UPDATE Olivia Trusty, President Trump’s Republican nominee for the FCC, offered lawmakers a short list of commitments on which she hopes there’s bipartisan consensus during her nomination hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday. If confirmed, the Maryland native said she’d work with Congress and the administration to:
- Expand access to affordable, high-speed internet services for all Americans;
- Protect consumers from illegal robocalls;
- Strengthen the security of the Nation’s telecommunications’ networks; and
- Restore America’s leadership in next-generation communications technologies.
Inside Towers reported that telecom trade groups support Trusty, who has experience as Republican aide on the U.S. Senate Commerce and Armed Services Committees.
Trusty began her career in the private sector. “When I first moved to Washington, D.C. nearly 20 years ago after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I began my career in the public policy office of a telecommunications company. This is where I was introduced to universal service principles and the critical mission of the FCC,” Trusty testified.
She did not name the telecom companies she worked for in her testimony, however her LinkedIn profile lists stints in D.C. at Qwest as a senior policy representative for federal government relations and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) as a senior consultant for public policy, law and security.
“During that time, I saw first-hand how access to modern communications services, particularly for Americans living in rural and remote areas, could change lives,” she told lawmakers. “I also learned the value of a simple internet connection: it not only gives communities the ability to stay connected with loved ones, but it opens the door to education, jobs, economic opportunities, and so much more.”
Trump nominated Trusty to serve out the remainder of former FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel’s term expiring June 30, Inside Towers reported. He also nominated her to serve a five-year term that would begin July 1 — a nomination that would technically qualify as a reappointment, noted the White House.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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