Chairman Genachowski: 'Title II' Docket a Potential Aide to Congress

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski told House Republicans that the FCC is keeping the broadband reclassification/'Title II' docket open, is that he sees it as a potential aide to Congress and private industry.

Another reason he did not mention is that the FCC frequently keeps dockets open for years. In fact, it has moved recently to close some of the older and inactive ones. Genachowski's observation came in a letter March 7 in response to questions from House Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). One of the issues for House Republicans critical of the FCC's new network neutrality regulations is the fact that the docket proposing reclassifying Internet access as a Title II telecommunications service remains open. That reclassification was considered a nonstarter by industry members who negotiated with the FCC on a compromise network neutrality order.