The Information Technology Industry Council and USTelecom said Friday they're creating the Council to Secure the Digital Economy (CSDE) to find solutions to cybersecurity threats to the tech and telecom sectors, including data breaches. Akamai, AT&T, Intel, Samsung and Verizon are among the group's founding members. CSDE membership “reflects a shared commitment across the leadership of the global information and communications technology sector to pursue security mitigation as intensely as digital innovation,” said USTelecom President Jonathan Spalter in a news release. The group “is committed to building a more resilient ecosystem for consumers, businesses, and the public through improved cybersecurity, trust, accountability, and engagement with government,” said ITI CEO Dean Garfield in the release. “This is exactly the type of industry collaboration needed to help frame the important issues through a shared digital economy lens,” said Chris Krebs, Department of Homeland Security senior official performing the duties of the undersecretary-National Protection and Programs Directorate, in the news release.

More parties opposed an FCC plan to exclude resellers from Lifeline USF participation and voiced a mix of concerns and some support for other proposals, as dozens of additional comments posted in docket 17-287 Wednesday and Thursday. Major industry players joined consumer advocates, state regulators and others in objecting to an FCC proposal to shift Lifeline low-income support to facilities-based service. CTIA, ITTA, Mobile Future, Sprint, USTelecom and Verizon voiced resistance to the proposed exclusion of resellers. The commission should "reject proposals to condition receipt of federal Lifeline support on network build-out," said Sprint: "The modest per-subscriber subsidy, whose receipt is not guaranteed, makes the Lifeline program ill-suited as a direct mechanism to spur capital-intensive broadband deployment." USTelecom "strongly supports policies that encourage investment in broadband-capable networks," saying "the Commission should not utilize the Lifeline program to achieve a goal for which it is not designed. Instead, the Commission should focus its efforts on ensuring the successful implementation of the National Verifier, which will cure the clear majority of the issues raised in the Notice." Among others objecting to the facilities-based proposal were: NARUC; some state regulatory commissions; National Grange; NATOA and National League of Cities (here); National Urban League and others (here); New York City; Boston, Los Angeles and other cities (here); the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council and others (here); Rainbow Push Coalition's Jesse Jackson Sr. and former Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio. ATN International backed the FCC proposal to dedicate support to facilities-based carriers, as did District of Columbia Public Service Commission Chairman Betty Ann Kane, with a caveat. Various parties opposed capping the Lifeline budget and argued for continuing to support voice-only services. There were mixed views on whether a federal Lifeline broadband provider designation should be eliminated.

The FCC approved a notice proposing rules implementing Section 7 of the Communications Act, designed to speed review of “innovative” technologies and services, over objections by Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn Thursday. Chairman Ajit Pai said the goal is simple -- get out of the way of innovation. “Bureaucratic inertia” is a common barrier, he said. The agency has been taking steps on his watch to promote innovation, from approving the first LTE-unlicensed devices to approving ATSC 3.0 standards to greenlighting a power-at-a-distance wireless transmitter, Pai said: “We have stood on the side of innovation, but these are ad hoc measures.”

ISPs, wireline, wireless and cable are making major investment in broadband, industry representatives told state commissioners Monday at NARUC's meeting. They faced some tough questions. Carriers are spending totals on broadband that dwarf what was spent on the federal highway system or the race to the moon, said Jonathan Banks, USTelecom senior vice president-law and policy. Wireless carriers are planning for 5G, with the first of several standards released, said Scott Bergmann, CTIA senior vice president-regulatory affairs.

President Donald Trump’s infrastructure legislative proposal included its expected focus on streamlining the federal environmental permitting process, including for small-cells deployments, along with state block grants and federal matching funds (see 1801220035, 1802090050 and 1802110001). Communications sector officials and lobbyists bemoaned lack of a dedicated broadband funding allocation in the proposal, released Monday. They told us they are in the beginning phase of negotiations with the White House and Capitol Hill. The White House also released its FY 2019 budget plan, which seeks to zero out public broadcaster federal funding. The FCC's budget would also fall (see 1802120037).

Lawmakers and communications sector lobbyists are watching closely for any final clues about President Donald Trump's long-anticipated infrastructure legislative proposal, before expected Monday release. Several told us they would gauge the proposal's viability based on what funding the proposal allocates directly for broadband projects. Trump's glancing mention of infrastructure plans during his January State of the Union speech, and particularly omission of broadband, left many industry officials disappointed and surprised. Some predicted it was a bad omen for their push to strengthen a broadband title in coming legislation (see 1801310071).

