Report: Obama to Appoint Tom Wheeler as Next FCC Chairman

President Obama is likely to appoint wireless industry veteran and lobbyist Tom Wheeler to succeed Julius Genachowski as chairman of the FCC. 

According to numerous reports from multiple outlets, Wheeler, who has already served as an informal advisor to Obama on telecom matters, is the top pick for the job and is set to announced sometime this week. 

The FCC declined to comment on the matter at this time. 

Wheeler, a member of venture capital firm Core Capital since 2005, has founded multiple companies offering cable, wireless, and video communications services, and co-founded SmartBrief, the online targeted news service. In 2009, he led the Obama-Biden Transition Project's Agency Review Working Group in charge of transitions for the science, technology, space and arts agencies.

Wheeler was also president of the National Cable Television Association (NCTA) from 1979 to 1984. He was also CEO of CTIA until 2004, when Steve Largent took over the post. 

According to a report [1] from Reuters that cites an unnamed White House official, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, a Democrat, will take over as acting chairwoman until the Senate confirms Wheeler's nomination. 

Current CTIA president Steve Largent, said [2] in a call with press and analysts earlier this month said that he's not too concerned on who's appointed to the post so long as the next appointee continues to push for more spectrum. 

"Our goals and objectives for this year haven't changed that much. We're still trying to get more spectrum," Largent said during the call.  

Genachowski announced [3] his resignation on March 22, saying he will step down in the "coming weeks." Genachowski, a Democrat, was confirmed in June of 2009, succeeding then Republican chairman Kevin J. Martin.  

Genachowski's tenure as Chairman was a disruptive one, with the introduction of the National Broadband Plan, which included over 200 recommendations for allocating more spectrum for mobile broadband, as well as plans for a complete overhaul of the Universal Service Fund, among many other initiatives.  

During his time as chairman, Genachowski also took the lead on killing AT&T's proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile, eventually forcing AT&T to withdraw its proposal. 

Genacwhoski was head of the FCC during a four-year period that saw booming investment in wireless infrastructure as carriers raced to prepare their networks for LTE rollouts.