FCC Budget Hearing

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, FCC Inspector General David Hunt, and Universal Service Administrative Company CEO Scott Barash testified in front of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology on the FCC’s budget.

For FY2013, the FCC requests an increase in its appropriated budget to $432 million, including $85 million from auction receipts and $347 million from regulatory fees. This proposal represents a net $7 million increase from FY2012 funding levels, with $10.6 million for new programs; $5.1 million to maintain existing programs; $1.1 million to replace aging radio-direction-finding vehicles; $300,000 to improve the consultation abilities of the Office of Native Affairs and Policy; and savings of $10.2 million based on a one-time appropriations adjustment and reductions to rent, contracts, and other expenses. The Commission estimates that it will have 1,917 employees for FY2012, and its request for FY2013 would maintain that number. Of the $10.6 million in new programs, $3.6 million would be used to implement the Administration’s cloud initiative, host the FCC’s services at distributed data centers with improved cybersecurity capabilities, upgrade the ability to change service providers without affecting public use of the FCC’s online services, and produce potential long-term savings. The FCC requests $2.5 million to consolidate two data centers in Washington, D.C., as well as elements of a redundant site at the FCC’s Gettysburg facility. The FCC requests another $2.5 million to buy new radio-direction-finding equipment for the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau; this equipment is used to determine the source and significance of harmful interference to radio broadcasters and receivers. The FCC requests $1 million to develop the technical capabilities of supporting interoperable public safety communications in the 700 MHz spectrum, $500,000 for the FCC’s test facility to support new wireless technologies including spectrum sensing equipment, and $500,000 for a study on the link between the ownership and employment practices of communications providers and content they air.