The election of President Trump has ushered in widespread speculation regarding potential shifts in regulatory and policy priorities across various sectors, including telecommunications.
Now that President-elect Trump has designated Commissioner Brendan Carr to be the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), attention has turned to expected shakeups and policy changes under his leadership. The FCC possesses broad authority to shape telecommunications policy, but many critical issues confronting the sector fall beyond the FCC’s exclusive purview. Resolving these complex matters will require the active involvement of Congress and, in some instances, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), underscoring the importance of interagency and legislative collaboration in achieving meaningful progress. The uncertainty of when the Trump Administration may nominate a third Republican commissioner further clouds the ability to predict FCC action, since many of the reforms Commissioner Carr is likely to champion will be hard to enact without a Republican majority in the FCC.
Considering these factors, we highlight some salient issues and what to expect from the government stakeholders involved with Republican control of the White House, Congress, the FCC and NTIA.
