COMPTEL: How the election could impact telecom

Irving, who admitted his job as a panelist was to avoid making any headlines that might backfire on Obama, painted a less dramatic picture, saying the Obama camp understands that creating an atmosphere of regulatory uncertainty in Washington is detrimental to investment in telecom networks and would seek to balance any changes. “But the FCC under Obama would encourage competition, and promote new technology to get us out of the regulatory morass,” he said.

Both McCain and Obama favor more transparency in the processes at the FCC, according to Irving and Lee Carosi Dunn, a legislative aide to McCain. “No matter who is president, I think they will put in place an FCC that can resolve [competitive] issues,” Dunn said.

Universal Service Fund reform is something McCain strongly favors, Dunn said, but it might be tackled at the FCC level if Congress is unable to act. “McCain has favored pushing USF down to the individual level and letting individuals make their own choices,” she said.