Simington Discusses FCC’s Priorities Under the New Administration

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2025 - Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Nathan Simington delivered remarks Wednesday at ACA Connects 2025 Summit, where he discussed the priorities of the FCC under the new administration.

Simington, a Republican, said the FCC is “grappling with some problems right now that were left unaddressed for the last few years.” He added that he personally was “unhappy with some directions [the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program] took in the last administration.” 

Simington said that the FCC under the new administration was focused on practical solutions and getting things done. He praised the proactivity of the new Trump administration, noting how quickly FCC Chairman Brendan Carr was appointed and how much he has already set out to accomplish.

ACA Connects, a Pittsburgh-based trade association, represents hundreds of broadband ISPs serving rural markets. Its annual summit was held here in Washington, D.C.

On the question of rural broadband, Simington emphasized the importance of broadband in bringing opportunity and industrial growth to currently underserved places. 

“There are a lot of towns that need revitalization. There are a lot of places that need reindustrialization. None of that is happening without broadband. Without broadband increasingly regions will wither on the vine,” he said.

He added that while solutions like Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite-delivered Internet access service, may work great for some individuals, the country also had to  focus on solutions for broader populations and companies.

“My view is that you can’t look at a part of the country as fully developed and ready to expand until you’ve got a strong sense that there will be adequate broadband connectivity and a clear path to ramping that up as demand increases,

When asked what the FCC’s role should be in helping facilitate this approach, Simington said, “In connection with the broadband industry, especially in rural areas, we should be asking what the federal government can do to help reindustrialization, smart industrialization to run through the existing broadband and telecommunications infrastructure.”