Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler Discusses the Legacy and Future of Net Neutrality

Interviewed in GLG’s Video Series, Anatomy of a Decision

New York, New York; May 30, 2017 — GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.), the world’s leading membership for professional learning and expertise, today released a new video with former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler. Interviewed by GLG Head of Research for NAFS Eric Jaffe, as part of GLG’s
Anatomy of a Decision video series, Wheeler reflects on why open, secure networks are more crucial today than ever — and actually serve to benefit not only consumers, but the telecom industry itself. “Because of increased usage on the open network,” he says, “we’ve had record investment in telecom, and increased revenue for Internet Service Providers, who have complained that the rules were holding them back.”

In the video, Wheeler also covers the history and future of net neutrality, and having to overcome his reputation as an industry insider. “I didn’t change my stripes at all,” says Wheeler. “It’s just that people didn’t see which way the stripes were running.”

“The videos in this series are a deep-dive into how some of the world’s smartest people make tough decisions,” said Richard Socarides, GLG Head of Public Affairs. “Our talk with Tom Wheeler is a great example of that. The battle over net neutrality has defined the Internet space for the last decade and with the new administration, its future may be in question. We hope this discussion also reflects more broadly some of the insights available through GLG.”

Wheeler served as FCC Chairman from 2013 to 2017. Before that, he worked as a venture capitalist and advocate for the cable and wireless industry and was a technology entrepreneur and executive at Core Capital Partners. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Aspen Institute and was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame in 2003, and in 2009 was inducted into the Cable Television Hall of Fame. He is the only member of both.

All of the videos in GLG’s Anatomy of a Decision series are available online without charge, including interviews with: Jill Abramson, former Executive Editor of The New York Times; Jeff Kindler, former CEO of Pfizer and Chair of the GLG Institute; Jake Sullivan, former Director of Policy Planning at the United States Department of State; and
Michael Vickers, former U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, among others.

About GLG / Gerson Lehrman Group

GLG is the world’s leading membership for professional learning. Business leaders, investors, consultants, social entrepreneurs, and other top professionals rely on GLG to learn in short- and long-term engagements from more than 500,000 members and other experts. Clients partner with GLG to address their most complex strategic challenges, make better business decisions, and advance their careers through conversations, mentorships, small group meetings, surveys, and other interactions—all within a rigorous compliance framework. Headquartered in New York City, GLG’s 1,400 employees work from offices in 12 countries. For more information visit www.GLG.it.