The amorphous “Team Telecom” informal working group responsible for vetting international spectrum license transfers—including M&A transactions—will soon resemble the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.

An April 4 executive order issued by President Donald Trump adds structure and deadlines to the leaderless, multi-agency U.S. government panel that’s long faced complaints it’s more secretive than Cfius.

In a notable departure from Cfius, led by Treasury, the Department of Justice would helm the telecom panel, with Attorney General Bill Barr serving as chair, after running the panel on an ad hoc basis.

The Deal reported in May 2019 that the White House was mulling an executive order that would add structure and deadlines to Team Telecom.

The timelines cited in the article, a 120-day review window followed by an optional 90-day extension, were adopted this month by the Trump administration.

Editor’s note: The original version of this article, including other details and analysis, was published earlier on The Deal’s premium subscription website. For access, log in to TheDeal.com or use the form below to request a free trial.