USTelecom asked the FCC Enforcement Bureau to redesignate its industry traceback group (ITG) as the registered consortium to head industry efforts to trace unlawful robocalls, said an ex parte posting Thursday in docket 20-22. The ITG "has earned the trust of the enforcement community," USTelecom said, and "received support from across the industry" (see 2206060058). USTelecom said no groups provided evidence that the ITG "has failed to act neutrally or lacks the competence to be the traceback consortium," saying some ITG members have been subject to previous enforcement actions based on its own data.

USTelecom hires Marie Johnson, from the American Hospital Association, as senior vice president-communications …Wilkinson Barker announces Belinda Scrimenti, ex-Pattishall McAuliffe, as partner, intellectual property and copyright ... Alex Clavel promoted to SoftBank Group International CEO from managing partner, effective June 30, succeeding Michel Combes, leaving ... Rokt, machine learning e-commerce company, taps former Amazon Alexa executive Bill Barton as chief product and engineering officer, effective Monday ... Social media network MyPlace adds Lyft’s Aaron Zifkin, also ex-Airbnb, as president-chief operating officer, newly created role ... Omni-fulfillment platform ShipBob hires Amazon’s Kamal Sundar as senior vice president-supply chain strategy ... Data analytics company Canalyst recruits Paradigm Capital’s Corey Hammill as managing director-global research.

USTelecom, NTCA and the Competitive Carriers Association defended a directive in Section 254 of the Telecom Act that the FCC preserve and advance universal service, in a pleading Friday in response to a challenge by Consumers’ Research to the broader USF program (see 2110050056). “Under the Supreme Court’s approach for reviewing nondelegation challenges, Section 254 falls well within constitutional bounds,” the groups told the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: “Section 254 prescribes far more detailed directions than other statutes that have repeatedly been upheld by the Supreme Court over the past century. Even under a more searching standard -- which could be adopted only by the Supreme Court -- Section 254 still would pass constitutional muster.”

The Wireless Infrastructure Association tapped Patrick Halley, USTelecom general counsel, as its new president and CEO, replacing Jonathan Adelstein. Halley takes over Aug. 1. He's a veteran of the National Emergency Number Association, the FCC and Wilkinson Barker and is the former executive director of the Next Generation 911 Institute. “Patrick’s broad regulatory, legal and trade association experience in telecommunications makes him the ideal person to lead WIA into the future,” said WIA Chairman Jeffrey Stoops, CEO of SBA Communications, Thursday: “He has deep knowledge of, and experience in, advocacy, which is the primary mission of WIA, and is a proven manager and motivator of his team members.” WIA said Halley was picked following a national search by search firm Odgers Berndtson. Adelstein, a former FCC commissioner, left WIA in June after 10 years at the helm.

California could make jail and prison calls free under a bill cleared Tuesday by the Assembly Public Safety Committee. San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto disagreed with other county sheriff departments that opposed SB-1008. Meanwhile, at a Senate hearing, ISP associations and Republicans opposed a bill to restrict state contracts only to ISPs that offer affordable internet services.

NTIA will “ultimately measure our success by meaningful adoption” of broadband as the agency implements the broadband, equity, access and deployment program funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, said Administrator Alan Davidson during a virtual USTelecom and AT&T event Friday. Affordability and adoption are “critical” to connecting households, Davidson said, and it “doesn’t help if we have a connection to somebody’s home if they can’t afford to get online or they can’t use it” (see 2206090072).

Redesignate USTelecom's Industry Traceback Group (ITG) as the registered consortium to head industry efforts to trace the origin of suspected unlawful calls, said NCTA and CTIA in comments posted Monday in docket 20-22 (see 2204200018). USTelecom was first designated in 2020 and redesignated in 2021. The ITG, established in 2015, "has played a central role in combatting illegal robocalls," said USTelecom. The ITG has "successfully fulfilled" its mandate since 2020, CTIA commented: It "remains best qualified to serve as the registered consortium." The ITG's "neutral framework consistently and effectively promotes the type of widespread participation necessary for success," the group said, citing "significant growth in industry participation." The FCC received a letter of intent from ZipDX expressing interest in being designated as the registered consortium in May. It's the second time ZipDX submitted a letter and called itself the "most competent applicant." ZipDX raised concerns about the ITG's potential for "associated intrinsic bias" because of its funding sources: "While there may be no explicit evidence of such allegiances, it is an obvious consideration." The FCC Enforcement Bureau said in its 2021 order redesignating the ITG that its "multi-member structure ensures neutrality and reflects openness" (see 2108250081). NTCA, which has several members that sit on the ITG's executive committee, said USTelecom "continues to build on its efforts to combat robocalls" and initiated nearly 2,900 tracebacks between January and November 2021. It "commend[ed] ZipDX’s participation in traceback efforts and its commitment to curbing illegal robocalls" but noted choosing another consortium would "hamper the industry’s ongoing and important efforts to protect consumers." The ITG’s record "speaks for itself concerning neutrality through consistent and even-handed implementation," USTelecom said.

The ATIS and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) joint task force's work to standardize response codes for SIP code 603+ is "advancing most quickly" compared with SIP codes 607 and 608, USTelecom said in separate meetings with FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau staff and aides to Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Nathan Simington, per an ex parte posted Friday in docket 17-59 (see 2202010031). SIP code 603+ would be used "only for analytics-based blocking and indicate to callers which provider blocked the call," USTelecom said, adding the FCC should require the code's use to "provide the industry with the certainty needed to fully operationalize it."

Wireless Infrastructure Association names Executive Vice President Tim House interim president-CEO, following Jonathan Adelstein’s departure (see 2206020018) and 2203020059) … BIA Advisory Services announces retirement of Senior Vice President-Chief Economist Mark Fratrik June 30; Vice President-Forecasting and Analysis Nicole Ovadia, who recently came aboard from the New York State Broadcasters Association, will lead forecast team and Fratrik continues as strategic adviser and analyst.

Inteliquent's challenge to the FCC's 8YY access reform order "rests upon weak data and an outdated approach to price regulation," wrote U.S. Court of Appeals for District of Columbia Circuit Judge Douglas Ginsburg in an order Friday denying its petition in case 20-1471 (see 2111010049). Ginsburg said Inteliquent failed to show the rate cap was "below cost for itself or for any other provider," noting that USTeleccom's suggested cap was "reasonable and would not set prices below providers’ costs." The "decision to uphold the FCC’s order on 8YY access charges is a big win in support of the commission’s continued efforts to rationally reform the intercarrier compensation system and eliminate wasteful arbitrage schemes," said USTelecom Senior Vice President-Policy and Advocacy Patrick Halley. An attorney for Inteliquent declined to comment.