The US Department of Commerce (DoC) announced acting head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Diane Rinaldo had stepped down, making her the second adviser to leave the post in 2019.

Rinaldo served in a key position responsible for helping the administration of US President Donald Trump develop the country’s mobile and spectrum policy. She assumed the role on an interim basis after former NTIA chief David Redl resigned following disagreements with the Federal Communications Commission over 5G spectrum allocation.

She originally joined NTIA as Redl’s deputy in April 2018. The DoC, which oversees NTIA, did not provide a reason for her exit.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Mobile World Live (MWL) Rinaldo had delivered “multiple successes on 5G, supply chain security, broadband and public safety communications”.

An NTIA representative added Rinaldo’s deputy Doug Kinkoph will lead in the short term. News website Axios reported the Trump administration is considering Treasury Department official Edward Hearst as a permanent replacement.