Proposed Cuts in FCC Field Enforcement Staff Raising Broad Industry Concern
FCC commissioners are considering a proposal to consolidate some of its field offices, the FCC confirmed. Industry officials say the changes could include consolidating the Enforcement Bureau offices on the West Coast -- closing offices in Washington state, Hawaii and Alaska, in favor of offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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Industry officials said they have been told the FCC plans to cut its field staff in half, with more staff in Washington, D.C., close all of the smaller offices, and possibly close larger offices as well, including Philadelphia. These officials noted that change comes as spectrum sharing becomes more important and the FCC readies an auction of broadcast TV spectrum, both of which should make enforcement more critical. Any cutback in field staff also could raise big issues for public safety and federal agencies under increasing pressure to share their spectrum with the private sector, industry officials said.
“This is a potentially troubling development, particularly as the FCC begins encouraging spectrum sharing among different types of communications services,” an NAB spokesman said. “Having a robust interference enforcement presence in FCC field offices is critical to ensuring that consumers receive the services that they expect.”
The proposed cuts in field staff are concerning to broadcasters worried about pirate radio, but should be of concern to carriers as well, said a lawyer who represents broadcasters. “If you want to track down interference issues, you need to have fully manned field ops and I am concerned that you’re going to see pirate radio enforcement decline,” he said. “What’s really getting me nervous here is we’re about to embark on a dynamic spectrum sharing model in this country and pulling back on spectrum enforcement in favor of other types of non-spectrum enforcement is … dangerous and kind of cuts to the heart of why the commission is there in the first place.”
The FCC recently completed “a thorough, data-driven review of our field programs with an eye toward improving efficiency while meeting our responsibilities both today and in the future,” a spokesman confirmed Wednesday. “The commissioners are considering a proposal to meet these goals.” FCC officials said the agency cannot confirm details of which offices will close until commissioners have reached a decision. FCC management will work with the union that represents agency employees on implementing any changes, officials said.
"While interference resolution is and will remain the field’s top priority, our methods and organization need to evolve with changes in the industry such as spectrum sharing, improvements in remote detection, and self-regulation," an FCC spokesman said. "The proposal under consideration would adequately equip the field to meet the enforcement needs of the commission.
"The FCC has three regional offices, covering the Northeast, South Central and Western regions, in Chicago, Kansas City and San Francisco, according to the agency’s website. Sixteen district offices are located in Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Columbia, Maryland; Dallas; Denver; Detroit; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles; New Orleans; New York; Philadelphia; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; and Tampa, Florida. Resident agent offices are located in Anchorage; Buffalo, New York; Honolulu; Houston; Miami; Norfolk, Virginia; Portland, Oregon; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Mark Crosby, president of the Enterprise Wireless Alliance, agreed that the proposed cuts are troubling. Crosby’s group represents companies in various industries that rely on wireless communications and companies that serve the enterprise market.
“At the end of the day, not everybody is a good guy,” Crosby said. “There are bad guys and the bad guys … can a do a lot of damage on this very, very critical asset America has. Enforcement is a just a huge component.” Crosby, who serves on the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee, said there may be other mechanisms for protecting incumbents, but field enforcement has a big role to play. “We’re not making any more spectrum so it has to be used more efficiently,” he said. “That in and of itself presents a challenge.”
CSMAC is examining how enforcement will work in a shared spectrum world (see 1407110018). The FCC Technological Advisory Council is looking at proposals that could radically transform how the commission views interference and how rules are enforced (see 1409240044).