In statements released Saturday and Sunday, groups like the Consumer Technology Association and ACA Connects said working with industry groups to connect more Americans to the internet should be a priority of the incoming administration.
"This pandemic has made the powerful case that connectivity is a priority for every family and business. We look forward to working with everyone in this new administration to build upon the Herculean efforts our members have made as they continue to serve their customers and communities," wrote ACA Connects President Matthew Polka on Sunday. "Our members, who serve rural and hard-to-reach areas across the nation, will be key allies in the effort to complete the task of broadband everywhere."
During the past two years of his administration, President Donald Trump has consolidated telecom policymaking power in the White House and the private sector.
Prior to the White House's September 2018 summit on 5G, the FCC and other agencies forged ahead with efforts to make more spectrum available for broadband, but Trump himself hadn't focused much attention on tech and telecom matters. Since then, however, he's dealt a bit more prominently with the industry, including by hosting FCC Chairman Ajit Pai at the White House, asking the FCC to get involved in social media content moderation and cryptically expressing enthusiasm for "6G" wireless technology.
Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Technology Association, said he hopes a focus on broadband infrastructure will continue into the Biden administration. He added that he hopes the Trump FCC's social media probe — which examines how the agency could strictly interpret Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to rescind legal protections for social media platforms that are perceived to be politically biased — will fizzle out.
"Our vibrant technology sector is the envy of the world. We look forward to working with President-elect Biden and his administration, as well as the new Congress to advance priorities that promote innovation and competition in America," Shapiro said in a Saturday statement. "Specifically, we look forward to ... promoting free online speech by preserving Section 230 protections and ensuring all Americans have the access and benefits of high-speed broadband."
Wireline trade group USTelecom put out perhaps the most detailed plan directed at the incoming administration Monday, outlining priorities that Biden and the new Congress should tackle in their first 100 days. Those points include funding broadband buildout programs through legislation, allocating funding to map where broadband does and doesn't exist, and loosening certain broadband infrastructure rules.
USTelecom president Jonathan Spalter also wrote that the new administration should immediately put the kibosh on a U.S. Department of Defense initiative that would "establish its own commercial 5G network or select a single gatekeeper for its communications." The idea, which has been roundly rejected by all but a few in government and industry, would improperly and inefficiently compete with the private sector, Spalter said.
ACA's Polka said he also envisions expanded public-private efforts to target rural areas with better connectivity.
"Private industry and government must work together on broadband policies that focus on getting broadband to unserved areas, serving schools and students, enabling remote health services, and providing affordable services for low-income families," Polka said.
Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote in his Saturday blog post that there should be ample room in a new administration for Democrats and Republicans to compromise on mutual tech-related priorities such as online privacy, data security and broadband access.
"We have far more opportunities to partner across the political spectrum than most people recognize. But we need to move from debates about why we cannot succeed to conversations about how we can," he said.
--Editing by Gemma Horowitz.
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