Mignon Clyburn’s making her mark as acting head of FCC

Mignon Clyburn, the first woman to head the Federal Communications Commission and the first black woman to serve on the panel, is determined to make her time in the top spot count.

Since the departure of Chairman Julius Genachowski in May, Chairwoman Clyburn has pushed through rules to lower the cost of prison phone calls, engineered a deal that allows the wireless gadgets used by smaller carriers to operate on the larger carriers’ networks in a critical set of frequencies, set an auction for a valuable slice of the airwaves and approved a major merger. “We made a commitment not only to keep the trains moving but ensuring that we complete the tasks and the missions the American public expect of us,” she said. “You know, especially in August, it’s usually a sleepy time in D.C. — but we did not have that luxury.” The job of an acting chair can be a balancing act with certain unwritten rules, said former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, who took on the role of acting chairman in 2009. “There are constraints,” Copps said. “You know you’re not setting long-term policy, but you can set stuff in motion.” That doesn’t mean the job is inconsequential. “You don’t run out of things to do, and the commission is responsive to you,” Copps said. “They don’t say, ‘To hell with you; you’re only going to be a chairman for little bit.’” Chairwoman Clyburn said she knows the rules — but also that she believes government officials need to speak for the voiceless whether it is lowering the cost for prison phone calls, making it possible for small wireless operators to get fancy new gadgets or ensuring that phone calls reach rural customers.