"If universal broadband is a real goal, then let's put a line item in the budget saying that this is a tax we all have to pay," she says. "Basically we can say directly that it's a tax so we can have people pay for it directly. Right now it's treated as a kinda-sorta tax."

Changing the tone

But beyond the new FCC's stance on important issues, telecom industry observers hope that Genachowski will help to restore the FCC's role as a leader in advancing smart American technology policy. The outgoing FCC chairman has been criticized by many for what they have called a dysfunctional decision-making process at the FCC, and the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce recently issued a report alleging that Martin instructed his staff to rewrite a previously issued report on "a la carte" cable offerings within weeks of becoming FCC chairman in March 2005. The committee also alleged that Martin put significant pressure on his staff to come up with a different conclusion than that of the original report, and that he reassigned the project to other staff members when he didn't get the conclusion he wanted.

"Genachowski's biggest job is going to be the restoration of what has become a broken commission process," says Polka, who says that the FCC under Martin lacked public openness and often acted in an opaque and secretive manner. "Genachowski will have to work well with other people who may or may not agree with him, and he will have to make constructive moves forward without politicizing the commission as we've seen in more recent years."

Johnson, meanwhile, hopes that Genachowski will import what she says is some much-needed technical knowledge to the FCC that will serve as a better guide to making decisions.