91
507–08 (D.C. Cir. 2003), under which “the agency must
examine the relevant data and articulate a satisfactory
explanation for its action including a rational connection
between the facts found and the choice made,” State Farm,
463 U.S. at 43 (internal quotation marks omitted). We have
applied this standard to section 10 forbearance decisions and
have “consistently deferred to [such decisions], except in
cases where the Commission deviated without explanation
from its past decisions or did not discuss section 10’s criteria
at all.” Verizon v. FCC, 770 F.3d 961, 969 (D.C. Cir. 2014)
(internal citations omitted).
In the Order, the Commission identified two bases for
forbearing from sections 251 and 252. First, it considered
evidence from commenters who argued that “last-mile
unbundling requirements . . . led to depressed investment in
the European broadband marketplace.” 2015 Open Internet
Order, 30 FCC Rcd. at 5796 ¶ 417. Those commenters
identified several studies suggesting that mandatory
unbundling had reduced investment in broadband
infrastructure in Europe relative to the United States. See
Letter from Maggie McCready, Verizon, to Marlene H.
Dortch, FCC, GN Dkt. Nos. 14-28 & 10-127 (Jan. 26, 2015);
Letter from Kathryn Zachem, Comcast, to Marlene H. Dortch,
FCC, GN Dkt. Nos. 14-28 & 10-127, at 5–7 (Dec. 24, 2014)
(identifying Martin H. Thelle & Bruno Basalisco,
Copenhagen Economics, How Europe Can Catch Up With the
US: A Contrast of Two Contrary Broadband Models (2013));
Letter from Christopher S. Yoo to Marlene H. Dortch, FCC,
GN Dkt. Nos. 14-28, 10-127, 09-191 (June 10, 2014). The
Commission reasoned that its decision to forbear from section
251’s unbundling requirement, in combination with regulation
under other provisions of Title II, would avoid similar
problems and encourage further deployment because the
scheme “establishes the regulatory predictability needed by
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