Here's what a Clinton or Trump presidential victory means for tech regulation

[Commentary] Who is elected president will potentially have a significant bearing on tech. Hillary Clinton has a pretty detailed and well-articulated platform, with a particular emphasis on expanding broadband availability. She is likely to continue many of President Barack Obama’s initiatives and priorities. If Secretary Clinton is elected, it is likely that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler will stay on until July or so. If she is true to form, expect FCC commissioners and senior-level FCC staffing to take on a “FOC” (Friends of Clinton, and by that I mean Hillary and Bill) flavor. On the other hand, President Clinton could signal intent to bridge gaps with the Republicans by ensuring a balanced FCC. The current FCC has three Democratic and two Republican commissioners, but the Democrats (especially Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel) have not always been in lockstep with Chairman Wheeler.

If Donald Trump is elected, things are more of a wild card. To begin with, he has said little about the tech sector during the campaign, and there isn’t much to glean from his policy platform. Trump is likely to be much more hands-off than President Obama (who was very hands-on). He will also be more pro-business and anti-regulation, which is why his off-the-cuff remark about the proposed AT&T-Time Warner deal was surprising. If he ends up being Delegator in Chief, his appointments could have an outsized influence.

[Mark Lowenstein is the managing director of Mobile Ecosystem.]