“I think it's dangerous to make a decision based on where one thinks the public may or may not be. Aside from the fact that that's not what the law prescribes, it's also, I think, not what reasoned decision-making is all about... You always try to look at the facts and apply the law faithfully.”

American lawyer and telecommunications executive

Ajit Varadaraj Pai is an American lawyer and telecommunications executive. He served as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission from 2017 to 2021, and later joined the private-equity firm Searchlight Capital as a partner in 2021. He has been closely associated with U.S. communications policy and industry leadership. In 2025, he became president and chief executive officer of CTIA, the wireless trade association.