nextgov

After sitting vacant for a year, the Trump administration has nominated a new permanent federal Chief Information Officer (CIO): Suzette Kent, currently a principal with law firm Ernst & Young’s financial services practice. The White House announced Jan. 26 the president’s intention to nominate Kent as the next administrator of the Office of Electronic Government within the Office of Management and Budget, a role most have come to know as the federal CIO.

Federal regulators may have opted to toss network neutrality rules in Dec, but opponents of the repeal are looking to extend the fight for a free and open internet well into the new year. One of the most outspoken supporters of net neutrality on Capitol Hill, Sen Ed Markey (D-MA) is spearheading an effort to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s “misguided and partisan” decision using the Congressional Review Act. The day of the commission’s vote, he announced plans to introduce a joint resolution that would undo the repeal and reinstate open internet rules.

Both chambers of Congress have passed a bill, the Connected Government Act, that will mandate federal websites to be mobile friendly, an effort to ensure people will be able to access the websites and the services made available through them on mobile phones. “As mobile devices continue to surpass desktop use for accessing the internet, it is important that the federal government is up to speed with the latest technology that allows our people and economy to thrive,” said Sen Maggie Hassan (D-NH). 

Localities could see their internet options limited by proposed Federal Communications Commission rules that would increase priority access license areas and lengths for the 3.5 GHz “innovation” band.