Glenn Woroch appointed Chief Economist of the Federal Communications Commission

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CBPP Senior Policy Scholar Glenn Woroch has been appointed Chief Economist at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). He began work at the Commission on September 25, 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dr. Woroch commented, “Events this year have confirmed that robust communications infrastructure is essential to the national economy and our citizens’ wellbeing. I welcome the opportunity to advise FCC commissioners and staff in their efforts to ensure that communications services are available and affordable to all Americans, as we are compelled to work and learn from home, and as we continue to go online for shopping, entertainment, and healthcare.”

In the October 2, 2020 announcement of Dr. Woroch’s appointment, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said, “Glenn is an extremely talented and respected economist, and his expertise in regulatory economics and telecommunications policy will be of great value to the Office of Economics and Analytics and the entire Commission. We are fortunate to be able to draw upon his expertise in his new role as the next FCC Chief Economist. I look forward to learning from his insights into various aspects of the Commission’s critical work.”

An internationally recognized expert in the economics of the telecommunications industry who has previously served as a consultant to governments and the private sector on a wide range of telecommunications issues, Dr. Woroch remarked on the timeliness of his appointment, “at an exciting time for the industry as it embarks on the deployment of the next generation of wireless technology, 5G.”  He commented, “This technology will not only enhance the wireless communications that we enjoy today, it also promises to enable revolutionary applications such as the internet of things and autonomous vehicles.  Economics will play a central role in this rollout, exemplified by how it has guided the design of auctions of radio spectrum needed to deploy this new technology.”

In addition to serving as FCC Chief Economist and Senior Policy Scholar at the Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy, Glenn Woroch is Adjunct Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of California, Berkeley, where he taught microeconomics, industrial organization, and econometrics for nearly 25 years.  

Dr. Woroch looks “forward to working with a Commission and its Chairman who are deeply committed to making policy based on sound economics.  They have also demonstrated a commitment to evidence-based policy making — developing large, detailed datasets and analyzing them with the latest statistical techniques.  The FCC is distinguished among federal agencies having institutionalized these approaches with the creation of its Office of Economics & Analytics.”