Had dinner with the FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler, last night in Boulder, hosted by Phil Weiser (Silicon Flatirons). In attendance were half a dozen Colorado entrepreneurial leaders. The setting was informal and Chairman Wheeler was interested in hearing about issues the FCC should be concerned about from us and also interested in highlighting some of his agenda as the new Chairman.

Chairman Wheeler has some of the standard background you would expect of an FCC Chairman - President of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and a prominent cable and telecom lobbyist, but he also has an interesting background in venture and entrepreneurship and is quite well plugged into current technology trends, social media, etc. He is also an extremely well informed and published historian (Take Command: Leadership Lessons of the Civil War (Doubleday, 2000) and Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails: The Untold Story of How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil War (HarperCollins, 2006), and many of his opinions seem to come from that extensive historical viewpoint.

Unlike some of his predecessors, in his short time in that post he has already formed some strong positions on critical issues such as net neutrality. Rather than seeing the federal appeals court decision last month to vacate the FCC’s 2010 Open Internet rules as a major setback, he feels that is actually a blessing in disguise as it allows the FCC now to re-craft policy around net neutrality that is broader and more comprehensive. He told us we wouldn't have to wait long to get an idea of what he intends to do there.

He also seems to have a desire to be more collaborative with industry, preferring to call or visit with CEOs in cable or wireless to brainstorm ideas and solutions rather than the more traditional but ridged formal process around NPRMs, etc. That would be a really welcome breath of fresh air.

It was great to get the chance to met him in a small setting and to hear first hand a little about his background and vision for the Commission. It was also fantastic to hear about his extreme confidence in Phil Weiser and his policy contributions. My gratitude to Phil for hosting the event for letting me be a part of it.