- Current FCC chairman Ajit Pai confirmed today that he will step down on January 20, 2021 if President Trump leaves the White House.
- Pai is the person most directly responsible for repealing the net neutrality laws previously introduced by President Obama.
- It is possible that Pai’s exit will allow the FCC board to return to democratic control.
Ajit Pai confirmed in a formal statement today that he will step down as FCC chairman on January 20, 2021. This is the same date that President Donald J. Trump, who appointed Pai to his current office, leaves the White House.
Ajit Pai became FCC Chairman in 2017. Under his leadership, the FCC cleared the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint, established a national suicide prevention number, and introduced new rules to combat the spate of robocalls Americans experience every day.
Connected: FCC cancels net neutrality: what now?
Pai’s most enduring legacy, however, is likely to be his success in repealing net neutrality laws. The Net Neutrality Act, first introduced by President Barack Obama, established the Internet as a public utility, much like electricity, water, and heat. Pai’s repeal of these laws gave trading companies like Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, and others much more control over the broadband industry.
Ajit Pai leaves: What could it mean for you
The FCC has four commissioners and a chairman. These are not elected officials, but people who have been appointed to their positions. There are currently three Republican officials – including Pai – and two Democrats. This 3: 2 separation enabled the lifting of net neutrality (the two Democrats voted against lifting Obama’s measures).
Connected: This is how tech companies react to the end of net neutrality
With Pai now leaving his post, it is possible that the next chairman could be a Democrat. Additionally, Republican Commissioner Michael O’Rielly will step down shortly after Trump leaves. This leaves two vacancies that will likely be filled by President-elect Joe Biden. This could potentially lead the FCC Panel to a 4: 1 split in favor of the Democrats.
It is unclear what this would mean for the future, but it could lead to some form of net neutrality returning to the law books.
In related news, Comcast announced over the past two weeks that it would both impose statewide data restrictions on each of its broadband users and increase prices in 2021. These are two measures that net neutrality laws would have prevented.
