2013 State of the Net Conference: Day 2 - Perspectives: Blair Levin
Channel: Congressional Internet Caucus Academy
Date: 2013-01-24

2013 State of the Net Conference
Day 2: January 23, 2013

Introduction by Joe Waz, Senior Strategic Advisor, Comcast Corporation (Bio: http://netcaucus.org/biography/joe-waz.shtml)

Blair Levin, Communications & Society Fellow - Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program "The Politics of Abundance"

Blair Levin became Communications & Society Fellow with the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program on May 10, 2010, following his departure from the Federal Communications Commission, where he served as the Executive Director of the Omnibus Broadband Initiative. In his role at the Federal Communications Commission, Mr. Levin oversaw the development of a National Broadband Plan, a project mandated by Congress in the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Mr. Levin rejoined the Commission in June, 2009, after eight years as an analyst at Legg Mason and Stifel Nicolaus.

Blair Levin joined the Stifel Nicolaus Research Team (then Legg Mason) in 2001 as the firm's principal telecom, media and tech regulatory and strategy analyst.

Mr. Levin served as chief of staff to Chairman Reed Hundt at the Federal Communications Commission from December 1993 through October 1997. Mr. Levin's time at the Commission included the most productive and important period in the Commission's history. Described by Broadcast and Cable Magazine as "The Sixth Commissioner," Mr. Levin oversaw, among other matters, the implementation of the historic 1996 Telecommunications Reform Act, the first spectrum auctions, the development of digital television standards, and the Commission's Internet initiative.

Prior to his position with the FCC, Mr. Levin was a partner in the North Carolina law firm of Parker Poe, Poe, Adams and Bernstein, where he represented new communications ventures, as well as numerous local governments on public financing issues. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School.