Kathleen Abernathy will step down from her position as an FCC commissioner Dec. 9.
In a statement, Abernathy pointed to “the wisdom of relying on competition, rather than regulation” to deliver affordable telecommunications services to consumers as a significant accomplishment of the commission during her 4.5 years with the federal agency.
The FCC’s market-driven orientation has “helped create a vibrant market” for wireless and wired telecommunications services, she said. She also pointed to the commission’s “spectrum reform initiatives” during her tenure as improving the nation’s “ability to put this scarce resource to its most effective use.”