WASHINGTON-FCC Chairman Michael Powell initially expects to focus on the internal workings of the commission rather than on regulatory initiatives, according to an aide.
“I think it is unfair to start off with a regulative initiative,” said Peter Tenhula, Powell’s senior legal adviser. “On top of the chairman’s agenda will be the operation of the commission.”
Focusing on the internal workings of the Federal Communications Commission could lead to some hot-button issues, such as merger review and FCC reform-both of which are expected to be examined by Congress in the coming year.
Tenhula estimated that 80 percent of the FCC’s agenda is spent reacting to something instead of initiating it. “We are responding. … We have to be prepared to act … expeditiously and to have an operation in place,” said Tenhula.
At least one commission staffer seemed pleased with the idea that Powell will first concentrate on the internal workings of the commission.
The FCC needs to “re-ordinate itself more to customer service … our customers deserve better. … The culture of the agency can be turned to this customer-service model,” said Brian Tramont, senior legal advisor to FCC Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth.
The FCC’s internal functioning-including overall reform and the way mergers are reviewed-will and should be a top priority for the FCC and Congress, agreed panelists at last week’s annual Communications Networks trade show held here.
“Most private parties would be loath to say this, but any decision is better than no decision,” said Lauren “Pete” Belvin, a private attorney who has held high-profile positions on both the Senate Commerce Committee and FCC staffs.
The panel analyzed how the FCC might change with a new Bush administration.
Panelists speculated on how the National Telecommunications and Information Administration-a unit of the Department of Commerce that advises the president on telecom matters-might also change.
In this day of carriers continually squawking about a need for spectrum, especially for third-generation networks, NTIA should focus on its spectrum management functions, said many panelists. This focus should be with an eye toward freeing up spectrum for the commercial sector.
“NTIA needs to be more sensitive to commercial needs. … Military preparedness and spectrum usage are not mutually exclusive,” said Tramont, noting that one of the places the government is looking for 3G spectrum is a band currently possessed by the Department of Defense.
“Spectrum because of its value and scarcity tends to bring out the ‘not in my backyard approach’ “said Maureen McLaughlin, senior communications counsel for the Senate Commerce Committee.
