NEWS Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D. C. 20554 This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974). News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: September 28, 2012 Matthew Berry, 202-418-2005 Email: Matthew.Berry@fcc.gov STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI ON GOVERNOR BROWN’S DECISION TO SIGN THE CALIFORNIA INTERNET-PROTOCOL DEREGULATION BILL Federal and state telephone regulations were developed in a bygone era when state- sanctioned monopolies ran copper-wire networks. Today’s currency is convergence; voice, video, and data are simply different bundles of packets traveling over next-generation networks, rather than different services supplied by niche providers. Accordingly, we need to prepare for an all-IP future, in which cable, telephone, satellite, and wireless companies compete with each other to bring innovative services at better prices to American consumers. As we do so, I hope that we can draw inspiration from California’s recent example. Today, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the California Internet-Protocol deregulation bill.1 This legislation will prevent the application of legacy economic regulations to IP services while preserving consumer protections like E911. This legislation was bipartisan work at its best; legislators and the governor set aside partisan differences to enact reforms that will facilitate private investment, economic growth, and job creation. If Golden State Democrats and Republicans can reach a consensus that IP networks should be free from intrusive government regulation, we at the FCC should be able to do so as well. - FCC - 1 S.B. 1161, 2011–2012 Sess. (Ca. 2012), http://go.usa.gov/YxU5.