Reforming the FCC

In what appears to be a big departure from its current climate of regulation first, technology second.. the FCC has announced that it is creating a International Fellowship & Training Initiative focused on TV White Space spectrum that will be over seen by OET and the International Bureau.

The initial press release says that, in general, its goal will be to bring in qualified candidates to the Fellowship who are familiar with the technical aspects of wireless communications—particularly in broadband services.

Here is the full FCC press release.. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-287792A1.doc

This Initiative makes an indirect statement about TV band White Spaces being an important & valued spectrum resource that may very well be a internationally used spectrum requiring significant levels of International cooperation/coordination between different regulatory domains.

This Initiative is also an unexpected but nice surprise as it shows that the FCC can still provide a high level of International Regulatory leadership.

Lastly, this Initiative is a step in the right direction to return the FCC’s focus to some much needed technical competence which—as some have observed—has lay fallow for a long while.

Dan Lubar