Fiscal 2013 budget seeks $347 million for FCC

President Barack Obama has requested nearly $347 million in his fiscal 2013 budget to fund the FCC — a reduction of nearly $7.5 million from last year’s budget.

The budget, submitted to Congress Feb. 13, includes funding for the agency’s efforts to hasten deployment of broadband Internet service, implement reforms to Universal Service Fund programs and invest in technical and engineering capabilities to identify RF interference.

The funding request, part of Obama’s $3.8 trillion dollar budget, proposes giving the FCC authority to impose spectrum fees on users, such as broadcasters. Previous efforts to authorize the agency to collect spectrum fees have stalled in Congress.