WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 22, 2026 – Congress requires that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) assess the state of competition every other year in a Communications Marketplace Report. INCOMPAS, the competitive communications and AI infrastructure association, filed comments to provide the FCC with information to further enable and promote competition in the communications marketplace.
The following statement can be attributed to Staci L. Pies, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Policy at INCOMPAS:
“The 2026 Communications Marketplace Report arrives at a critical inflection point for competitive communications policy. In the time since the 2024 report was published, three significant developments have materially altered the landscape, making the Commission’s competition analysis more consequential than in prior cycles:
- Artificial intelligence is driving significant new demand for high-capacity, low-latency network infrastructure, creating competitive opportunities while raising important questions about how AI-ready infrastructure markets will develop and who will be positioned to serve them.
- BEAD funding has moved from planning to deployment, and early award data raises questions worth examining about whether public investment is producing durable new competitive entry alongside expanded coverage.
- The Commission’s pending IP interconnection proceeding has reached a decision point that will directly affect the competitive conditions in which voice network modernization occurs.
In addition to these developments, fixed broadband markets remain highly concentrated, with roughly 60 percent of serviceable locations limited to one or two providers at meaningful speed tiers. Meanwhile, competitive providers continue to face significant structural barriers to deployment.
Competition, supported by clear statutory authority and evidence-based policymaking, remains the primary driver of affordability, innovation and consumer choice. INCOMPAS looks forward to continuing to work with the Commission on these critical issues and ensuring the 2026 Communications Marketplace Report reflects that reality.”
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