May 6, 2025 • 8 mins
FCC chair Brendan Carr discusses the Trump administrations plans to get more commercial electromagnetic spectrum in the hands of wireless companies. He speaks with Carol Massar and Romaine Bostick from the 28th annual Milken Institute Global Conference.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hope we get it back to our special coverage of Milkin.
And please to say that the chair of the US
Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, joined us right now. Brendan,
great to see you here. I know you've been making
the grounds. You had a panel here. Everyone right now
wants to know what the SCC's role is right now
in the broader policies, particularly when it comes to infrastructure
being rolled out by the White House.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah, thanks for if.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
President Trump has been very clear he wants to unleash
America's private sector to build again. If you look back
the last four years, so many infrastructure projects got bogged
down in dreams of red tape. We saw it with
this forty two billion dollar Internet infrastructure plan that went nowhere.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
And so we've directed us to deregulate.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
In fact, we've engaged in the most massive deregulation effort
at the FEC that we've ever done.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
It's underway right now. We've closed and looking to close
two thousand.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Dockets that have been opened. But probably the most important
thing we can do for the economy right now is spectrum.
These are the airways that your smartphones use. We made
a lot of progress. I thought they're in the first
Trump administration. We fell behind a little bit during Biden.
We need to do hundreds of megaherts out in the marketplace.
That's deflationary, is going to drive down prices for consumers,
is being pro competitive too?
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Those dockets, I mean, what actually accelerated that? What was
the outcome?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, So right now we're targeting all of those, we're
seeking comment on it. We've already closed over one hundred dockets.
We're doing a massive.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Deregulation initiative, and permitting reform is so key.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
You know, we have these rules on the books that
force broadband providers like AT and T to invest billions
of dollars in old copper line networks or we're taking
a fresh look at that so they can move that
investment over to high speed IP networks. So it's effectively
moving billions of dollars of capital into new net network.
So these are some of the economic agendas that we're running.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
At the agency. So what was the timeline and all
of this it's a lot.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
To get through, But what is the timeline that you
guys are looking at?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
It is our direction is move on Trump speeds that
we're moving very quickly. In the first hundred days.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Already, we've taken action across many.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Of these fronts.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Also, national security, we set up a new Council on
National Security at the FCC. We're making sure that we're
not vulnerable to threats that come from communist China.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
For instance.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
We're looking at making sure that people can make and
manufacture things here in the US as well.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So we're running a economic agenda. Wh're pretty proud of
it when you're.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Hearing from members of the telecom community about what they
can do in terms of manufacturing here in the United States.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, there's a lot we can do.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
For instance, no piece of electronics can be used in
the US unless it's tested in a lab. But so
far as seventy five percent of those testings take place
inside China.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So we're looking at steps we can do to resure a.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Lot of that testing as well, and that'll help.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Give US manufacturers a boost.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
How long would it take to do that, you know.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
I think it can be pretty short order.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
We already have some of that testing here already, so
we're taking steps to sort of further do it.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
But these are just you know, parts of.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
The pieces we're running at the FCC, it's a really
important agenda. Again, We've got to unleash America's private sector.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
They were held back.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Too long by different red tapes and regulations permiting reform. Again,
as I mentioned, a lot of state and local regulations
still slow down internet builds.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
There's a role for the FC to step in there
and help clear the way.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
But spectrum permitting reform, deregulation, that's the driving agenda at
the FCC.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I think it's gonna be great for the economy.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
How unified is this approach from the administration. We had
the Director of the White House Office of Science and
Technology on a little bit earlier. He obviously talked a
lot about reclaiming of the US's lead and technology relative
to the rest of the world, particularly when it comes
to AI. Is the FCC a.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Part of that, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Look, President Trump was put together just an all star team,
particularly this second administration. Everybody is fully aligned. They're executing
the president's agenda. You mentioned AI. I mean that's going
to be the use case that's going to drive some
of these telecom networks. That's how we have to get
more spectrum out or that's all we have to make
it easier to invest in these new high speed networks.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
When you look at the data.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Demands of AI, you know, data generally is going up,
but AI is going to increase through the roof.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Where do we stand though, on spectrum? Because I've heard
that before. What's out there? And even though some of
the spectrum that has been released over the last few
years there have been some concerns that they might be
causing in appearance, particularly with some of the recent incidents
that we've had in aviation. Here can that sort of
coexists altogether?
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Yeah, Look, you know, thankfully President Trump is a playbook
on this. In twenty seventeen, we had fallen far behind China.
