FCC’s Pai resets BDAC leadership with new League of Cities representative

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has named David Young the latest member of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) during a time of uncertainty at the regulator’s organization.

Young will serve on the BDAC as a representative of the National League of Cities.

He currently serves as the fiber infrastructure and right of way manager for the City of Lincoln, Nebraska.

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This appointment follows the departure of two of its key members. Just last week, New York CTO Miguel Gamiño Jr. resigned from the committee's Model Code for Municipalities Working Group.

Gamiño said in a letter sent to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai that the BDAC process has favored the interests of large service providers over the communities involved in crafting next-gen broadband strategies.

Earlier, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo stepped down from the BDAC, citing concerns that AT&T and Verizon were being given free rein to install network facilities at the expense of communities' best interests. 

Liccardo expressed similar concerns raised by Gamiño when he resigned in late January. At the time, he said in an Axios report that the BDAC’s recommendations would “steamroll cities” in favor of giving service providers easier access to infrastructure such as utility poles and public rights of way.