USTelecom's Industry Traceback Group (ITG) is the official consortium for coordinating industry-led efforts to trace back the origin of suspected unlawful robocalls, the FCC Enforcement Bureau said Monday. The Traced Act directed the FCC to put together rules for a single consortium heading those private-led efforts, and the FCC in March adopted rules governing that consortium (see 2004170021). In the order appointing ITG, the bureau said it was the only applicant and is both neutral and competent to shepherd the efforts. “The message this sends to would be robocall scammers is loud and clear: we’ve got your number," USTelecom said, adding that it's "an important recognition of our technology, our commitment and our success fighting the scammers and spoofers who pollute our shared communications networks with these illegal robocalls." It said its team of wireline, wireless, VoIP and cable providers is "focused on tracing the source of illegal robocalls around the world and coordinating with federal and state enforcement agencies to bring criminals to justice. We’ve already shut down scams preying on vulnerable consumers during the pandemic. As the FCC’s registered traceback consortium, we intend to continue our laser-like scrutiny not just on robocall scammers, but the under the radar providers who let junk calls onto the network in the first place. We’re tracing back more calls every single day and ready to expand this work for consumers.” Nov. 15 is the deadline for voice service providers and ITG to update the FCC Enforcement Bureau on industry efforts July 27-Oct. 31 to trace the source of suspected unlawful robocalls, the bureau said in a public notice. The bureau's data collection is part of a Traced Act requirement the FCC annually submit a report to Congress on the status of such private-led efforts, it said.

CTIA and USTelecom got broad support for a June petition seeking regulatory relief on pro forma filings (see 2006050039). The paperwork is routine and involves a company assigning a license authorization from one wholly owned subsidiary to another, the two said then. In comments due Friday in docket 20-186, the American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research noted that, according to the petition, the FCC Wireless Bureau processes an average of 600 pro forma applications per year. “Pro forma transactions can strain resources for license holders, delay business decisions, and divert the already strained resources to comply with the onerous and unnecessary fillings and review procedures required for such transactions,” the group said. The burdens from existing filing requirements are “significant,” NAB commented. “A single non-substantial internal transaction can result in filing requirements that strain resources, delay business decisions and divert sparse resources,” broadcasters said. “Pro forma transactions are by their very nature non-substantive; the associated filing requirements ought to be as well,” Verizon said. “For companies like T-Mobile, with a complex ownership structure and numerous licensee subsidiaries, a non-substantive ownership change can require a large number of burdensome filings,” the carrier said. The rules permit post-closing notice of pro forma transactions for common carrier radio station licenses, submarine cable landing licenses, international authorizations and common carrier satellite and earth station licenses, T-Mobile said: They require prior approval of pro forma transactions including private radio licenses, some experimental licenses and licenses held by designated entities. The Land Mobile Communications Council said it “fully supports this common-sense proposal that will reduce regulatory burdens.” Markets are "the most efficient means of assigning radio operating rights,” wrote the R Street Institute.

The FCC Public Safety Bureau should revise its proposed process for carrier interactions with the network outage reporting system and the 911 reliability certification system, said comments posted through Tuesday in docket 15-80. USTelecom asked to reconfigure the sequence of questions posed about whether carriers notified public safety answering points. AT&T said the proposals require carriers to send too much new information within 120 minutes. In the early minutes after discovery, "service providers are focused on restoring service and notifying PSAPs," AT&T said. NCTA wants the bureau to consider how providers would have to automate any newly required data fields, asking to "allow providers to continue using automation to the extent possible." CenturyLink said the public notice's proposal to identify alternatives shouldn't be adopted because "NORS already collects information about whether diversity could have mitigated an event." The National Association of State 911 Administrators said telling state and local governments which 911 call centers are affected by an outage "would greatly assist in determining the impact on emergency operations." ATIS said its Network Reliability Steering Committee is concerned that outage data shared with state agencies may be used for other purposes.

