News and Events

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today issued a final rule regarding its review of fees that the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) may assess to help fund operations. The final rule makes clear that NTIA will ensure that the fees FirstNet assesses are sufficient to cover its expenses but do not exceed what is needed to carry out its duties.

Statement of John Morris, Associate Administrator for NTIA's Office of Policy Analysis and Development, on the U.S. Copyright Office study of Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act:

Statement of Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) incentive auction:

I want to congratulate the Commission and the staff at the FCC for their hard work in satisfying the Final Stage Rule for the incentive auction. This 84 megahertz of spectrum for licensed and unlicensed wireless broadband represents significant further progress to meet the President’s 500 megahertz goal.

The U.S. Department of Commerce today released a report proposing steps the Department can take to advance the Internet of Things (IoT). The “green paper” examines the benefits and challenges of the evolving IoT landscape and suggests that the U.S. government should continue to foster an enabling environment for innovative technology to grow and thrive.

Cross-posted from the Department of Commerce blog.

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker received a series of recommendations from members of the Digital Economy Board of Advisors that identify key actions the U.S. Department of Commerce can take to support the digital economy, encourage growth and increase opportunity.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced the appointment by Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker of outside experts to serve on the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC), which provides advice and expertise on a wide range of spectrum policy and technical issues.

Statement from Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling:

The federal court in Galveston, Texas denied the plaintiffs’ application for declaratory and injunctive relief. As of October 1, 2016, the IANA functions contract has expired.

Statement of Lawrence E. Strickling, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator, on the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, “Department of Commerce - Property Implications of Proposed Transition of U.S.

WASHINGTON – The U.S.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that the proposal developed by the global Internet multistakeholder community meets the criteria NTIA outlined in March 2014 when it stated its intent to transition the U.S. Government’s stewardship role for the Internet domain name system (DNS) technical functions, known as the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced today that as part of the Department’s Digital Economy Agenda, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a Request for Comment (RFC) on questions posed by the growth of the Internet of Things (IOT). This Request is an important step in the Department’s continued effort to promote the Internet of Things, the broad category of devices, appliances, and objects that can be connected via the Internet.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker announced today the appointment of 17 distinguished leaders with a wide range of expertise on digital policy and economic issues to serve on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Digital Economy Board of Advisors, which will provide recommendations on ways to advance economic growth and opportunity in the digital age.

“Twenty years ago today President Clinton signed the 1996 Telecommunications Act into law, removing regulatory barriers for our nation’s communications companies and fueling investment in broadband networks.  Since this time, we have witnessed an incredible transformation of our communications landscape.  As we look forward to the future, we must continue to support innovation and economic growth by strengthening competition and the free flow of information.  In today’s fast-changing digital economy, multistakeholder processes are the most nimble and effective means for addre

WASHINGTON —A report issued today by the U.S. Department of Commerce recommends amendments to copyright law that would provide both more guidance and greater flexibility to courts in awarding statutory damages. The recommended amendments would ensure continued meaningful protection for intellectual property while preserving the dynamic innovation that has made digital technology so important to the American economy.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today it is proposing new rules to guide its review of fees that the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) may assess pursuant to its statute. The framework is intended to enable FirstNet to operate in a competitive marketplace, giving it the flexibility it needs to meet its business and budgetary goals.

Statement of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling on ICANN CEO Fadi Chehade’s announcement that he plans to leave the organization next year:

WASHINGTON – Today, the President’s interagency Broadband Opportunity Council (BOC) announced it is seeking public comment on how federal agencies can promote broadband deployment, adoption and competition.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce's Internet Policy Task Force, through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), today released a document developed by stakeholders containing a set of agreed upon practices aimed at improving the operation of the notice and takedown system under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced it will be releasing the second phase of previously-awarded grant funding for states and territories to begin collecting data necessary to plan for the nationwide public safety broadband network being developed by the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet).

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Commerce Department’s Internet Policy Task Force (IPTF) announced today it is seeking public input on potential topics addressing key cybersecurity issues facing the digital economy that could be best addressed by a consensus-based multistakeholder process.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced it is seeking comment on a new multistakeholder process aimed at developing privacy best practices for the commercial and private use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The public is invited to submit suggestions concerning the structure of the multistakeholder engagement and the substantive issues stakeholders will discuss.

WASHINGTON  –  The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a new independent research study today showing that its broadband grants program resulted in billions of dollars in economic benefits to the communities served, including increased economic output and higher levels of employment.

Joint statement of FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling following their biannual meeting Thursday:

WASHINGTON – A report released today by the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) found that Americans are rapidly embracing mobile Internet devices such as smart phones and tablet computers for a wide range of activities beyond just voice communications, such as checking email and using social networks.

“We applaud today’s announcements from the Application Developers Alliance, Intuit and TRUSTe that they have released enhanced privacy notices for mobile applications, which are based on the code of conduct developed through the NTIA-convened multistakeholder process.  This is an important step that will give consumers more information about what data is being collected via mobile apps and empower consumers to protect their privacy.  We are pleased that others have tested and implemented notices, including ACT: The App Association and Lookout, and we encourage other companies to i