Pai Taps O’Rielly To Lead Fed-State Partnerships

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai today appointed fellow Republican Commissioner Michael O’Rielly to serve as the chairman of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, the Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations, and the Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Services. 

About this appointment, Pai said: “I am pleased that my friend and colleague, Mike O’Rielly, has agreed to lead these important Federal-State partnerships. Mike has been a dedicated public servant throughout his time at the commission, and I have been impressed with his deft understanding and recognition of the importance of balancing both federal and state interests. He has been a strong advocate on many of the topics on which these bodies provide input, such as reform of the contributions and jurisdictional separations systems. I look forward to continuing to work with him to tackle these important issues in his new capacity, I and thank him for his willingness to serve.”

The Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service was established in March 1996 to make recommendations to implement the universal service provisions of the Communications Act. It is composed of FCC commissioners, state utility commissioners, and a consumer advocate representative. 

The Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations was established in June 1980 to make recommendations with respect to any amendment of the commission’s rules governing the jurisdictional separation of common carrier property and expenses between interstate and intrastate operations. It comprises FCC commissioners and state utility commissioners. 

The Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Services was convened in 1999 as part of the FCC’s ongoing efforts to ensure that advanced services are deployed as rapidly as possible to all Americans and serves as a forum for an ongoing dialogue among the commission, state regulators, and local and regional entities regarding the deployment of advanced telecommunications capabilities. It is made up of FCC commissioners and state utility commissioners.