A telecom veteran, Baker stands firm on network neutrality, spectrum plan

Meredith Attwell Baker was a familiar fixture in the telecommunications policy world long before she arrived at the Federal Communications Commission last year.

Now the junior Republican at the agency, she's well-connected on Capitol Hill and understands the inner workings of bureaucratic life. She also has something the other four Commissioners rely on her for—an engineer-like knowledge of the airwaves now at the center of a high-stakes tug-of-war between wireless carriers and broadcasters. And she hasn't wavered in her belief that controversial network neutrality rules could have adverse effects on broadband deployment. Her top goal is to help the FCC come up with a strategic plan to outline the nation's needs for airwaves over the next decade. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski says the country will soon face a dire shortage of airwaves. Commissioner Baker, with her deep knowledge of spectrum policy, has a seat at the table in those discussions.