The Internet Association endorsed planned Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval to undo FCC rescission of 2015 net neutrality rules, saying in a Thursday letter to Senate leaders the order “represents the complete reversal of broad, bipartisan consensus in the operation of the internet, and leaves consumers with no meaningful” net neutrality protections. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Mike Doyle, D-Pa., are spearheading the planned resolution, which has the support of 50 senators and more than 130 House members (see 1712110050 and 1712120037). Markey has been courting Republicans in search of 51 in the chamber, tweeting Wednesday “that’s all we need to secure victory” on the resolution. “While the CRA will help alleviate immediate concerns, the internet industry urges Congress to legislate a permanent solution,” said IA President Michael Beckerman in the letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “Legislation that memorializes all of the protections from the 2015 [FCC rules] would also enjoy support from IA and its member companies. The time has come for a bipartisan effort to establish permanent net neutrality rules." Critics of the old rules quickly issued statements rebuking the CRA bid, in response to IA's endorsement. Congress shouldn't “pursue half measures like the CRA which would merely be kicking the can,” said USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter. “Consumers deserve policy frameworks that apply equally to all Internet companies they engage with, including their network operators and the content providers.” The Internet Innovation Alliance said it “has long called for a new law in this area, based on the core principles of an open internet: no blocking of legitimate online content, no throttling” and a ban on paid prioritization. “The open internet principles of the FCC's 2010 Open Internet Order would serve as a useful model,” IIA said. “This bill should also contain strong protections for consumers’ online privacy.”

The House and Senate were moving toward final votes Thursday evening on continuing resolution to fund the federal government through March 23, though a new bid by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to delay the Senate vote made the situation less clear. A new CR would avert a government shutdown that would have begun at midnight Thursday without action from Capitol Hill. Congress passed the current CR funding the government after a three-day shutdown in January (see 1801220038 and 1801230037). Paul objected to elements of a deal struck by Senate leaders Wednesday that would raise federal spending limits. That deal included a carve-out of $20 billion for infrastructure projects, including rural broadband (see 1802070051). USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter praised inclusion of the infrastructure funding, saying it's “an important step forward to help bridge the digital divide and connect the hardest to reach areas.” Paul was seeking a “15-minute vote on his amendment to restore the budget caps,” a spokesman said. “He is ready to proceed at any time.” The House previously passed a version of the CR Tuesday, but the chamber would need to vote on the Senate-passed version of the measure. Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Thursday he believed he had enough votes in the Republican caucus to clear a Senate version of the CR, but it also “depends on the Democrats.”

Telecom players backed FCC efforts to ensure the transition from Neustar to iconectiv as local number portability administrator is completed on time without disruptions. They also sided with the manual contingency plan of North American Portability Management and its transition oversight manager (TOM) over Neustar's call for an automated solution (see 1801290046). With an April 8 regional system cutover nearing, telecom carriers and groups cited the importance of the plan to roll back LNPA functions to Neustar "in the unlikely event" that the initial handoff to iconectiv fails. Discussions between the key players broke down "despite the availability of a well-thought contingency roll back plan initially developed by the TOM and iconectiv, with participation and input provided by Neustar, and ultimately accepted by the NAPM," said a filing Tuesday in docket 09-109 by USTelecom, CTIA, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, CenturyLink, AT&T, Frontier Communications and Consolidated Communications on a discussion Friday with an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai. They said NAPM, after consulting with stakeholders, decided on a process that was consistent with industry practices, created efficiencies and aligned with the transition timeline. "The TOM facilitated at least five industry meetings, in which it was decided that a manual, rather than automated, contingency roll back process would be the most reasonable approach," said the parties. But noting recent public comments and filings suggesting the transition is at risk (see 1801250037), they asked the FCC to encourage the parties "to resolve this issue in a way that maintains" the timeline, and "to focus on the task at hand and avoid any rhetorical exchanges that undermine confidence in the LNPA transition." Pai Friday sent a letter to NAPM, the TOM, Neustar and iconectiv demanding they report back on a solution by Feb. 16 (see 1802020070). NAPM backed Telcordia (iconectiv) opposition to Neustar's request the FCC remove confidentiality protections from Article 19 of a "Master Services Agreement" covering iconectiv as the new LNPA (see 1801310042).

NTIA hires Anne Veigle, ex-Communications Daily, as director-Office of Public Affairs ... Arnold & Porter hires from Hogan Lovells Dori Hanswirth and Theresa House as partners, Intellectual Property Group, global Media & Entertainment practice ... Digital education firm 2U, Inc. hires Katie Race Brin, ex-FTC, as chief privacy officer ... Kroll expands job of Managing Director Benedetto Demonte as North America leader, Cyber Security and Investigations Practice ... Coriant hires Vikram Shanbhag, ex-Teya Ventures, as managing director-Asia Pacific south ... President Donald Trump nominates Charles Cook, C. Cook Advisory Services, to be chief financial officer, Department of Homeland Security ... New to Alliance for Women in Media Foundation national board for 2018: Joyce Fitch, Beasley Broadcast Group, and Diane Schwartz, Access Intelligence.