FCC Announces Addition To Senior Technology Staff

The FCC today announced it is replacing outgoing chief technologist Scott Jordan with Henning Schulzrinne as Senior Advisor for Technology to help the commission tackle more complex technological challenges such as broadband privacy, spoofing, and robocalling

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler today announced the appointment of Henning Schulzrinne as Senior Advisor for Technology, based in the agency’s Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis. Dr. Schulzrinne will take over as FCC Chief Technologist at the end of the year, when the current Chief Technologist, Scott Jordan, leaves the agency.

“Henning’s return to the agency ensures the Commission will continue to have outstanding technology expertise on hand as we tackle the policy problems of today’s complex communications networks,” said Chairman Wheeler. “Henning’s experience and vision have been invaluable to our work.  With complex technical challenges such as broadband privacy and confronting robocalls and spoofing, I am grateful both that Henning has agreed to return and that he and Scott will overlap for a time.”

Dr. Schulzrinne previously served as FCC Chief Technologist from 2011 to 2014, and has continued to serve the FCC as a part time advisor. He is Levy professor of computer science and electrical engineering at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University. Schulzrinne received his undergraduate degree in economics and electrical engineering from the Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany, his MSEE degree as a Fulbright scholar from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio and his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass. He helped develop key protocols that enable voice-over-IP (VoIP) and other multimedia applications including the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). 

Dr. Jordan, who will remain as FCC Chief Technologist until he leaves the agency in December, joined the FCC in 2014 from the University of California, Irvine, where he is a professor of computer science. He received his undergraduate degrees, as well as his Master’s Degree and Ph.D in electrical engineering and computer science, from the University of California, Berkeley. His research has focused on communications platforms, and differentiated services on the Internet.

“Scott’s work at the FCC continues to be instrumental to the development of a number of key rulemakings, including the set-top box and broadband privacy proceedings,” said Chairman Wheeler.  “I am grateful that he has agreed to extend his tenure as Chief Technologist in order to continue his work on those proceedings.”

Source: FCC release