Jessica Schafer

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is seeking comment on technical approaches to preventing contraband cell phone use in prisons.

In a Notice of Inquiry published today in the Federal Register, NTIA is requesting information from the public on technologies that can significantly reduce or eliminate contraband cell phone use without negatively affecting commercial wireless and public safety services, including 911 calls and other government radio services, in areas surrounding prisons.

WASHINGTON -- The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced that it will provide an opportunity for certain state and local governments to apply for broadband stimulus funding to support public safety projects. The potential applicants are the state and local governmental entities that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently permitted to deploy public safety broadband systems using the 700 MHz public safety broadband spectrum.

FCC Press Contact: Jen Howard, 202-418-0506

WASHINGTON -- FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling met on Friday, June 11, 2010 to discuss their agencies' complementary roles with respect to commercial and Federal spectrum. Federal law directs the agency heads to meet biannually to conduct joint spectrum planning.