Desiree Hanssen

Attorney-advisor @Federal Communications Commission

Washington, DC, US

I serve as an attorney advisor in the FCC Office of International Affairs, Telecommunications and Analysis Division where I provide expertise on foreign ownership issues pursuant to section 310 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and the Commission regulations implementing section 310. These issues entail identifying foreign ownership in excess of the 25 percent (equity and/or voting interests) benchmarks of entities with complex ownership structures that control or will control a common carrier wireless licensee. This work requires inter-bureau coordination when a petition for a declaratory ruling filed under section 310(b) is a part of a larger transaction, such as a transfer of control transaction. I also provide legal review and analysis of applications for submarine cable landing licenses filed pursuant to the Cable Landing License Act of 1921 (codified at 47 U.S.C. 34-39), Executive Order 10530, and the implementing regulations. The foreign ownership and cable landing license work both include identifying whether the application/petition is sufficient for acceptance of filing under the Commission rules; analyzing potential legal issues presented by each application/petition; communicating with private counsel; coordinating review of the application/petition with executive branch agencies for any national security, law enforcement, foreign policy, or trade policy issues; and drafting public notices seeking comment and/or granting the application/petition.In November 2024, I presented a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on submarine cables, which I had led and worked with a team of attorneys and an economist in the drafting of, to the Commission and that resulted in a unanimous 5-0 vote. This NPRM provided a major, comprehensive review and update of the licensing rules for submarine cables that had not been reviewed since 2001.

American University Washington College of Law

Juris Doctor (J.D.), National Security Law and Criminal Law

University of Washington

B.A.in Political Science and French

Georgetown Law

Master of Laws - LLM, Technology Law and Policy