The FCC Understands the Needs of Small Carriers, Trusty Tells CCA
FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty assured Competitive Carriers Association members that the agency understands their need for faster buildouts and access to more spectrum. “We are working to create a regulatory environment that empowers you, the private sector, to build and innovate,” she said in written remarks for CCA's annual convention, posted Wednesday.
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CCA members play an important role in making communications more resilient, she said. “Multiple networks operating side by side in communities strengthen reliability and resilience, and save lives, in the face of natural disasters and other threats."
The FCC is “taking a fresh look at spectrum across the board, with a commitment to ensuring that rural consumers are not left behind,” Trusty said. She noted the FCC’s push to open the upper C band for full-power licensed use. She also emphasized the importance of making networks more secure. “National security cannot be an afterthought."
In addition, Trusty called for a “predictable and sustainable” USF as Congress examines potential changes to the program (see 2509160064). “I will continue to press for coordination with NTIA to ensure that FCC programs, like the 5G Fund, and initiatives like BEAD complement, not duplicate, each other,” she said. Taxpayer dollars “must be spent wisely, to ensure maximum impact in connecting all Americans.”