FCC's Genachowski touts spectrum auctions, skirts merger questions

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski was eager to talk about spectrum issues in a question-and-answer session before the Economic Club of Washington, but evaded questions about a proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile.

Chairman Genachowski touched briefly on several other topics on the FCC’s radar, such as mobile payments. When asked whether there should be a tax on Internet purchases, he said anything that discourages investment and private investment should be looked at extremely carefully. He said the FCC did not have open proceedings on mobile payments, but said that the government must “get it right” or the United States will fall behind other countries.