WASHINGTON—Nathan Simington is officially an FCC commissioner. Following his nomination by the Senate last week, Simington was sworn in on Dec. 14 by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.
Simington’s term is back-dated to July 1, 2019, when the previous term of former Commissioner Michael O’Rielly was scheduled to end. O’Rielly had been nominated for another five-year term, but that was later rescinded by President Donald Trump, who instead nominated Simington.
Simington joins the FCC after having worked at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, where he worked on 5G security/supply chain issues. He also formerly served as the senior counsel to wireless company Brightstar.
Part of Simington’s work at NTIA also included crafting a petition for the FCC to review Sec. 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which focuses on social media companies. Sec. 230 has been a hot button issue for President Trump, though there has been no word on whether or not the FCC will review Sec. 230.
The swearing in ceremony took place virtually as the FCC continues to work remotely amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Simington’s full bio is now on the FCC website.
