Olivia Trustee defends FCC priorities before Commerce Committee; senators press on spectrum, USF, BEAD coordination and media oversight

Olivia Trustee, President Trump’s nominee to be a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission, appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on April 10 and outlined priorities that include expanding broadband access, strengthening network security and protecting consumers from illegal robocalls.

Trustee, a longtime congressional staffer who has worked on telecommunications issues in both the Commerce and Armed Services Committees, told senators she supports a coordinated federal approach to spectrum and broadband policy and defended the FCC’s role in restoring U.S. leadership in next‑generation communications.

Why it matters: The FCC’s commissioners set policy on spectrum allocation, universal service and broadband mapping, and the agency’s decisions affect industry investment, rural connectivity and public safety. Senatorial questions focused on spectrum auction authority, coordination with NTIA on BEAD grants, the sustainability of the Universal Service Fund, broadband mapping accuracy and whether the FCC should reopen media‑ownership rules.

Major themes from the hearing - Spectrum and auctions: Trustee said she would support congressional action to restore auction authority and establish a pipeline of mid‑band spectrum for commercial use, arguing auctions can catalyze investment and signal regulatory certainty to industry. - Interagency coordination (BEAD/NTIA/FCC): Trustee described fragmentation across federal broadband programs and supported stronger interagency coordination so BEAD and FCC efforts avoid duplication and overbuilding; she told senators the FCC should be in regular contact with NTIA to steward federal dollars. - Universal Service Fund and E‑Rate: Trustee called the Universal Service Fund a cornerstone of FCC statutory responsibilities and said the commission and Congress should work together to identify a predictable, sufficient funding mechanism; she supported continuing to modernize E‑Rate and broadband mapping accuracy measures. - Cybersecurity and supply chain: Trustee backed measures to strengthen the security of networks, including use of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act to remove high‑risk equipment and support for open radio access network approaches to diversify suppliers. - Media ownership and FCC independence: Senators asked whether the FCC should consider broadcasters’ editorial decisions in transactions and whether the FCC risked being used as a political tool. Trustee said she would be guided by the statute, the record and First Amendment principles and said she would not weaponize the agency. - Consumer protection: Trustee emphasized enforcement against illegal robocalls, cross‑jurisdictional cooperation with states and stronger call‑blocking and authentication measures, and said she would explore stronger enforcement authorities and leveraging AI for detection.

Select quotes - “The Universal Service Fund is the cornerstone of the FCC’s mission,” Olivia Trustee, nominee to be an FCC commissioner. - “I think this is incredibly important to our economic and national security,” Senator Deb Fischer, discussing spectrum auction authority and mid‑band availability. - “We need to be in constant contact about what BEAD is doing, when it’s going, so that we can be better stewards of taxpayer dollars,” Trustee on interagency coordination.

What the hearing did not decide: The committee did not vote on Trustee’s nomination during the session. Senators will submit questions for the record; nominees were given deadlines to respond.

Background and context: Trustee has worked on telecommunications policy for nearly two decades on the Hill and as a staffer for members of the Commerce and Armed Services Committees. She described work on mapping, broadband funding and national security‑oriented telecom legislation in her testimony.

Next steps: The committee will collect questions for the record and may schedule a business meeting to consider the nominee for a committee vote.