UPDATE: The FCC this morning confirmed that Chairman Julius Genachowski will be leaving his position "in the coming weeks." The FCC is holding a planning meeting, and Ars will have more detailed coverage later today.
The Wall Street Journal reported tonight that the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Julius Genachowski, will announce Friday that he is stepping down from his position. Genachowski was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009. It's not clear yet when his final day will be.
Genachowski was at the helm through an interesting period in the history of the FCC—as connection to the Internet became more of a rule than an exception, Genachowski faced the daunting task of meting out spectrum between telecom providers and public entities, dividing wavelengths and assigning importance to things like wireless networks, TV, GPS devices, “responder” networks for things like 911 calls, and broadcast radio. Genachowski also chaired the FCC as it heard debates over net neutrality, and during the infamous interruption of cell phone service in San Francisco's BART subway during protests in 2011.
The FCC has not issued a comment, but other groups aren't hesitating to hold forth. “Genachowski claimed broadband was his agency's top priority, but he stood by as prices rose and competition dwindled.” Craig Aaron, President and CEO of Free Press, a media and technology advocacy group, said in a statement. “He claimed to be a staunch defender of the open Internet, but his Net Neutrality policies are full of loopholes and offer no guarantee that the FCC will be able to protect consumers from corporate abuse in the future.”
Genachowski would be the second FCC commissioner to announce his resignation this year: Robert McDowell said yesterday that he would step down from the five-member panel (which includes Genachowski). McDowell is the senior republican on the commission, and Genachowski is the senior Democrat.
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