CSMAC Stops Work After Composition Raises Political Concerns

The Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee apparently disappeared after 14 years, said to be caught up in administration politics. Former members and government officials said NTIA Administrator David Redl isn’t to blame. Redl had written a list of questions for a new CSMAC and sent names to the Commerce Department months ago, where the list ran into broader political concerns, the officials said. Redl declined to comment. Meanwhile, the administration is working on a comprehensive, long-term national spectrum strategy (see 1810250018).

Someone is confusing the panel of spectrum experts with “what happens when you have higher visibility political appointments to make,” said a former member: “The political mix of CSMAC has nothing to do with its work.” Other former members said its work has never been political and there has always been a mix of Democrats and Republicans since the group was chartered under then-President George W. Bush.

A July meeting in Boulder, Colorado, was the final one in its last two-year cycle. Redl said then he planned to stand up CSMAC for a new term (see 1807240057). “I speak your language, as much as any lawyer does, and I plan to speak a great deal with you,” he said then.

Over the years, the body has taken on some difficult issues, especially sharing between federal and commercial licensees. The group did some of the legwork that led to the AWS-3 auction, the biggest auction in FCC history. A former member said that in recent years, the group’s focus had narrowed to mostly engineering issues and some members felt their expertise was no longer relevant.

NTIA also hasn’t had a permanent associate administrator for spectrum since Paige Atkins left after the last CSMAC meeting. Peter Tenhula, formerly a deputy to Atkins, has filled in on an acting basis but splits his time because he also is chairman of the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee. A former CSMAC member said the main problem has been the slow pace of the administration in filling various positions.

“It would be highly unusual for the White House to vet the members of a technical advisory committee such as CSMAC,” said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America and CSMAC member for 10 years. “This has not happened since CSMAC was created under the Bush administration, so it’s not clear what if anything has changed,” Calabrese said. “Spectrum policy and technology are moving rapidly and so all this delay, coming on top of slowness in filling the top job in NTIA’s spectrum division, could really begin to impact the agency’s functioning.”

“It is surprising to see a perfectly standard and noncontroversial advisory committee get caught up in politics, especially this far down the food chain,” said Harold Feld, senior vice president at Public Knowledge and one-time CSMAC member.

“It is a shame the CSMAC work appears to be on hold,” said Doug Brake, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation director-broadband and spectrum policy. “There are still so many opportunities for advice and information sharing in particular instances, and in general the CSMAC is an important tool for industry and civil society to share priorities with the administration,” Brake said. “If the cause is a concern around the political mix of participants, that would be a sad misunderstanding. Not only would the administration benefit from a diversity of different viewpoints advising it, but such diversity is actually required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act.”

Other CSMAC members said they had heard nothing on why the group wasn’t rechartered. “I haven’t heard any news about CSMAC prospects,” emailed Mark Crosby, president of the Enterprise Wireless Alliance. “I enjoyed my participation.” The Commerce Department and White House didn’t comment.