Wicker to Chair Key Senate Subcommittee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today was chosen by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., to lead the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet.

“I look forward to assuming the chairmanship of this subcommittee,” Wicker said. “My chief focus will continue to be the deployment and adoption of broadband in rural America, particularly in Mississippi. Broadband has become a true economic engine, and we need to ensure that all Americans reap the benefits of it. To that end, we should focus on fostering innovation and investment in the broadband marketplace, by promoting wireless spectrum availability and reexamining laws on the books to ensure that the dynamic growth Americans have enjoyed continues unimpeded.”

The Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet oversees matters relating to the telecommunications industry. Agencies within the committee’s jurisdiction include the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).