WHITE HOUSE NOMINATES MICHAEL GALLAGHER FOR NTIA DIR.

As expected, President Bush formally announced he would nominate Michael Gallagher to head NTIA. Gallagher would succeed Nancy Victory, who already has left the agency. Gallagher was praised by several in industry and govt., with some highlighting his knowledge of spectrum issues. NTIA has some oversight of ICANN and is influential in federal broadband deployment policy.

Gallagher had been deputy dir. of the NTIA, but left in May to become Commerce Secy. Donald Evans’s deputy chief of staff and counselor for policy. “I believe Mike’s vast experience in telecommunications policy will serve the Department well,” Evans said. FCC Chmn. Powell said: “As NTIA deputy, Mike made significant contributions to a number of important initiatives and proceedings where the FCC and NTIA were coordinating efforts and resources.”

Industry sources said Gallagher sharpened his teeth on spectrum issues after Victory had to recuse herself in several spectrum proceedings. Ultra-wide band, harmonization of spectrum with Europe, 5 GHz band allocation and the creation of a special Administration task force on spectrum all were projects in which Gallagher had a leadership role, sources said.

Spectrum will be the biggest issue for NTIA and spectrum reform will be a big driver of broadband deployment, said Peter Pitsch, Intel communications policy dir. “Mike’s been a stalwart in the Administration’s effort to reform spectrum,” he said. Pitsch said spectrum reform would be a driver for broadband as technologies such as Wi-Fi, Wi-Max and 3G gained greater use. The Cellular Telecom & Internet Assn. (CTIA) said Gallagher brought “a special understanding of the challenges the [wireless] industry faces.” The U.S. Telecom Assn. (USTA) said his background gave him a “broad understanding of key policy issues.”

Before joining the Commerce Dept., Gallagher had been vp-state public policy at Verizon Wireless. He was chief of staff to then Rep. Rick White (R-Wash.), who now is CEO of TechNet. White said of Gallagher: “He has the energy to get things off the dime and get something done.” The appointment must be approved by the Senate.