WASHINGTON-FCC Chairman Kevin Martin appears to be reorganizing the Federal Communication Commission, a move that could disband the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, moving its functions to various other bureaus including a new Homeland Security Bureau.
The FCC declined to comment.
A reorganization would answer the question of why Martin, who arrived in mid-March, has yet to announce a chief for the wireless bureau. The departure of John Muleta, the former wireless bureau chief, coincided with the departure of former FCC Chairman Michael Powell.
Speculation is that the reorganization would create a Homeland-Security Bureau with the functions performed by the public-safety and critical-infrastructure division of the wireless bureau and other homeland-security functions scattered about in the agency in the Office of Planning and Policy and the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau. A new Spectrum Bureau would be created with the functions of the wireless bureau licensing division and the FCC’s Office of Engineering & Technology. The wireless bureau’s policy functions would largely move to the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau.
It is not unusual for new chairmen to reorganize the agency to fit their policy objectives, but Martin has yet to name his priorities except for general statements about broadband and homeland security.
Rumors have circulated for months about who might be named to lead the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, with many names being batted down as having conflicts. Anyone with clients or responsibilities in the wireless industry, the wireline industry or the media industry would be conflicted because of the various issues handled either directly or indirectly by the wireless bureau. By creating a Homeland-Security Bureau and a Spectrum Bureau, Martin would apparently solve this conflicts-of-interest issue.
