Thursday, November 7, 2013

FCC: Wheeler Reiterates He’s A Supporter of Competition

Three days into his job as the top U.S. telecommunications regulator, Tom Wheeler does not want to talk specifics about the Federal Communications Commission's agenda but, according to Reuters,  has a mantra that he repeats over and over:

"I am an unabashed supporter of competition."

The Democrat now at the helm of the agency stressed that at his Senate confirmation hearing, and again on Wednesday when asked about his vision for the agency's role in a rapidly evolving telecommunications industry.

"In many instances competition can be an unnatural act," Wheeler told Reuters. "Competition is not something that happens by itself. There are forces that align, for good reason, to try and limit competition and so therefore there is a crucially important role for the commission to both promote and protect competition."

Wheeler, a former cable and wireless industry lobbyist who recently served as an adviser to President Barack Obama, was sworn in on Monday, and a day later addressed the agency's staff with a promise of a more nimble, more current and less risk-averse regulatory body.

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