On June 25, 2009, the
U.S. Senate almost unanimously confirmed Julius Genachowski as FCC Chairman, with the only vote in opposition coming from
Senator Jim DeMint. This followed announcements of upgrade plans by cable operators in 2008. According to an opinion piece by Genachowski, American firms installed more fiber optic cable for high-speed broadband in 2011 and 2012 than those of any nation other than China, and more than all European nations combined. He will join the
Aspen Institute as a
senior fellow. In addition, he announced in January 2014 that, upon leaving the FCC, he would begin work for the Carlyle Group. Proponents had argued that lack of a national plan put the United States at a competitive disadvantage compared to nations with developed broadband plans. For example, the broadband plan found there to be "reasons to be concerned about wireline broadband competition in the United States." President Obama commended the plan, and the Obama administration endorsed the spectrum goal in a speech by
National Economic Council Director
Lawrence Summers. As part of the reforms, the FCC identified mobile broadband as a Universal Service goal for the first time. The Connect America Fund includes a Mobility Fund specifically to bring 3G and 4G wireless broadband to unserved areas. He has also advocated for the preservation and use of unlicensed spectrum bands as platforms for innovation, citing the success of
Wi‑Fi, which uses unlicensed spectrum. The FCC has set aside spectrum for unlicensed use.
Data roaming Genachowski led a successful effort to pass data roaming rules so consumers have access to wireless Internet even in areas their provider does not cover. The rules passed on a 3‑2 vote in April 2011. The rules require Verizon and AT&T to enter into roaming agreements with smaller carriers in order to preserve industry competition. Support for codifying net neutrality came from public interest groups, venture capitalists, wireless carriers such as Sprint and Clearwire, and a coalition including Google, Amazon, Twitter and others. The rules received criticism from Verizon, which argued they exceed the FCC's authority, and from some public interest groups such as Free Press, which argued the rules were too narrow and should be expanded. Verizon Wireless and Free Press sued the FCC, although Free Press dropped its lawsuit. The FCC found the Verizon had asked Google to remove applications from the Android marketplace that allow "tethering" to turn smartphones into Wi-Fi hotspots. Verizon had typically charged a "tethering fee" of $20 for their service. As part of the settlement, Verizon agreed to pay $1.25 million to the U.S. Treasury. Earlier in the year, major U.S. carriers signed an agreement with the FCC to begin disabling stolen devices within the United States.
Public Safety Initiatives Genachowski and New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg unveiled the nation's first comprehensive emergency notification system for cellphones at Ground Zero in May 2011. The Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN) is a free service to send emergency text alerts to citizens in an area with "imminent threats to safety." It is a partnership between the FCC, FEMA, New York City, and wireless carriers.{{cite news ==Personal life==