He stepped up and said, look, I want to lead
in five, I want to.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Lead in sixty.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Who cleared hundreds of megahertz of spectrum? We fell behind China.
The reality is we are falling behind China right now.
But we have the playbook. President Trump is going to
step in. We're working right now. Chairman Ted Cruz and
the Senate is working hard to get spectrum across the
finish line.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
We can put it in reconciliation and.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
That's going to help pay for a lot of the
efforts that people want to do in there. It's going
to be eighty billion dollars or more to be raised
if we start auctioning this spectrum.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Off cheer card.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
What does this do for people who really don't have
access when it comes to telecommunications, are rural areas we
have so much of this post pandemic. Everyone has talked
about helping these areos for a long time. How do
you actually help those Americans?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, there's a couple things we're doing there.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
When we get more spectrum out that will bring people
across the digital divide, will give people more competitive options.
But also think about this new generation of low worth
orbit satellites, whether it's Starlink, Kyper just started launching, there's
other providers out there. When we bring that together as
part of the solution, that's really the long term key
to bridging the digital.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Divide in a cost effective way.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Well, that's interesting that you bring up Elon Musk Starling.
Does we know his certainly close relationship with the president.
I mean, how much of the work you are doing
is kind of focusing on his kind of technology.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Well, look, I think the space economy in general is
probably one of our top three issues that we're doing
at the FCC.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
We need to start moving much more quickly.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
It took years to get the permits necessary for a
lot of the communications for these satellites.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
We need to be doing that in a matter of
days and weeks. But it's not just starling. But they
do it safely.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Though.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
There is some concern about how many satellites are up
in space at this point.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
We just did a big deep.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
Dive yere at Bloomberg about concerns about satellites coming down.
I mean, there is a process here.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
How do you do this safely?
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Yeah, we feel comfortable. There's order debri mitigation rules that
are in place. We license all the satellites. At the
end of the day, we feel very comfortable that we
can still.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Get thousands of more satellites out there.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
We get in The new trend is direct to people's
cell phone, and that's something that's just emerging.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
In fact, we've given.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Providers authority to go higher power from these LEO satellites
system to get even better direct to sell capabilities. This
is a really exciting area.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
I want you to talk though, particularly when it comes
to the satellites in space, because obviously a lot of
competition between nations for that real estate, if you will.
In the air. The US obviously had the first mover advantage.
China has been launching like crazy. India now trying to
get into the mix, and we're seeing other countries, including
in Latin America also try to find space up there.
(06:15):
Does this become a conflict at some point?
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Look, I think this is going to be a very
important geopolitical issue. Is you know, China is trying to
launch their own version of whether it's Starlink or Kuiper,
and when they're able to pair Belton Road with high
speed internet provided from satellites with their own CCP content
moderation builters, that's a real threat going forward. And that's
why it's so imperative that the SEC moved quickly to
allow US providers again a full range of them to
(06:40):
launch to compete to provide coverage.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
And so that's what we're going to do with the agency.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
I have to ask you just about mergers and acquisitions,
consolidation in the industry, and not necessarily just consolidation, but
the idea of strategic partnerships and other things things that
in the past, not only under the Biden administration, but
even under previous administrations on the Republican side have maybe
found I won't say a roadblock, but maybe let's say
a roadbump, a speed bump, if you will, and getting
(07:05):
those things done. What type of assurance is can you
give the industry that if they do find a need
and a desire for those types of strategic partnerships and acquisitions,
that the FCC won't stand in the way.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Yeah, we're certainly open for business. We're talking to lots
of providers. We have a number of deals before us
right now. One thing that I've said to everybody though,
is if you have invidious forms of DEI discrimination, that's
something that I think you need to get the house
in order before you come to the FCC for and approved.
That's one of the gating criteria that I've been looking at.
But we are open for business. We want investment. President
Trump wants companies building in America, investing in America, and
(07:37):
we're going to play.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Our party paramounts to be asked that deal. What can
we expect.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
We're running our normal course process on that.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Again, we probably have three or four big multi billion
dollar deals at the FCC right now, we're working through
all of them. We cleared one smaller telecom deal earlier
this year. It usually takes about one hundred and eighty
days to get through these deals.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
We're about one hundred days into the Trump.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Mystery sticking point though.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
At this point, at this point, we're just running our
normal process, whether it's the CBS deal. We have a
Verizon Frontier transaction before us. We have a team Mobile,
US Cellular. We're just getting our teams crunching on all
the deals right now when it's.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Just normal force.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
All right, tend our timeline.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yeah, no time wins anounce here unfortunately.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
All right, listen, we appreciate we know you're a busy man.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
FCC Chair Brenda Cart joining us here at Milkin
Hope we get it back to our special coverage of Milkin.
