FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly

Remarks of FCC Commissioner O'Rielly before the Cloud Comms Summit

It is a true honor to have the chance to speak before members of the relatively new Cloud Communications Alliance....During times of change, an agency must refrain from subjecting new technologies to old regulatory structures.At a minimum, an agency should not act unless it is clear that the agency has authority, that there is evidence of a market failure warranting intervention, and that the benefits of acting outweigh the costs. Otherwise, regulators risk suppressing further entry, innovation, and investment.

Letter from FCC Commissioner O'Rielly on Guam 911 Fee Diversion

On June 20, 2018, Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O'Rielly wrote to Gov Eddie Calvo (R-Guam) regarding 911 fee diversion. "I am writing to follow-up on my Feb 20, 2018 letter inquiring on your territories' 9-1-1 fee diversion practices....As of today, four months later, my office has not received a response from you or your office...The citizens of Guam rely on the 9-1-1 system to work in their most dire times of need. It is beyond disappointing to learn that your territory has made a habit of diverting these funds for other purposes.

FCC Commissioner O'Rielly Remarks Before the Mackinac Center for Public Policy -- "Smart Regs for Smart Tech"

As many of you know, on June 12 Judge Richard Leon of the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled against the US government and in favor of AT&T’s application to merge with Time Warner, without the imposition of any conditions. From the viewpoint of many, both the Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice have been stuck in administrative molasses, seeking to apply sectoral market analysis, preserve questionable bright line tests, and continue the imposition of rigid restrictions as part of transactional reviews the same way now as in 2008, 1988, or 1958.

Letter from Commissioner O'Rielly on Rhode Island 911 Fee Diversion

On June 15, 2018, Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O'Rielly wrote to Gov Gina Raimondo (D-RI) and Rhode Island General Assembly Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello (D-RI-15) to follow-up on the issue of 9-1-1 fee diversion. He wrote, "To put it bluntly, your state is diverting 60 percent of the funds intended and necessary for public safety purposes to your general fund, and no amount of relabeling will resolve this reality...I am writing, again, to implore you to end Rhode Island's fee diversion practices." 

Letter from Commissioner O'Rielly on New Mexico 911 Fee Diversion

On June 19, 2018, Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O'Rielly wrote to Charles Salle, Deputy Director of the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee. He was responding to a phone call Commissioner O'Rielly received addressing why the state of NM diverted 9-1-1 fees in 2016.

Commissioner O'Rielly Remarks Before the Philadelphia Federalist Society

I would like to explore three rather divergent policy issues, unified by my views on what I see as being in the best interests of American consumers.

Status Update: Fixing 9-1-1 Fee Diversion

It’s been four months since my colleague, Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, and I penned an op-ed reaffirming the need and accompanying reasons to stop states from diverting critical 9-1-1 fees collected from consumers to non-9-1-1 functions.  After such time, it seems appropriate to ask: have things improved?  In reality, the effort to end 9-1-1 fee diversion has had mixed results.

FCC Regulatory Free Arena

[Press release] As consequential as the Federal Communications Commission can be in communications policy, it is critical for those in leadership positions to acknowledge that its authority and reach is inherently limited. In fact, current law prevents the Commission from having any role or oversight over numerous modern technologies central to many Americans' communications habits.

Debunking the Sinclair Agenda Myth

Unfortunately, there is a false narrative in Washington (DC) that ATSC 3.0 will only benefit one particular company.  In fact, this narrative goes even further, suggesting everything the Federal Communications Commission has done in the media space over the last 17 months has been to benefit one company, in this case, Sinclair Broadcast Group. This misguided fantasy is perplexing to other broadcast stations across the country that have seen real benefits to our actions.

Commissioner O'Rielly Statement on 3.7 - 4.2 GHZ Public Notice

"[May 1] the bureau initiates a proceeding to further examine the feasibility of opening up 3.7 – 4.2 GHz for commercial use. I have repeatedly called for freeing up this band for commercial purposes and I am pleased to see this important step forward in our process, as it will complement and not delay the Commission’s ongoing work on the matter. I want to thank Congress for their leadership on this spectrum band, particularly Senators Thune and Nelson for raising this issue in the MOBILE NOW Act."

Remarks of FCC Commissioner O'Rielly Before the American Enterprise Institute

[Speech] Over the last three-plus years, the Commission has rightly focused its time and energy to ensure that next-generation, or 5G, networks come to fruition. Why is this so important? It’s about a global race to be the first among many competing nations to 5G. Leading the world in 5G will allow U.S. companies to help shape its future growth, standards, and capabilities – all of which have a tremendous impact on our future economic success.

Statement of Commissioner Michael O'Rielly on Commissioner Clyburn

“I am saddened to hear my friend and colleague, Commissioner Clyburn, announce her intention to leave the Commission in the very near future. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her on several projects and her commitment to her principles always impressed me. Even when we disagreed, we found a way to work through it and get to the next issue. Suffice it to say, Commissioner Clyburn epitomizes the term ‘public servant.’ I wish her well in her next endeavor, whatever it may be.

