The Senate Commerce Committee voted unanimously to approve Larry Strickling as head of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration.
That came in an executive session Wednesday afternoon that lasted about five or 10 minutes, said a source. Strickling's full, official title will be assistant secretary- designate telecommunications and information, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
As head of NTIA, Strickling will oversee billions in broadband rollout grants and the DTV-to-analog converter box coupon program.
Also approved unanimously was Aneesh Chopra as chief technology officer, a new post to advance and coordinate the technology goals of the administration across various disciplines.
Full Senate confirmation for the pair is all but a formality. The Senate Commerce Committee has yet to hold a nomination hearing on FCC chairman designate Julius Genachowski, and won’t until June at the earliest, according to the committee majority.
