
Ajit Pai faces heat over proposal to take away poor people’s broadband plans - ohjeez
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/03/please-dont-take-broadband-away-from-poor-people-democrats-tell-fcc-chair/
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jcoffland
> Pai claimed that kicking resellers out of the program would spur facilities-
> based carriers to invest in their broadband networks.

Where does the FCC get the idea that they can manipulate the market for
economic reasons? This is completely beyond their purview.

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yjftsjthsd-h
I would think that getting carriers to invest in their broadband networks
reasonably _could_ be part of the FCC's job.

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jcoffland
FCC has no business meddling in the operation of businesses. Their mandate is
to regulate the airwaves not decide what's the best strategy for broadband
carriers.

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yjftsjthsd-h
By that logic, they never had the right to interfere with broadband. They're
the Federal Communications Commission, not the Federal Airwaves Commission.

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DrScump
Using the statistics in the article, the subsidy currently goes to 16% of all
households (even assuming all have computers), so it's not highly targeted as
is.

Also, cutting out these artificial middleman resellers could result in savings
that exceed the subsidy.

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godzillabrennus
I'm surprised he hasn't already tried to shop an investment in the FCC led by
Verizon and Comcast. Obviously it'd be better if taxpayers didn't have to foot
the bill for an agency they already own.

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joemaller1
Uselessly partisan title.

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Mononokay
How, exactly, is it partisan? You could argue that he in himself is a
Republican stereotype, given his actions, but that in itself doesn't make it
partisan.

Are you saying that taking away subsidized broadband plans for the poor is a
partisan thing? If so that doesn't portray the Republicans in a good light at
all.

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DrScump
Are you aware that Pai was originally appointed to the FCC by _Obama_?