Facebook and Comcast were the tech and telecom sectors’ top lobbying spenders for Q2, while other entities in those industries reported a mix of increases and decreases. NCTA, Charter and Microsoft earlier reported increases; the Internet Association, NAB and IBM reported decreases (see 2007200062). Facebook said it spent $4.83 million, up more than 17% from the same period in 2019. Comcast had $3.65 million, up more than 14%. Google fell 42% to $1.69 million. Huawei rose 142% to $170,000. Amazon spent $4.38 million, up 9%. AT&T shelled out $3.46 million, a more than 4% increase. Verizon reported $2.53 million, up almost 4%. CTIA was $2.48 million, down almost 5%. Qualcomm spent $1.97 million, up more than 1%. Apple fell 18% to $1.48 million. Dell was little changed at $910,000. CenturyLink spent $570,000, down 40%. USTelecom spent $560,000, up 12%. Twitter laid out $390,000, down 11%. The Competitive Carriers Association was flat at $180,000. The Telecommunications Industry Association fell by half to $50,000.

COVID-19 amplified the need to address broadband gaps, said members of NARUC’s broadband task force in interviews Tuesday. Cable, wireline and wireless networks are holding up to the surge in traffic during the pandemic, but industry agrees with policymakers on the heightened need to expand access, NCTA, CTIA and USTelecom panelists told state regulators' virtual summer meeting.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson challenged state utility commissioners to increase diversity and be more inclusive, in a Monday keynote at NARUC’s virtual summer meeting. NARUC President Brandon Presley pledged “intentional actions” to end systemic racism, backing up the association’s June 4 statement amid a national reckoning. Another major crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, drove broadband discussions Monday.

The FCC didn't budge on an implementation deadline that telecom interests said couldn't be met. The commission's 988 suicide prevention hotline order approved unanimously Thursday tried to mitigate some problems they face, Commissioner Mike O'Rielly said. No change to the two-year deadline was expected (see 2007150058) Telecoms argued universal implementation by that deadline is impossible (see 2006230022). Some commissioners disagreed.

Approval of a different cable leased access rate structure went awry Thursday with a brief administrative law crisis. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel questioned whether the item -- with two approvals and three concurring votes -- had actually been adopted. Administrative law experts told us it's a novel issue. Chairman Ajit Pai and acting General Counsel Ashley Boizelle said it counts as adopted.

Update public safety service prioritization rules to adapt to changing technology and usage, while proceeding with caution on an NPRM up for a vote at Thursday's FCC meeting, TechFreedom General Counsel Jim Dunstan said in an interview last week. "We need a national dialogue for the points of the network not designed to carry emergency communications," he said. Dunstan wants the FCC to beware of unintended consequences, such as cost considerations for smaller carriers, and whether noncarrier networks such as fiber backhauls will be swept up in new regulations. “This week’s vote is an important step toward ensuring that our national security and emergency preparedness communications are keeping pace with an evolving communications landscape,” an NTIA spokesperson emailed Wednesday. NTIA petitioned for changes to the wireless service priority and telecom service priority rules (see 1907170042). Industry has been quiet since the meeting item was released last month (see 2006250062). CTIA, NCTA and the Fiber Broadband Association declined comment. USTelecom, Incompas, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile didn't comment. "We would anticipate discussing this with members once the NPRM is released for comment to determine what positions we will take, if any, on the proposals," NTCA emailed us Wednesday.

CTIA, NCTA and USTelecom continue to seek "safe harbor for network-level blocking" so "providers can use all available tools to protect consumers" through more robust robocall mitigation efforts, they told an aide to Commissioner Mike O'Rielly in requesting clarification on an item up for a vote at Thursday's FCC meeting (see 2007100044). Consider additional safe harbors in future proceedings, the groups asked in the filing posted Wednesday. An agency official expects a 5-0 vote to approve the item at the commissioners' meeting Thursday, and suggested the language might change to include more pointed questions on the pros and cons of safe harbor for network-level blocking.