What course will the new Chair Carr plot for the FCC?

​Following Trump's second inauguration, Brendan Carr has taken over as FCC Chairman with a deregulatory agenda focused on broadband and telecommunications. A recent Sixth Circuit Court ruling blocked the FCC's net neutrality restoration efforts, limiting federal authority over broadband providers but giving states more regulatory freedom. This has led to initiatives like New York's low-income broadband price controls.

Carr may attempt to reassert FCC authority through Title I policy to preempt state regulations. With former Chairwoman Rosenworcel's departure, congressional staffer Olivia Trusty is expected to join as the fifth commissioner, securing a Republican majority once confirmed. However, most of Carr's planned actions don't require majority approval.

His agenda includes:
- Cracking down on Big Tech and news broadcasters
- Halting regulations on bulk billing and data caps
- Influencing the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program
- Reducing regulatory barriers in broadband programs and permitting processes

Trump has supported this direction with executive orders aimed at streamlining permitting processes, though a new NTIA administrator for BEAD remains to be appointed. Carr's Project 2025 chapter emphasizes the need to eliminate outdated regulations that he believes impede progress in federal technology and telecommunications programs.

---