NTIA Blog

One of the main priorities at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration is to accelerate the adoption of an open 5G ecosystem through open interfaces, interoperable subsystems, secure networks, and modular multi-vendor solutions.

A main component of this work is to research and test whether an open 5G ecosystem can work in real-world scenarios. This is where the 2023 5G Challenge comes into play. The 5G Challenge is a research competition and collaboration between the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and NTIA’s Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) in Boulder, Colorado.

The 2023 5G Challenge is offering a $7 million prize pool for participants who successfully integrate their radio access network (RAN) subsystems with multiple other RAN participant subsystems and outperform their peers.

The 2023 5G Challenge consists of multiple stages during which contestants are evaluated and prizes are awarded. During all phases of the competition the host lab ensures that contestant subsystems adhere to 3GPP standards and O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications and identify issues that would hinder multi-vendor integration.

Teams have progressed in testing since starting the challenge in late March. After the first nine weeks of host lab testing, the initial nine contestants have passed Stage Two wrap-around emulation testing.

Stage Two Testing

Today the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released Version 2 of the National Broadband Map. This is an important step in meeting President Biden’s goal of connecting everyone in America to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.

This map is the most accurate depiction of broadband availability in the FCC’s history. Last year, for the first time ever, the FCC generated a National Broadband Map that includes location level data. This tool provides the transparency needed to better understand the digital divide and to target funding to connect unserved and underserved communities across the country.

Below are NTIA’s three key takeaways from the latest data: 

By Bob Cannon, Senior Telecommunications Policy Analyst, NTIA

My name is Bob.  I am number six.

Do you believe me?

If I were wrong… would you know?

In the 1960s television show “The Prisoner,” retired secret agents are held captive in a place known only as “The Village” and assigned numbers to replace their identities.  Protagonist “Number Six” quickly learns that what one claims to be and what one is can be two different things.

Internet routing is a bit like life in The Village.  One network whispers to a second that it is number six.  The second network then tells two other networks that it can send traffic to number six.  And those two networks tell two more networks that they can reach the network that reaches number six.  And so on.  Networks make routing decisions based on these whispers, following the path back to the network that says it is number six.  Sometimes those whispers are right. Sometimes they are wrong. When they are wrong, Internet traffic can go astray.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is embarking on an inquiry into whether more privacy protections are necessary for people who have registered “.us” domains on the Internet.

NTIA administers the contract for the country code top-level domain, for the United States, .us. The .us domain is used by American businesses, individuals, and localities.

NTIA’s contractor, Registry Services, is required by the agency to maintain a publicly accessible database of .us domain name registrations. Registry Services provides a directory service that allows anyone to obtain registration data without any authentication.

Personal information – including names, home addresses and phone numbers – is included in the registration database. Concerns have been raised that this information may be misused for abusive purposes, including doxxing, spam, or other harassment.

NTIA is working on multiple fronts to address data privacy concerns. To better protect the personal information of .us domain registration holders, NTIA is seeking comment on a Registry Services’ proposal that would require those that request access to registration data to provide an email address, identify a legitimate purpose, and accept Terms of Service.

Americans increasingly rely on radio spectrum for much of their daily lives. From texting friends to car navigation these airwaves play an invisible but central role.

Much like other important resources, spectrum access is finite. Demand continues to grow. Federal spectrum policy experts recognize this – and have come up with creative new ways to allow greater spectrum access by sharing this vital resource.

One innovative approach is the Citizens Broadband Radio Service, which allows for dynamic spectrum sharing between the Department of Defense and commercial spectrum users. The DOD users have protected, prioritized use of the spectrum. When the government isn’t using the airwaves, companies and the public can gain access through a tiered licensing arrangement.

This means the DOD can use the same spectrum for its critical missions while companies can use it for 5G and high-speed Internet deployment.

This is possible through automated sense-and-avoid dynamic access. This ground-breaking framework was made possible by rules established by the Federal Communications Commission in 2015, technologies standardized and developed by industry, and certification tests executed at NTIA's research and engineering lab, the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS).

And there were a lot of questions about whether it would work.

A new report from ITS shows that it is working.

This April marks the 6th annual National Supply Chain Integrity Month. NTIA and its Federal partners are pleased to participate in this campaign to raise awareness of the threats to supply chains, the resources available to mitigate such threats, and ways to build resilience to future risks. 

This year’s theme is “Supply Chain Risk Management – The Recipe for Resilience.” The “recipe” for improving an organization’s resilience involves several key ingredients:  

• Acquisition security,  
• Information security,  
• Insider threat mitigation, and  
• Cybersecurity.  

A comprehensive supply chain risk management (SCRM) program allows an organization to better understand its risk profile and where and when to implement mitigations throughout the supply chain lifecycle.     

By Christopher Maximos, Intern in the Office of Congressional Affairs

I still remember the sense of wonder that I felt when I entered the Herbert Clark Hoover Building for the first day of my internship. I could almost feel the history of the Department of Commerce as I walked through meeting rooms filled with antiques and hallways blanketed by the portraits of previous Secretaries.  

Yet, the fourth floor, where most of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s offices sit, is different. Colorful spectrum charts blanket the timeless marble walls. Staffers discuss emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and 5G in rooms that look out to the Washington Monument and the White House.

Wireless connectivity empowers nearly every aspect of modern life, and reliable access to spectrum resources is essential. So, it’s perhaps no surprise that NTIA has received an immense amount of feedback on the development of a National Spectrum Strategy since announcing the start of this effort on March 15. 

Most recently, the period for providing responses to NTIA’s Request for Comments (RFC) closed April 17.  NTIA received 131 written comments from stakeholders who provided in-depth information in response to questions about the nation’s spectrum needs, how best to engage in long-term spectrum planning, and technology innovations that can help better manage the nation’s spectrum resources.  The comments are now accessible both on NTIA’s website and on Regulations.gov.  

On Wednesday, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the formal launch of the $1.5 billion Innovation Fund, an initiative designed to support the development of open and interoperable 5G and future generation technologies. Funded by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, this historic investment aims to drive wireless innovation, strengthen supply chain resilience, and unlock opportunities for new and emerging companies to compete in the global telecommunications market. With the publication of our first Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), NTIA is moving one step closer to achieving a diverse, sustainable, and competitive wireless supply chain. 

By: April McClain Delaney, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information

In recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, I wanted to take a moment to salute the professionalism, dedication, and heroic acts that 9-1-1 professionals exhibit day in and day out. 

There is no telling what type of call a 9-1-1 telecommunicator will face.  When 10-year-old Miracle in Central County, MO, called 9-1-1 while her mother was in labor, public safety telecommunicator Scott Stranghoener gave her careful instructions to coach her mom through the successful delivery of her baby sister. 

In Lake Zurich, IL, telecommunicator Patty Steffy received a call reporting that a 57-year-old man was having difficulty breathing and later became unconscious. Steffy assisted the caller with directions on performing CPR until the paramedics arrived.

These calls—and millions like them—show the importance of these highly trained and dedicated public safety telecommunicators. Though we commonly refer to police, EMS, and firefighters as “first responders,” it’s also the people answering our 9-1-1 calls who provide life-saving assistance before anyone arrives on the scene.