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President-elect Trump indicates that he would like to exercise more control over the Federal Communications Commission and questions the constitutionality of independent agencies, generally. He has expressed a desire to end the independence of agencies such as the FCC and Federal Trade Commission. This could be accomplished by making their regulations subject to White House review, perhaps by updating Executive Order 12866 to remove the exemption for independent agencies as suggested in the Project 2025 report. Commissioner Carr’s past statements suggest a potential move toward a “layered” communications public policy model that recognizes convergence and seeks to provide parity in how communications carriers are regulated. This approach could be similar to the one proposed by Richard Whitt in 2004. Whitt’s proposed model would move the FCC away from its current “siloed” approach—in which each communications medium (satellite, cable, telephone service) is treated as its own market, governed by separate rules and regulated by a separate bureau within the Commission—to a more comprehensive regulatory framework founded on horizontal network layers. It is unclear whether Commissioner Carr will go in this direction as Chairman, but his statements echo a similar approach in terms of leveling the playing field for different types of communications providers.

States are itching for action on broadband access. But as they wait for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment money to flow—and policy changes under Trump—New Mexico wants to take matters into its own hands. New Mexico’s broadband office requested $70 million in state funds to help connect 95,000 locations with satellite broadband in the next two years. Starlink would be involved, but other satellite providers (like Amazon’s Project Kuiper) may also be in the mix once the state kicks off its RFP process, said Drew Lovelace, acting director for New Mexico’s broadband office. The $70 million, if approved by the state legislature, would fund a voucher program for satellite broadband equipment, because the equipment is “a big barrier to entry” for many folks in rural New Mexico. Once the BEAD program gets rolling in New Mexico, the state hopes to use its $675 million allocation to convert most of the subsidized locations to fiber.