(Telecompaper) Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, will announce his departure on 22 March, FCC and industry officials told the Wall Street Journal. He leaves the five-member commission with two vacant seats, after Robert McDowell also announced his departure in the coming weeks. Obama appointed Genachowski, a campaign fundraiser and law school classmate, in 2009. The former venture capitalist has led the agency's efforts to expand available mobile spectrum and broadband services, reform regulation and subsidies in the fixed-line market and defend net neutrality rules. Obama is reportedly considering several candidates to replace Genachowski, including Tom Wheeler, a venture capitalist and former head of the cable and wireless trade associations, people familiar with the matter told the paper. Wheeler was also a former top fundraiser for Obama. Others discussed for the chairman's job include Karen Kornbluh, US ambassador to the OECD; Catherine Sandoval, a member of the California Public Utilities Commission; and Lawrence Strickling, a top Obama administration adviser on telecom and technology policy.