Adelstein Advisors Say Wireless Issues Not Partisan
Barry Ohlson, senor legal advisor to Comr. Adelstein, told an FCBA lunch Fri. he doesn’t expect the imminent arrival of a 5th commissioner, and a 3rd Republican, at the FCC to make a substantial difference on wireless issues. Ohlson, along with Fred Campbell, wireless advisor to Chmn. Martin, and Aaron Goldberger, legal advisor to Comr. Tate, met with communications lawyers.
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“The wireless issues have never been partisan,” Ohlson said. “My boss was always very proud to say that he worked very closely with Chmn. Powell and Comr. Abernathy, on a lot of the wireless issues before. I think we don’t see the Rs and Ds playing a role on spectrum policy.” Ohlson added: “On other issues that may be more of an issue but at least in our space it has never been that much of an issue.”
But Ohlson conceded the agenda has changed the last year, with wireless issues getting less attention. Ohlson said of former Powell chief of staff Bryan Tramont: “He felt very comfortable with wireless issues and he drove us hard.”
“I like to think that… we all get along pretty well,” Campbell said. “Our office has had a great relationship with Barry and with [former Copps advisor] John Giusti and we hope to have the same relationship with Bruce Gottlieb [the new Copps wireless advisor],” Goldberger said.
Despite creation of a separate Homeland Security Bureau, the 3 advisors said, their respective commissioners haven’t decided whether to name separate homeland security advisors. “More and more issues get attention from all of us,” Ohlson said. “VoIP, E-911, some of the indecency issues, we're all involved to some extent.” The problem for industry is another office to lobby. “You're already going to 4 or 5 bureaus and this adds another bureau to visit,” he said.
“I see all 3 [Tate] legal advisors handling some pieces of the homeland security portfolio,” Goldberger said: “Whether we have a homeland security advisor is a good question.” Campbell said: “While we have advisors with various responsibilities in our office I think we all work pretty closely together.”
Both Goldberger and Ohlson said they see a state role in wireless regulation. Wireless carriers have been pressing the FCC to preempt the states on carrier billing issues, including tougher consumer measures.
“My boss is a former state regulator,” Goldberger said. “She definitely thinks that there’s a role for states, how much each state should have… is I think the big issue.” On consumer protection issues “states play a big role,” he said. Goldberger said Tate was also supportive of NARUC-directed efforts on intercarrier compensation reform (CD April 21 p1). “She’s happy with the things have been going on and she just encourages everyone to continue to work together.”
“Just on the consumer protection issues, I think there’s a key role,” Ohlson said: “If the FCC is going to federalize something, what are we going to do about it?” He cited the example of FCC taking control of VoIP E-911: “We said okay it’s going to be an FCC obligation, but we didn’t do anything about it. Fortunately, Chmn. Martin came in and did some good things there.”
Asked the top wireless priority, Campbell said he could only repeat comments from the chmn. “Getting more spectrum out there is probably the highest priority in wireless,” he said: “We've got the upcoming auction, which is now getting pretty close, so that’s going to be a big focus”
Goldberger agreed spectrum should have top priority. “We've met with several of the carriers who are in, for a lack of a better term, in dire need of the spectrum and we in the Tate office will do everything we can to make sure the auction is conducted in a timely manner,” he said.