Congressional GOP leaders have questioned the need for an increased FCC budget in the coming fiscal year. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel defended the administration’s requested 4.3 percent increase that would raise the budget to $390 million as “balanced and cost-effective” and would only make staffing levels “roughly equivalent” to the agency’s staffing in 2016.
The administration proposes increasing the FCC staff level to 1,600 in FY2023, up 128 from its current 1,472 full-timers. “The challenges and statutory obligations that the agency must address are different today from those in the recent past and also different from those three decades ago when the FCC had more than 2,000 employees,” she wrote in a letter to GOP lawmakers. “I believe the American people deserve a technologically savvy and capable FCC, with the resources to handle a fast-evolving communications landscape and ensure that our nation remains globally competitive.”
The agency needs many more IT workers than in years’ past, to ensure the safety and security of data and information provided by entities it oversees, she explains. The agency has been given new obligations by Congress. These include the Broadband DATA Act, which requires a system-wide updating of FCC data collection practices in order to develop the mapping essential for the development of updated policies supporting broadband access and Rip & Replace reimbursement.
The Commission is also tasked with COVID-19 relief legislation, which requires the creation of new programs to support connectivity, including initiatives for telemedicine, broadband at home, and support for students and library patrons needing internet access. To fullfill obligations spelled out in the Infrastructure law, the FCC must develop programs and proceedings related to broadband access, including the Affordable Connectivity Program and efforts to address digital discrimination. The Commission must create industry-wide broadband labeling and coordinate ongoing broadband data collection and mapping initiatives with local, state, and federal authorities.
“In appropriating the FCC’s funding for FY22, Congress noted how it wanted the agency to address today’s challenges under its existing operations,” explains Rosenworcel. “The FCC was encouraged to, among other things, commit more resources to wireless resiliency efforts, expend funds and increase staff work on illegal robocalls, and continue efforts to ensure that more low-, mid- and high-band spectrum is available to support 5G service.”
The agency has requested funding for a total of 565 contractors for FY23, what Rosenworcel calls a “modest” increase over 556 in FY22. Fifty of these contractors would work with the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The non-OIG contractors will provide for essential IT roles, which Rosenworcel says are “difficult to hire on a permanent basis, but increasingly important to update and maintain systems and databases across the agency.” The FCC also uses contractors for specific activities, including post-auction reimbursement work and the administration of Rip & Replace reimbursement, to ensure that the agency has the specific expertise required for these initiatives.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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