

Brendan Carr was nominated to serve as a Commissioner of the FCC by President Donald J. Trump, and he was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate in 2017. In 2019, after President Trump nominated him for a second term, the Senate confirmed Commissioner Carr for a term ending in 2023.
Commissioner Carr is focused on regulatory reforms that will help create jobs and grow the economy for the benefit of all Americans.
He is leading the FCC’s work to modernize the rules governing the buildout of next-generation infrastructure, including 5G. His reforms are predicted to cut billions of dollars in red tape and have already accelerated deployments—helping to bring more broadband to more Americans. By updating our country’s rules for building small cells, he’s helped extend U.S. leadership in 5G and ensured that rural America has a fair shot at next generation connectivity.
Commissioner Carr is also focused on expanding America’s skilled workforce—the tower climbers and construction crews needed to build next-gen networks. His workforce initiative promotes community colleges, technical schools, and apprenticeships as a pipeline for good-paying 5G jobs.
Commissioner Carr is also leading an FCC telehealth initiative. It is designed to drive down healthcare costs while improving outcomes for low-income Americans and veterans.
Time outside of Washington has informed Commissioner Carr’s regulatory approach. Nearly every month, he hits the road to hear directly from the construction crews and tower techs who are building our country’s infrastructure. He’s seen firsthand how connectivity is growing the economy—from small-town manufacturing plants to the farmers and ranchers that are using broadband for Smart Ag. Back at the FCC, Commissioner Carr has built on the ideas he’s heard from the community members, public safety officials, and local leaders he’s met at town halls and events in nearly 30 states over the past two years.
Commissioner Carr brings a dozen years of private and public sector experience in communications and tech policy to his role as Commissioner. Previously, he served as General Counsel of the FCC, representing the agency in court and serving as the chief legal advisor to the Commission. He first joined the FCC as a staffer in 2012 and worked on spectrum policy and competition matters for a number of FCC offices.
Prior to joining the agency, Commissioner Carr worked as an attorney at Wiley Rein LLP in the firm’s appellate, litigation, and telecom practices. He litigated cases involving the First Amendment and the Communications Act. A graduate of Georgetown University, Commissioner Carr clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for Judge Dennis W. Shedd. He graduated magna cum laude from law school at the Catholic University of America where he served as an editor of the Catholic University Law Review.
Commissioner Carr grew up in Virginia and now lives in Washington, DC with his wife and two children.
https://www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/brendan-carr