Experienced Advice for New Broadband Program

It is equally important for the Federal Communications Commission to understand how the US Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) pilot program funding is being spent.  There are several programs that promote and enable broadband deployment and operation within the high-cost or Connect America Fund umbrella.  Some programs are already underway; some are about to commence in the form of upcoming auctions, and some have yet to be implemented.

Commissioner O'Rielly Remarks at 2018 NAB Show

The Federal Communications Commission has historically been over-obsessed and too reliant on the belief that the number of broadcast voices in a market is directly tied or correlated to the issue of license ownership, which is a false assumption. I firmly believe that our ownership rules have not worked. It’s why I was so pleased to support the Chairman’s order [in 2017] to eliminate some of these rules.

Remarks of FCC Commissioner O'Rielly Before the Communications Group of Garvey Schubert & Barer

[Speech] I thought I would begin my remarks by highlighting one issue area I believe is long overdue for an update: Kid Vid.

Remarks of FCC Commissioner O'Rielly Before the Second Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Entertainment

[Speech] The main reason I am here and why I was pleased to accept the committee’s invitation to say a few words is to reinforce the importance of the Commission’s proceeding to create a small entity broadcaster incubator program.  Let me be abundantly clear: the lead proponent of this idea is the Chairman and I’ve been happy to support his work on the topic. We should all remember that the intent of an incubator program is to address the lackluster ownership of broadcaster station licenses by smaller entities, which includes women and minority groups. 

Abusing Section 1

In recent weeks, former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has pontificated about the current Commission’s lack of action on the issue of Internet network security. At the risk of engaging, I find it necessary to call out the gibberish in his recent writings.

Commissioner O'Rielly 911 Letter to Governors of NY, OK, PR, MP, MO, MT & GU

Inexplicably, in many instances, officials under your leadership failed to respond to our last request for 9-1-1 information on fee collection and allocation. At the very least, given the importance of this information, you should have been aware of the impending failure to respond....[S]ince your states and territories have either been a self-admitted diverter of 9-1-1 fees in the past or guilty of failing to respond to a previous inquiry, it can only be assumed that your state or territory diverted 9-1-1 fees for 2016. Neither of these outcomes is appropriate or acceptable.

Remarks of FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly Before The Policy Forum at AT&T "The 3.5 GHz Future Innovation Showcase"

I am honored to participate in this Policy Forum showcasing the promise of 3.5 GHz and discussing the future of this centrally-located spectrum. My hope today is to give a bit of background on the band and the Commission’s work and provide an update on some outstanding issues. 

Commissioner O'Rielly Statement on Reviewing the Kid Vid Rules

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has asked me to lead the agency’s review of the stringent requirements the FCC imposes on our nation’s broadcasters to air a certain amount of educational and informational children’s programming on a weekly basis, otherwise known as Kid Vid. I am pleased to accept his request. The Commission is currently undergoing a comprehensive proceeding to modernize our media regulations, and Kid Vid is due for such an examination within the bounds of the law.

States are stealing funds from 9-1-1 emergency services — now they’ll be punished

[Commentary] On our individual phone bills a line item is typically included for 9-1-1 service. It’s a relatively small fee that states and localities charge to support emergency calling services. But too many states are stealing these funds and using them for other purposes, like filling budget gaps, purchasing vehicles, or worse.  It’s time for 9-1-1 fee diversion to stop.

Remarks of FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly Before the Hudson Institute, "A Conservative Perspective"

I would like to discuss how my approach to select communications policies is informed by certain conservative principles, with a fair hint of libertarianism. In my first visit to Hudson, I declared preserving and advancing economic freedom to be my primary goal
and the paramount lens by which I would examine issues at the Commission.  Fast forward four years and economic freedom has generated some subcomponents worthy of discussion, thereby allowing a more fulsome examination of certain policy matters. So, with your indulgence, I’d like to explore some of these this afternoon:

Paper FCC Record: Why in the World?

The practice of printing hard-copies of the “FCC Record” should be eliminated. To be crystal clear, I am not suggesting that we keep its contents or information from the public.  On the contrary, I suggest that it makes little sense to continue to publish paper copies when other mechanisms are more consumer friendly, cost-efficient, and easier to access.  Instead, the Commission should make its documents centrally located and easier to find for interested parties electronically, making paper copies of the Record unnecessary on a going forward basis.  If Encyclopedia Britannica coul

Defining Recoverable Expenses for Rate-of-Return Providers

As the Federal Communications Commission begins to explore potential changes to its regulations for rate-of-return carriers, we both wholeheartedly support action to curb impermissible expenditures.  The public trust is violated, if or when bad actors take extensive leeway in defining what is acceptable for reimbursement by the FCC and ratepayers.  Past stories highlight spending on personal mansions, fancy boats, lavish parties, and country club memberships, just to name a few.