Daschle nominates aide for FCC vacancy

Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, D-SD, has nominated longtime aide Jonathan Adelstein to fill the vacancy on the FCCe created by the September resignation of Commissioner Gloria Tristani.

President Bush has yet to act on Daschle's nomination. A Daschle spokeswoman acknowledged “the wheels of the process are turning a little slowly,” but said the Daschle camp expected no significant hold-ups “once the paperwork gets done,” including the background check that is being conducted by the FBI. She blamed President Bush's preoccupation with weightier matters such as the war in Afghanistan and the economic stimulus package as the primary culprit for the delay and didn't think the recent sparring between the president and Daschle would be a factor in the nomination moving ahead to Senate confirmation.

“Nominations generally aren't tied to policy initiatives,” she said.

Once Adelstein is appointed, his Senate confirmation will be a “slam dunk,” said Rudy Baca, global and wireless strategist for Precursor Group.

“The president has his team in place and is going to let the Democrats choose who they want. And everyone likes Adelstein. This is someone who knows what he's doing and gets universal accolades,” Baca said.

The CTIA applauded Adelstein's nomination. CTIA President Tom Wheeler called Adelstein — who has worked in the Senate for 14 years, the last six as Daschle's legislative aide — “extremely knowledgeable” on wireless issues.

However, Baca said Adelstein — a native of Rapid City, SD — is more adept at understanding communications issues related to rural markets. “I don't think his strength is necessarily wireless,” he said. “He's really going to be the farm team rep on the FCC.”

That's not good news for the wireless sector said Andrew Cole, head of the global wireless practice for Adventis. Cole added that the commission has “traditionally done a terrible job” of managing the wireless sector and suggested that the open slot should go to someone who understands the industry and has experience running a wireless company, or at least advising one.

“It's a complex industry and there is a history of ineptitude that surrounds the FCC,” said Cole. “The commission has to start focusing on wireless in a big way. It is a big part of our economy and the FCC has to be a little smarter in terms of managing key assets.”

However, Baca believes it's already happening and pointed to the recent lifting of the spectrum cap as a “sea change” that has occurred within the FCC.

“This commission is very serious about lifting market-manipulative rules it inherited from previous administrations.”

If anything, Baca added, the wireless sector is over-represented on the commission right now. As an example, he pointed to Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy's tenure with Airtouch, where she “addressed the commission when it was considering auction rules.” He further suggested that Chairman Michael Powell has a firm grasp of the critical nature of wireless communications and that Commissioner Kevin Martin “cut his regulatory teeth” on the wireless market.

“You don't really have a lot of old phoneheads on this commission,” he said.

Consequently, Adelstein's background as a Democrat would be more critical than any lack of wireless expertise on a Republican-dominated FCC, concluded Baca.