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Senate Sets Genachowski Confirmation Hearing
By: Roy Mark
2009-06-09
Article Rating:    / 1
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Almost six months after his nomination to serve as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Julius Genachowski will finally go through the confirmation process. If confirmed, as expected, Genachowski is likely to lead President Obama's change agenda for U.S. technology, including policy changes on network neutrality.Change may finally be coming to U.S.
technology policy. U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va, announced June 9 that his
Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will hold a confirmation hearing
June 16 for Julius Genachowski, President Obama's selection to serve as
chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
Obama nominated the 46-year-old Genachowski Jan. 13 to head the agency that
often serves as the focal point for U.S.
technology policy. As Obama's chief technology adviser during the presidential
campaign, Genachowski promoted a detailed technology and innovation plan that
supports network neutrality, expansion of affordable broadband and
media-ownership rules that encourage more diversity.
The Senate panel will also consider the renomination of Republican Robert
McDowell to serve a second term on the FCC. Obama has also nominated Democrat
Mignon Clyburn, a South Carolina
utility regulator, to fill the seat of departing Democrat Jonathan Adelstein,
who has been nominated to head the Rural Utilities Program.
If confirmed by the Senate, Genachowski and Clyburn will join FCC acting
Chairman Michael Copps to fill the Democrats' majority on the FCC. Meredith
Attwell Baker, the former acting administrator of the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration, is rumored to be in line to
claim the second Republican seat on the FCC.
But it's Genachowski's nomination that holds the key to Obama's technology
plans, including a major shift in the policy battle over network neutrality.
Under Republican control and the Bush administration for the past eight years,
efforts to pass network neutrality laws faced opposition from
telecommunications and cable companies, which adamantly objected to the idea of
government control over their network management practices.
In the House, a network neutrality amendment to a telco reform bill failed in
2006. The Senate has never had a floor vote on network neutrality, but the
Senate Commerce Committee voted against a network neutrality amendment to the
2006 telco reform bill.
Since then, the network neutrality debate has centered around the FCC's legal
status and ability to enforce the agency's Internet principles. In August 2005,
the FCC declared that consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet
content of their choice, run applications and services of their choice, and
plug in and run legal devices of their choice. The FCC also said consumers have
a right to competition among network providers, application and service and
content providers.
The FCC
declared Aug. 1 that Comcast violated the agency's Internet policy when it
blocked peer-to-peer traffic by BitTorrent. The agency also found that Comcast
misled consumers when it did not properly disclose its P2P policy. While
Comcast was not fined for the network neutrality violation, the FCC ordered
Comcast to cease the practice and keep the public informed of its future
network management plans. Comcast complied with the order but also went to
court to challenge the FCC's authority to enforce the principles.
The FCC
is now investigating concerns that Comcast's new network management practices
degrade the sound quality of VOIP (voice over IP) services such as Vonage
and Skype that compete with Comcast's own VOIP service.
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