report

Free Press accused FCC Chairman Ajit Pai of tying wireless competition in a misleading way to the push to reclassify broadband. The group filed a letter in docket 17-69 on the pending mobile wireless competition report. “You are once again misleading the public in furtherance of your irrational vendetta against the congressionally mandated classification of transmission services as telecom services,” Free Press said. “Wireless industry investments peaked in 2013, as carriers completed the bulk of 4G LTE deployments. Both that peak, and the ongoing decline from it, predate the entire proceeding that led to the 2015 reclassification of broadband as a lightly regulated Title II service.” Pai is seeking a vote on the controversial report at Tuesday’s commissioner meeting (see 1709070056). The FCC declined to comment.