FCC forced to play catch-up after shutdown

The Federal Communications Commission is delaying high-profile actions, including a key spectrum auction, as it plays catch-up after the government shutdown.

Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn had originally scheduled an auction for the so-called H-Block for Jan. 14. The auction, which will be the first major airwaves sale since 2008, is now slated to start on Jan. 22. That could push it into next year’s fiscal battles. The bill that just passed Congress funds the government through Jan. 15 and raises the debt ceiling through Feb. 7. The shutdown delays add new pressure to the FCC, which is in the midst of major policy initiatives and stuck at three commissioners with two nominees stalled in Congress. The H-Block is the first of a string of planned auctions designed to get more airwaves into the marketplace to feed data-hungry smartphones and power high-speed communications systems. The commission lost critical planning time with most of its nearly 2,000 staffers furloughed for 16 days.