US Federal Communications Commission Chairman Pai Announces Resignation - Statement

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st December, 2020) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) head Ajit Pai said in a statement that he has handed in his resignation and will step down on January 21, according to a statement issued on Monday.

"It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve at the Federal Communications Commission, including as Chairman of the FCC over the past four years," Pai said. "I am grateful to President Trump for giving me the opportunity to lead the agency in 2017 [and] to President [Barack] Obama for appointing me as a Commissioner in 2012."

Pai, the first Asian-American ever appointed to head a US federal agency, carried out Trump's ambitious policy of deregulating many federal communications activities.

He scrapped net neutrality rules in 2017, freeing major internet service providers to favor some forms of Internet activities and communications over others.

Pai also scrapped and relaxed previous federal regulations to accelerate the development of nationwide 5G communications systems. He also worked to free up spectrum for cell phone companies for much stronger regulatory oversight on Chinese communications companies, claiming that they were threats to US national security.