President: Genachowski Brought 'Clear Focus'

Washington movers and shakers continued to weigh in Friday on chairman's departure

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/22/2013 2:37:28 PM

Washington policymakers and influencers, led by former Harvard classmate Barack Obama, continued to weigh in Friday in the wake of FCC chairman Julius Genachowski's announced exit, likely in late April.

"I want to thank chairman Genachowski for his dedicated service on behalf of the American people," said the president. "Over the last four years, Julius has brought to the Federal Communications Commission a clear focus on spurring innovation, helping our businesses compete in a global economy and helping our country attract the industries and jobs of tomorrow. Because of his leadership, we have expanded high-speed Internet access, fueled growth in the mobile sector, and continued to protect the open Internet as a platform for entrepreneurship and free speech. I am grateful for his service and friendship, and I wish Julius the best of luck."

National Telecommunications and Information Administration head Larry Strickling, who oversees government spectrum holders and is himself among the candidates to succeed Genachowski, added his salute.

"Julius Genachowski has built a substantial legacy of accomplishments during his four years as Federal Communications Commission chair. He has provided intellectual leadership to the U.S. government's efforts to advance the spread of broadband nationwide and to provide more spectrum to meet the nation's growing demand for wireless technologies. I have learned much from working with him over the years and most recently in his role as FCC chairman."

"Julius Genachowski has been a terrific Federal Communications Commission chairman," said Common Sense Media CEO James Steyer. "It was no surprise that chairman Genachowski, a founding board member of Common Sense Media and devoted dad, took the interests of parents and kids into careful consideration when important decisions were made at the FCC. We especially want to thank him for his efforts to close the digital divide and empower millions of students and families with access to broadband, devices, and training..."

"Because of chairman Genachowski's leadership, new ground was broken at the FCC," said Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Communication Subcommittee. "America is leading the world in scale deployment of next generation mobile networks with tens of billions of dollars in private investment. Innovators will have access to more unlicensed spectrum than ever before, supporting the promise and potential of the wireless technology of tomorrow. The Internet remains a free and open platform for inventiveness and the sharing of ideas. Chairman Genachowski implemented the kind of long-term growth initiatives America's telecommunications sector needs to compete in the digital age."

"A fundamental challenge of our economy -- and for American innovation -- is to ensure that our citizens now and in the future will have access to spectrum," said Jonathan Spalter, chairman of Mobile Future. "Julius Genachowski saw from his first day as chairman that the FCC could be a vigorous catalyst not only for achieving real progress towards this goal -- but he also knew that part of his task would be to put spectrum higher on the public policy agenda by giving this highly technical and invisible phenomenon real form, meaning, and urgency: not only for policy makers across the country but consumers as well."

Rob Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, joined in the chorus of praise for Genachowski's broadband focus.

"We commend chairman Genachowski for his leading role in spurring tremendous advances in broadband innovation and the Internet economy, while assisting the United States in transitioning to an advanced wireless world. During his tenure, the U.S. has made major advances in the speed of our broadband networks and expanded the deployment of next generation broadband technology."

The chairman also got a shout-out for his commitment to unlicensed wireless.

"The Wireless Innovation Alliance thanks chairman Julius Genachowski today for his service, and in particular, for his unwavering commitment to the power and potential of unlicensed spectrum," said the Wireless Innovation Alliance. "The chairman rightly recognized the important roles of licensed and unlicensed spectrum in driving our national economy, and that we need more of both. Indeed, unlicensed 'innovation bands' have already generated hundreds of billions of dollars in economic growth and now carry more traffic that licensed bands."

A fan of the FCC's spectrum policy added its thanks. "The NoChokePoints Coalition thanks chairman Genachowski for his years of service to the FCC, most notably his recognition of the vital role special access plays as a broadband input. After years of inactivity, the chairman and his Commission finally began the important task of addressing this failed market and we eagerly look forward to releasing the broadband economy from this stranglehold over one of broadband's most critical inputs."