Trump May Privatize Government-Held Spectrum, Akin Gump Predicts

A Democratic administration of Hillary Clinton would likely involve more media ownership regulation and spectrum auction bidding credits, said Akin Gump in a report on the 2016 presidential election released Thursday. It summarized the elements of her telecom and tech agenda, detailed last year and this summer, and discussed by a Clinton aide at the Democratic National Convention. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump “has said very little” on telecom, Akin Gump noted, relying on speculation about traditional GOP positions on such issues when addressing his administration predictions. The firm speculated Trump could seek to privatize government-held spectrum but also be less likely to allow reallocation of spectrum used for national security. Trump “may push the FCC to take action that would force equipment manufacturers to cooperate with national security efforts, either through individual enforcement actions or via rulemakings of general applicability,” it said.