Lawmakers are beginning to forward to the White House the names of preferred contenders to replace Gigi Sohn as President Joe Biden's nominee to be the FCC's third Democrat, after the ex-candidate’s Tuesday announcement that she had asked the White House to withdraw her from Senate consideration (see 2303070082). The names of several potential contenders were also circulating among communications sector lobbyists, but several officials told us there's no prohibitive favorite in the immediate aftermath of Sohn's withdrawal. The White House didn't comment on its plans. The administration hadn’t formally withdrawn Sohn Friday.
The FCC will move to the fourth and final phase of its COVID-19 reentry plan March 13, described as a return to pre-pandemic operations, said an agency-wide email memo obtained by Communications Daily. Stricter telework provisions won’t take effect until May 15. Former and current FCC employees expect a wave of staff departures once the FCC returns more fully to in-person work, though they said the extent won’t be clear for some time. Another potential concern is whether the new FCC headquarters will be able to handle all the virtual meetings being conducted each week. The move is “consistent with recent movement by other federal agencies to complete their reentry process,” the memo said.
Anna Gomez's appointment to lead U.S. preparations for the next World Radiocommunication Conference is considered positive for U.S. efforts at the upcoming conference. The State Department announced the six-month appointment Thursday (see 2301260072). It didn't mention she also would be given “presidential” ambassador rank, but industry officials told us that designation is likely coming, though it has to wait to avoid the need for Senate confirmation. WRC starts Nov. 20 at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the United Arab Emirates.
The State Department announced Thursday said Anna Gomez has been named to lead U.S. preparations for the World Radiocommunication Conference, which starts Nov. 20 at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the United Arab Emirates. Gomez will also serve as a senior adviser for international information and communications policy at State. Gomez was at one point widely rumored as a candidate for FCC commissioner. She was a lawyer at Wiley and previously served as deputy administrator of the NTIA and deputy chief of the FCC International Bureau. “WRC-23 will be tackling a range of issues aimed at facilitating new and emerging terrestrial and space-based technologies that can connect people everywhere, including spectrum for next generation mobile broadband systems, satellites, maritime and aeronautical services, and scientific applications,” said a news release: “WRC-23 is a significant opportunity to advance the United States’ interests related to telecommunications, innovation, economic growth, and national security.” Gomez’s “extensive experience and her proven track record in government oversight of spectrum management makes her uniquely qualified to serve as the U.S. Representative to WRC-23,” said CTIA President Meredith Baker. “During her tenure at NTIA she has advocated for expanding broadband access for all Americans, and at the FCC she worked extensively on critical international issues,” Baker said: “She has been a champion for consistency across agencies and has the leadership skills we need to ensure America continues to lead in wireless.”
Wireless Infrastructure Association names Amelia De Jesus, ex-Crown Castle, vice president-workforce solutions (see 2301100059) ... Gibson Dunn names former Apple Chief Privacy Officer Jane Horvath partner, co-chairing Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation Practice … Motion Picture Association hires for U.S. government affairs department Hap Rigby, from Wiley, as senior vice president-federal government affairs and Kenneth Mallory, from Meta, as vice president-media policy/regulatory counsel, both effective Jan. 23.
National Hispanic Media Coalition CEO Brenda Castillo and the leaders of 20 other groups urged President Joe Biden a day before he renominated Gigi Sohn to be the third FCC Democrat (see 2301030060) to instead “nominate a person of Latino descent” to the commission. Two of the names of potential candidates to replace Sohn as Biden’s FCC nominee before Tuesday -- former acting NTIA Administrator Anna Gomez, ex-Wiley, and NASA Chief of Staff Susie Perez Quinn -- are Latina (see 2212300044). The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (see 2102110043) and others began pressing Biden to nominate a Latino FCC commissioner in early 2021.
Supporters of FCC nominee Gigi Sohn have gotten indications the Biden administration wants to renominate her in January, but there’s been no definitive word this will happen amid uncertain internal Senate dynamics. That lack of clarity in part stems from Senate leaders not yet being able to guarantee Sohn would get as swift a confirmation process as the White House and others want, lawmakers and lobbyists said in interviews. The Senate failed to hold any floor votes on Sohn before the chamber left town just before Christmas, and it won’t return until just before the 118th Congress gavels in Tuesday. Sohn’s 2022 confirmation process stalled in March after the Commerce Committee tied 14-14 on advancing her to the floor (see 2203030070). Biden first nominated her in October 2021 (see 2110260076).
CTIA names Jeremy Crandall, ex-National Association of Community Health Centers, assistant vice president-state legislative affairs … HWG promotes telecom lawyer Jason Neal to partner … Former FCC Media Bureau Deputy Chief Michelle Carey joins Charter Communications as vice president-policy.
China Tech Threat urged the FCC to be more aggressive in clamping down on companies that are a risk to U.S. security, and to expand the number of companies on the agency’s “covered list.” Apart from “the proposed complete ban on Huawei and ZTE, the FCC has devised major exemptions for Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, and Dahua Technology Company,” the group said in a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-232: “These exemptions are so broad that they effectively negate the security benefits proposed by the Covered List.” China Tech Threat said the list “should include hundreds, if not, thousands, of entities capable of enabling [Chinese] government intrusion.” The FCC should consider adding “products and services which use radio spectrum” including computers, streaming TVs, drones, memory chips and applications, the group said. The group examines problems posed by technology produced by China with an eye on policy. Experts affiliated with the group include Wiley’s Nazak Nikakhtar and Strand Consult’s Roslyn Layton.
Noting an FCC structure built for another era without mega constellations or space entrepreneurship, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel unveiled plans Thursday for an International Bureau reorganization including creating a Space Bureau to handle all space-related issues and a stand-alone Office of International Affairs. Agency and space industry officials said one hoped-for effect would be swifter processing of space operation applications. The commission didn't comment on expected time frame for the reorganization or what kind of additional resources the new bureau might have.