Trump's VP pick might champion broadband affordability policies

J.D. Vance, the Ohio GOP senator announced as Donald Trump's running mate for the presidency, isn't expected to have a broad impact on US telecommunications policies. But he could have something to say about how the country helps consumers afford access to critical broadband services. That's the early assessment from Blair Levin, a former FCC chief of staff who currently serves as a policy analyst for New Street Research. While Vance will likely go along with and advocate for Trump's policies, "[m]any factors suggest that Vance will have a minimal influence on policy," Levin explained in a research note issued earlier today. For example, some industry watchers are concerned that a new Trump administration could pause the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. However, US VPs, as a historical matter, "rarely have a material influence on policy," Levin wrote. "As a political matter, Trump did not choose Vance for any of his policy views but rather for effectiveness as an advocate for Trump."