Genachowski Commits to Feb. 17 Deadline for Universal Service Reform, Spectrum Options

At Thursday's oversight hearing, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski committed to a deadline of no later than February 17,2009 to come up with "real options" on universal service reform and a plan for re-auctioning the D block of spectrum. That is the same date that the National Broadband Plan is due to Congress. Chairman Genachowski said he supported legislation requiring the FCC to inventory spectrum, and FCC Commissioner Michael Copps seconded that, saying the country was clueless about how much spectrum was being used, where and for what. FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell said he welcomed a "careful inventory" to find the spectrum, but also pointed out that the government already knew where some of it was, pointing to spectrum in a 2006 advanced wireless services auction and the more recent 700 mhz auction that had not yet been built out, and in the white spaces between TV channels. That is all fabulous spectrum in terms of propagation characteristics he said. He also reminded the audience that technology was allowing the government to become increasingly efficient with the spectrum it had. He cautioned not to micromanage, and that a government-mandated business plan would likely be superseded by the market.