Columbia, Md.-FCC Chairman Michael Powell Tuesday morning officially opened the Federal Communications Commission’s new $750,000 anechoic-no echo-chamber, which will give the FCC the ability to independently test claims and counterclaims of harmful interference, within the commission’s laboratory.
“When you don’t have the ability to independently test, you let a government agency really be at the mercy of companies who would be happy to provide technical data, but just like statistics, or law or economics are always going to be presented in the light most favorable to what they want,” said Powell.
Since becoming chairman in 2001, Powell has been a consistent supporter of the FCC’s lab located about an hour’s drive from its headquarters. The FCC lab averaged an annual budget of $50,000 for the 20 years preceding Powell’s chairmanship. For the past three years, the lab’s annual budget has averaged $750,000.
Powell is technically savvy, telling those gathered that he had set up a broadband-over-powerline system in his parents’ house. He is the son of Secretary of State Colin Powell. The younger Powell has a Wi-Fi network in his home.
In addition to the ribbon cutting and demonstration of the new anechoic chamber, reporters and others were given a tour of the FCC lab, including demonstrations of testing controversial technologies, such as broadband over powerline and ultra-wideband.
