NARUC will seek more respect for states and cooperative federalism as the utility regulator association communicates next year with a new FCC and incoming administration, NARUC President Robert Powelson told Communications Daily. NARUC named Pennsylvania Public Utility Commissioner Powelson its new president this month at the association’s annual meeting. The new NARUC leader announced “Infrastructure, Innovation, and Investment” as the association’s focus for 2016, a theme that could align with President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed $1 trillion infrastructure package. “As we talk about infrastructure, I firmly believe that the telecom sector will continue to be the epicenter for growth and innovation,” Powelson said.

NARUC will seek more respect for states and cooperative federalism as the utility regulator association communicates next year with a new FCC and incoming administration, NARUC President Robert Powelson told Communications Daily. NARUC named Pennsylvania Public Utility Commissioner Powelson its new president this month at the association’s annual meeting. The new NARUC leader announced “Infrastructure, Innovation, and Investment” as the association’s focus for 2016, a theme that could align with President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed $1 trillion infrastructure package. “As we talk about infrastructure, I firmly believe that the telecom sector will continue to be the epicenter for growth and innovation,” Powelson said.

The Donald Trump transition team met with telecom and tech industry officials for about an hour Friday at the BakerHostetler law firm in what attendees described as a listening meeting that provided little insight into Trump’s agenda. The Republican presidential nominee's speakers were all from the government-funded Trump presidential transition team, not the campaign itself. The initial invitation suggested New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, chairman of the Trump transition, might attend (see 1609290070). He wasn't there due to scheduling issues, said attendees; the meeting previously was set for Thursday.

The Donald Trump transition team met with telecom and tech industry officials for about an hour Friday at the BakerHostetler law firm in what attendees described as a listening meeting that provided little insight into Trump’s agenda. The Republican presidential nominee's speakers were all from the government-funded Trump presidential transition team, not the campaign itself. The initial invitation suggested New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, chairman of the Trump transition, might attend (see 1609290070). He wasn't there due to scheduling issues, said attendees; the meeting previously was set for Thursday.

The Donald Trump transition team met with telecom and tech industry officials for about an hour Friday at the BakerHostetler law firm in what attendees described as a listening meeting that provided little insight into Trump’s agenda. The Republican presidential nominee's speakers were all from the government-funded Trump presidential transition team, not the campaign itself. The initial invitation suggested New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, chairman of the Trump transition, might attend (see 1609290070). He wasn't there due to scheduling issues, said attendees; the meeting previously was set for Thursday.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine, senator from Virginia, will fight “for an open Internet abroad,” they said in a 288-page policy book published by Simon & Schuster Tuesday. Clinton previously outlined a tech and telecom agenda and defended net neutrality, including in the latest order issued by the FCC. The book collects those promises and affirmatively says broadband will be part of her first-100-days infrastructure plan -- the largest investment since World War II, she's said (see 1606280071).

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine, senator from Virginia, will fight “for an open Internet abroad,” they said in a 288-page policy book published by Simon & Schuster Tuesday. Clinton previously outlined a tech and telecom agenda and defended net neutrality, including in the latest order issued by the FCC. The book collects those promises and affirmatively says broadband will be part of her first-100-days infrastructure plan -- the largest investment since World War II, she's said (see 1606280071).

Companies or a third party, not the government, should store phone metadata of U.S. citizens the government wants to surveil, recommended a key executive branch-appointed panel in a report released Wednesday, one among 46 recommendations that proposed sweeping changes to U.S. surveillance law. Proposals ranged from creating a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) public advocate to limiting phone searches. The White House unveiled the advice of its five-member surveillance review group in an unplanned move to quash speculation on the report’s contents, said Press Secretary Jay Carney. The release comes as more than 50 organizations pressed Congress not to pass legislation that would preserve the government’s bulk metadata surveillance program.

Companies or a third party, not the government, should store phone metadata of U.S. citizens the government wants to surveil, recommended a key executive branch-appointed panel in a report released Wednesday, one among 46 recommendations that proposed sweeping changes to U.S. surveillance law. Proposals ranged from creating a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) public advocate to limiting phone searches. The White House unveiled the advice of its five-member surveillance review group in an unplanned move to quash speculation on the report’s contents, said Press Secretary Jay Carney. The release comes as more than 50 organizations pressed Congress not to pass legislation that would preserve the government’s bulk metadata surveillance program.

The Obama administration is committing $100 million to spectrum sharing and pushing cooperation between federal agencies and industry, almost a year after the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology (PCAST) recommended the White House shift its focus from exclusive-use spectrum to sharing (CD July 23 p1). Until now, the White House had been generally supportive of sharing, but hadn’t released a presidential memorandum in reaction to the PCAST report. The White House also issued a paper making the argument that the administration is making progress on broadband deployment (http://1.usa.gov/11NlwJI).