FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said today he will leave the commission on January 20, 2021, when the Biden administration takes over the executive branch.
Pai was nominated as FCC chairman in 2017 by President Trump, and confirmed by the Senate. He was nominated as an FCC commissioner in 2012 by President Obama as one of two Republican-designated commissioners at that time. The FCC has five commissioners, with majority control switching depending on which political party controls the White House.
In his announcement of the departure plans, Pai said it has been “the honor of a lifetime” to service at the FCC. “To be the first Asian-American to chair the FCC has been a particular privilege. As I often say: only in America.”
“Together, we’ve delivered for the American people over the past four years: closing the digital divide; promoting innovation and competition, from 5G on the ground to broadband from space; protecting consumers; and advancing public safety,” Pai said.
The FCC is a key Federal policy-maker on numerous IT-related issues including broadband availability, wireless spectrum including allotments for 5G services, and administering the removal of Chinese-made equipment from U.S. telecom networks.
