Scott Delacourt Discusses FCC’s Planned Office of Economics and Analytics

February 5, 2018

Scott D. Delacourt, partner in Wiley Rein’s Telecom, Media & Technology Practice, was quoted in a February 1 Law360 article regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) plans to open of an Office of Economics and Analytics. The new office, approved by the Commission this week, will pull economists and analysts from various FCC bureaus into one group.

“It’s a change, but I don’t think it’s a sea change. It’s more incremental,” Mr. Delacourt said. “I don’t think having a bureau of economics will change the analysis. But I do think it will give it a different emphasis.”

Mr. Delacourt added that the FCC will have to trust its economists and allow the data to speak for itself. “Where cost-benefit analysis becomes more important, there may be a perception that costs on industry might be given more weight, and that would enable a more pro-industry approach,” Mr. Delacourt said. “But I think it’s a little unfair to hang that on the change that’s being made at the FCC. Economics is just an analytic method, sort of like engineering or law. This is going to show what it shows.”

The article can be found here (subscription required).