President Biden drags feet filling key telecommunications posts

President Joe Biden’s administration recently announced a raft of nominations for various posts, but picks for four key telecommunications roles at the Federal Communications Commission and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) remain outstanding. Eight months into Biden’s presidency, both agencies sit without permanent leaders. In addition to lacking a fixed chairperson, the FCC is missing a fifth commissioner to round out its membership. The NTIA, meanwhile, is operating with its top two posts – the roles of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Deputy Assistant Secretary – vacant. Recon Analytics founder Roger Entner says it’s unclear why nominations for these roles haven’t been made given their prominence and filling these roles is critical if Biden wants to follow through on a number of broadband-related issues including competition, net neutrality and infrastructure funding. According to Entner, the NTIA vacancies have also taken on special importance given the looming infrastructure bill as the agency will head distribution of the billions earmarked for broadband if the legislation is approved. New Street Research advisor Blair Levin agrees “the delay is problematic because building a team and an ecosystem (as state and local governments are a big piece of the puzzle) to appropriately distribute those funds takes time.” However, he argues “the biggest bottlenecks are not NTIA or FCC leadership. They are the mapping, which the last administration did not do well, and the state broadband efforts where states are just ramping up their capabilities.”