The US Senate has given its seal of approval for telecoms regulator the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to appoint Olivia Trusty as a commissioner.

Trusty's appointment has been on the cards for some time. She was President Donald Trump's nominee for the agency.

Significantly, the appointment of Trusty gives the agency a Republican majority.

It means that the FCC now has three commissioners following the recent departures of Geoffrey Starks and Nathan Simington, leaving two vacancies to fill.

Along with Republicans Trusty and Brendan Carr, the commission's chair, Democrat Anna Gomez makes up the commissioning panel

The Senate voted by a 53-45 vote in favor of Trusty's appointment.

Trusty started her career in telecoms, first at Qwest as a senior policy representative for federal government relations, and then at telco giant Verizon, where she was a senior consultant for public policy, law, and security.

"Olivia will be a great addition to the Commission. Olivia brings years of valuable experience to the agency, including her public service on Capitol Hill and time in the private sector," said Carr in a statement.

Separately, the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) issued a statement welcoming Trusty's appointment.

"WIA congratulates Olivia Trusty on her confirmation as FCC Commissioner. With her deep familiarity with spectrum, broadband, and infrastructure policy issues, she is poised to help unlock the full potential of our wireless future," said Patrick Halley, president and CEO, WIA.

"We look forward to working with her to enable connectivity everywhere, driving economic growth, ensuring national security, and ensuring America remains the leader in wireless innovation."

Trump picked Carr to head the FCC towards the end of last year, as former chair Jessica Rosenworcel departed.