NTIA Report to Congress on Competitiveness and Sustainability of Trusted Suppliers in the Wireless Supply Chain
As required by Section 9202(a)(1)(G) of the William M.
As the Executive Branch agency responsible for advising the President on telecommunications and information policy issues, NTIA is committed to the continued growth of the Internet. As the Internet evolves, new challenges emerge. Working with other stakeholders, NTIA is developing policies to preserve an open, interconnected global Internet that supports continued innovation and economic growth, investment, and the trust of its users. This multistakeholder model of Internet policymaking – convening government, the private sector, and civil society to address issues in a timely and flexible manner – has been responsible for the past success of the Internet and is critical to its future.
Among other efforts, NTIA plays a leading role in the Commerce Department's Internet Policy Task Force, which is conducting a comprehensive policy review related to online privacy, copyright protection, cybersecurity, and the global free flow of information with the goal of ensuring that the Internet remains open for innovation.
NTIA also actively leads and participates in interagency efforts to develop Internet policy. In addition, NTIA works with other governments and international organizations to discuss and reach consensus on relevant Internet policy issues.
As required by Section 9202(a)(1)(G) of the William M.
NTIA, on behalf of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government (Executive Branch), submits these comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (Commission) Notice of Inquiry in the above-captioned proceeding on open radio access networks (Open RAN). These comments serve as an integrated, cohesive response from numerous agencies within the Executive Branch.
In his Executive Order (EO) on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity, President Biden identified the prevention, detection, assessment and remediation of cyber incidents as a top priority of his Administration. The Commerce Department and NTIA were directed by the EO to publish the minimum elements for a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), a key tool to help create a more transparent and secure software supply chain. As the President notes, “the trust we place in our digital infrastructure should be proportional to how trustworthy and transparent that infrastructure is.”
An SBOM provides those who produce, purchase, and operate software with information that enhances their understanding of the supply chain. Though an SBOM won’t solve all software security problems, it offers the potential to track known newly emerged vulnerabilities and risks, and it can form a foundational data layer on which further security tools, practices, and assurances can be built.