News and Events

NTIA’s State Broadband Leaders Network is a powerful forum for connecting local government, industry and stakeholders across the country that are focused on broadband activities. NTIA has spent many years building up these relationships, and recently updated our website with detailed information on state broadband offices and funding opportunities.

America’s technology leadership in secure and reliable 5G communications is critical to the nation’s economic and international competitiveness. Delivering on these goals, President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget calls for increased funding to modernize the nation’s spectrum management system; improve the security of our telecommunications infrastructure; and upgrade advanced communications research.

Spectrum sharing strategies hold great promise for meeting the growing needs of commercial and federal users.  This is an area of intense study at NTIA as we seek to protect critical federal missions while enabling new commercial opportunities.

As we close the books on 2019, NTIA took stock of strides made in the past year on key Administration priorities. Topping the list is our work to make spectrum available for 5G, including completing engineering work to put critical mid-band spectrum to use in the 3.5 GHz band. NTIA also is proud of our work with government partners to enhance broadband connectivity, improve technology equipment in 911 call centers, and secure networks from cyber threats.

Ensuring U.S. Leadership in 5G, Broadband Opportunities

Participants in NTIA’s software security multistakeholder effort made significant progress this year, publishing the first set of community-drafted documents to offer guidance around the practice of a software bill of materials (SBOM). The SBOM functions as a “list of ingredients” for software that can help organizations keep track of the underlying components that make up almost all software today.

Every initiative to expand spectrum use and efficiency relies on predictions of how far a wireless signal will travel, or propagate, before interfering with another user or fading away. Unlocking the full potential of spectrum resources requires a deep understanding of radio wave behavior, and accurate propagation models, so that systems can be designed to coexist in a crowded environment.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Today, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) launched a new Minority Broadband Initiative (MBI) focused on solving broadband deployment challenges in vulnerable communities. NTIA announced the initiative at the 2019 Carolinas Alliance for Success in Education (CASE) Summit held at Johnson C. Smith University.

Remarks of Diane Rinaldo
Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
Mobile World Congress Americas
Los Angeles, California
October 23, 2019

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Thank you. I’m thrilled to be in Los Angeles for this exciting conference – and discussions about our technology future.

Remarks of Diane Rinaldo
Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
SHLB Coalition Annual Conference
Arlington, Virginia
October 18, 2019

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Thank you. I’m very excited to be here to share NTIA’s support for connecting anchor institutions around the country.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the appointment of two leaders in public safety and law enforcement to serve on the Board of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority).

One of the most significant challenges to expanding broadband connectivity is determining which parts of the country remain unconnected. Getting this information would help states and local communities – and the providers they work with -- more accurately understand where new infrastructure is needed.

Earlier this month, NTIA convened the latest in a series of multistakeholder meetings on software component transparency. For more than a year, stakeholders have been exploring this issue through four working groups established during the July 2018 kickoff meeting. The broader community meets periodically to share progress and encourage feedback through in-person and virtual meetings.

Statement of Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Doug Kinkoph on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) approval of initial commercial deployments in the 3.5 GHz band:

TESTIMONY OF DIANE RINALDO

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION (ACTING)

NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION (NTIA)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

HOUSE ARMED SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE AND EMERGING THREATS AND CAPABILITIES AND HOUSE OVERSIGHT AND REFORM SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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The first meeting of newly appointed members of the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee will be held on Oct. 1. The committee includes 30 outside experts who advise the Assistant Secretary of Commerce on a range of spectrum policy and technology issues. Two co-chairs lead the committee: Jennifer Warren, Vice President, Technology Policy & Regulation, Lockheed Martin; and Charla Rath, independent consultant and former Verizon executive.

Remarks of Charles Cooper
Associate Administrator, Office of Spectrum Management
NTIA Spectrum Policy Symposium
Washington, D.C.
September 10, 2019

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Introduction

Thank you to Doug Kinkoph, and thanks to Assistant Secretary Rinaldo and Deputy Secretary Kelley for joining us this morning.

Today, NTIA released the first annual report showing continuing efforts to repurpose parts of the nation’s radiofrequency spectrum to meet the future communications needs of commercial and federal users. The report shows that the United States already leads the world in spectrum available for 5G technology, and is working to more-than-double the radio spectrum available for the next generation of wireless network technology.