WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — Ajit Pai, the previous Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has been appointed as the new CEO of CTIA, the wireless industry association. He will take office on April 1, replacing Meredith Attwell Baker, who in December announced her retirement after serving since 2014. Baker was also once a FCC Commissioner.
Pai, a Parsons, Kansas native, brings deep telecommunications policy experience to his new role. As FCC Chairman from 2017 to 2021, he was responsible for historic spectrum auctions, including the 2020 C-band auction that raised a record $80 billion and made available 280 MHz of mid-band spectrum for licensed wireless carriers.
Industry experts have praised CTIA’s choice of Pai. Chetan Sharma, an industry analyst, commented, “He is the perfect candidate for the job at this moment. The primary task of CTIA is spectrum and industry advocacy. He has been the most effective [FCC] chair in my opinion.”
Roger Entner, founder of Recon Analytics, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Pai is great for this position as he knows all the players in the industry – CTIA, NTIA, and the White House. Even when people disagree with him, they like him as a person, which goes a long way.” As CTIA CEO, Pai will have to navigate several challenges, among them lobbying for more spectrum allocation to the commercial wireless sector. The sector has long coveted the lower 3 GHz band, which is currently held by the Department of Defense, for commercial purposes—a quest that has remained elusive so far.
In addition, CTIA historically prefers full-power, singly licensed spectrum to dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS), a preference that would need to be reconsidered as spectrum sharing gains currency. The FCC’s requirement to restore its auction authority permanently and the controversy surrounding SpaceX’s plan to share the upper C-band for satellite use add more complexities.
New Street Research policy analyst and onetime FCC chief of staff Blair Levin observed that although Pai is an “excellent choice” who is well acquainted with the issues and players, his experience with leading a trade association is different from what he has done previously. Levin said, “Ajit is about to have some fastballs and curves he hasn’t had to deal with before. But he was the No. 1 pick in the draft.”
Speaking about his excitement over the new position, Pai tweeted a quote by Nikola Tesla and said, “The wireless future is here. And the best is yet to come.”
