NTIA

August is often described as a quiet time here in Washington. That hasn’t been the case at NTIA.  

In early June, around 500 young people from more 100 countries descended on Kigali, Rwanda for the ITU’s first Generation Connect Global Youth Summit. I was lucky to represent NTIA and the United States as part of a delegation sponsored by USTTI.  

The Summit sought to bring together “digital natives” – those of us who grew up in the age of the Internet – to interact directly with global business leaders, government officials, and policymakers. In his opening remarks, Rwandan Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente recognized young people as a major asset to the global community. At the same time, I—along with my fellow youth delegates—gained a new respect for our digital fluency and how it can bring about change.  

The Summit was made up of intergenerational dialogues and small group sessions on core issues like the future of work, the gender digital divide, and digital solutions for climate action. I learned about other young people’s work to address policy challenges, like a group of young Nigerian entrepreneurs training children in digital literacy, a Ugandan engineer who aspires to become an astronaut, and an ICT analyst for the government of Trinidad and Tobago, among many others.  

NTIA is continuing to build out its senior leadership team as we prepare to launch the grant programs in the Broadband Infrastructure Law. The law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, includes a significant investment of $65 billion to help close the digital divide and ensure that all Americans have access to reliable, high speed, and affordable broadband.

Herb Tyson is joining NTIA as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. Herb will build a team to support NTIA’s extensive engagement with state and local governments around our broadband programs. Tyson has had a lengthy, respected career engaged in federal, state, local and international public policy, including previous service as a Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the State Department.

Evan Feinman has been named Deputy Associate Administrator for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD). Feinman will lead the $42.45 billion BEAD Program. Previously, Feinman was Chief Broadband Advisor to Governor Northam, and in that role, developed and funded projects that put the state on track to be the first large state with universal broadband infrastructure. He also served as Executive Director of the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission and as Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources for the Commonwealth.