And please to say that the chair of the US
Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, joined us right now. Brendan,
great to see you here. I know you've been making
the grounds. You had a panel here. Everyone right now
wants to know what the SCC's role is right now
in the broader policies, particularly when it comes to infrastructure
being rolled out by the White House.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah, thanks for if.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
President Trump has been very clear he wants to unleash
America's private sector to build again. If you look back
the last four years, so many infrastructure projects got bogged
down in dreams of red tape. We saw it with
this forty two billion dollar Internet infrastructure plan that went nowhere.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
And so we've directed us to deregulate.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
In fact, we've engaged in the most massive deregulation effort
at the FEC that we've ever done.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
It's underway right now. We've closed and looking to close
two thousand.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Dockets that have been opened. But probably the most important
thing we can do for the economy right now is spectrum.
These are the airways that your smartphones use. We made
a lot of progress. I thought they're in the first
Trump administration. We fell behind a little bit during Biden.
We need to do hundreds of megaherts out in the marketplace.
That's deflationary, is going to drive down prices for consumers,
is being pro competitive too?
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Those dockets, I mean, what actually accelerated that? What was
the outcome?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, So right now we're targeting all of those, we're
seeking comment on it. We've already closed over one hundred dockets.
We're doing a massive.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Deregulation initiative, and permitting reform is so key.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
You know, we have these rules on the books that
force broadband providers like AT and T to invest billions
of dollars in old copper line networks or we're taking
a fresh look at that so they can move that
investment over to high speed IP networks. So it's effectively
moving billions of dollars of capital into new net network.
So these are some of the economic agendas that we're running.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
At the agency. So what was the timeline and all
of this it's a lot.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
To get through, But what is the timeline that you
guys are looking at?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
It is our direction is move on Trump speeds that
we're moving very quickly. In the first hundred days.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Already, we've taken action across many.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Of these fronts.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Also, national security, we set up a new Council on
National Security at the FCC. We're making sure that we're
not vulnerable to threats that come from communist China.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
For instance.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
We're looking at making sure that people can make and
manufacture things here in the US as well.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So we're running a economic agenda. Wh're pretty proud of
it when you're.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Hearing from members of the telecom community about what they
can do in terms of manufacturing here in the United States.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, there's a lot we can do.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
For instance, no piece of electronics can be used in
the US unless it's tested in a lab. But so
far as seventy five percent of those testings take place
inside China.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So we're looking at steps we can do to resure a.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Lot of that testing as well, and that'll help.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Give US manufacturers a boost.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
How long would it take to do that, you know.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
I think it can be pretty short order.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
We already have some of that testing here already, so
we're taking steps to sort of further do it.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
But these are just you know, parts of.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
The pieces we're running at the FCC, it's a really
important agenda. Again, We've got to unleash America's private sector.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
They were held back.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Too long by different red tapes and regulations permiting reform. Again,
as I mentioned, a lot of state and local regulations
still slow down internet builds.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
There's a role for the FC to step in there
and help clear the way.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
But spectrum permitting reform, deregulation, that's the driving agenda at
the FCC.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I think it's gonna be great for the economy.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
How unified is this approach from the administration. We had
the Director of the White House Office of Science and
Technology on a little bit earlier. He obviously talked a
lot about reclaiming of the US's lead and technology relative
to the rest of the world, particularly when it comes
to AI. Is the FCC a.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Part of that, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Look, President Trump was put together just an all star team,
particularly this second administration. Everybody is fully aligned. They're executing
the president's agenda. You mentioned AI. I mean that's going
to be the use case that's going to drive some
of these telecom networks. That's how we have to get
more spectrum out or that's all we have to make
it easier to invest in these new high speed networks.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
When you look at the data.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Demands of AI, you know, data generally is going up,
but AI is going to increase through the roof.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Where do we stand though, on spectrum? Because I've heard
that before. What's out there? And even though some of
the spectrum that has been released over the last few
years there have been some concerns that they might be
causing in appearance, particularly with some of the recent incidents
that we've had in aviation. Here can that sort of
coexists altogether?
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Yeah, Look, you know, thankfully President Trump is a playbook
on this. In twenty seventeen, we had fallen far behind China.
He stepped up and said, look, I want to lead
in five, I want to.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Lead in sixty.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Who cleared hundreds of megahertz of spectrum? We fell behind China.
