Chairman Genachowski Announces Public-Private Initiative on Broadband
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS MEDIA CONTACT
March 7, 2012Neil Grace, (202) 418-0506
neil.grace@fcc.gov
FCC CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI ANNOUNCES PUBLIC-PRIVATE
INITIATIVE TO HELP DRIVE FCC BROADBAND AGENDA
Appoints Josh Gottheimer as Director, Jordan Usdan as Deputy Director
Washington, D.C. – FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski today announced a new Public-Private Initiative
to drive collaboration among government and private sector entities, including non-profit organizations,
on broadband-related national priorities. This initiative will advance key broadband goals, including
those outlined in the National Broadband Plan, such as broadband adoption, digital literacy, technology
and education, cybersecurity, public safety, job creation, and broadband and healthcare. Chairman
Genachowski appointed his Senior Counselor, Josh Gottheimer, to lead the initiative for the Commission.
While Mr. Gottheimer’s primary focus will be on leading this Initiative, he will continue to serve as the
Chairman’s Senior Counselor.
Chairman Genachowski said, “For nearly two years, Josh Gottheimer has helped focus private and public
sector actors on delivering innovative solutions to connect every American with high-speed Internet, drive
job creation, and empower consumers. This entrepreneurial approach has delivered major advances in
areas such as technology and education, broadband adoption, cybersecurity, and public safety.”
In addition, the Chairman announced that Jordan Usdan will serve as Deputy Director of the Public-
Private Initiative. Mr. Usdan will continue to help coordinate the Commission’s public and private
partnership efforts on broadband adoption, digital textbooks, cybersecurity, online safety, and broadband
performance issues. He joined the Commission in 2009 from Howrey LLP, in Washington, DC, where he
practiced after receiving his law degree from Georgetown. Previously at the Commission, Mr. Usdan
served as an Advisor in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and as a Program Manager for the
National Broadband Taskforce, where he focused on implementation, broadband adoption, international
policies, and consumer transparency. He also led the development of the FCC’s fixed and mobile
broadband speed tests and the Open Internet Apps Challenge.
The initiative builds on the success of the Commission’s efforts to encourage public-private initiatives to
advance the country’s broadband goals, including Connect to Compete, a broadband adoption program
with national digital literacy and low-cost broadband offerings; the Digital Textbooks Initiative, between
the Department of Education, the education technology industry, and nonprofit organizations; the FCC’s
cybersecurity small business initiative, between government experts and private IT and security
companies; Jobs4America, an initiative that has committed to bringing more than 100,000 new and
repatriated call center jobs to the U.S. by 2013; and a joint effort with mobile carriers on a new
nationwide public safety emergency alerting system.
- FCC -
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