The reality is we are falling behind China right now.
But we have the playbook. President Trump is going to
step in. We're working right now. Chairman Ted Cruz and
the Senate is working hard to get spectrum across the
finish line.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
We can put it in reconciliation and.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
That's going to help pay for a lot of the
efforts that people want to do in there. It's going
to be eighty billion dollars or more to be raised
if we start auctioning this spectrum.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Off cheer card.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
What does this do for people who really don't have
access when it comes to telecommunications, are rural areas we
have so much of this post pandemic. Everyone has talked
about helping these areos for a long time. How do
you actually help those Americans?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, there's a couple things we're doing there.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
When we get more spectrum out that will bring people
across the digital divide, will give people more competitive options.
But also think about this new generation of low worth
orbit satellites, whether it's Starlink, Kyper just started launching, there's
other providers out there. When we bring that together as
part of the solution, that's really the long term key
to bridging the digital.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Divide in a cost effective way.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Well, that's interesting that you bring up Elon Musk Starling.
Does we know his certainly close relationship with the president.
I mean, how much of the work you are doing
is kind of focusing on his kind of technology.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Well, look, I think the space economy in general is
probably one of our top three issues that we're doing
at the FCC.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
We need to start moving much more quickly.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
It took years to get the permits necessary for a
lot of the communications for these satellites.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
We need to be doing that in a matter of
days and weeks. But it's not just starling. But they
do it safely.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Though.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
There is some concern about how many satellites are up
in space at this point.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
We just did a big deep.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
Dive yere at Bloomberg about concerns about satellites coming down.
I mean, there is a process here.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
How do you do this safely?
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Yeah, we feel comfortable. There's order debri mitigation rules that
are in place. We license all the satellites. At the
end of the day, we feel very comfortable that we
can still.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Get thousands of more satellites out there.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
We get in The new trend is direct to people's
cell phone, and that's something that's just emerging.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
In fact, we've given.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Providers authority to go higher power from these LEO satellites
system to get even better direct to sell capabilities. This
is a really exciting area.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
I want you to talk though, particularly when it comes
to the satellites in space, because obviously a lot of
competition between nations for that real estate, if you will.
In the air. The US obviously had the first mover advantage.
China has been launching like crazy. India now trying to
get into the mix, and we're seeing other countries, including
in Latin America also try to find space up there.
(06:15):
Does this become a conflict at some point?
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Look, I think this is going to be a very
important geopolitical issue. Is you know, China is trying to
launch their own version of whether it's Starlink or Kuiper,
and when they're able to pair Belton Road with high
speed internet provided from satellites with their own CCP content
moderation builters, that's a real threat going forward. And that's
why it's so imperative that the SEC moved quickly to
allow US providers again a full range of them to
(06:40):
launch to compete to provide coverage.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
And so that's what we're going to do with the agency.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
I have to ask you just about mergers and acquisitions,
consolidation in the industry, and not necessarily just consolidation, but
the idea of strategic partnerships and other things things that
in the past, not only under the Biden administration, but
even under previous administrations on the Republican side have maybe
found I won't say a roadblock, but maybe let's say
a roadbump, a speed bump, if you will, and getting
(07:05):
those things done. What type of assurance is can you
give the industry that if they do find a need
and a desire for those types of strategic partnerships and acquisitions,
that the FCC won't stand in the way.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Yeah, we're certainly open for business. We're talking to lots
of providers. We have a number of deals before us
right now. One thing that I've said to everybody though,
is if you have invidious forms of DEI discrimination, that's
something that I think you need to get the house
in order before you come to the FCC for and approved.
That's one of the gating criteria that I've been looking at.
But we are open for business. We want investment. President
Trump wants companies building in America, investing in America, and
(07:37):
we're going to play.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Our party paramounts to be asked that deal. What can
we expect.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
We're running our normal course process on that.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Again, we probably have three or four big multi billion
dollar deals at the FCC right now, we're working through
all of them. We cleared one smaller telecom deal earlier
this year. It usually takes about one hundred and eighty
days to get through these deals.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
We're about one hundred days into the Trump.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Mystery sticking point though.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
At this point, at this point, we're just running our
normal process, whether it's the CBS deal. We have a
Verizon Frontier transaction before us. We have a team Mobile,
US Cellular. We're just getting our teams crunching on all
the deals right now when it's.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Just normal force.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
All right, tend our timeline.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yeah, no time wins anounce here unfortunately.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
All right, listen, we appreciate we know you're a busy man.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
FCC Chair Brenda Cart joining us here at Milkin
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