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.

Spectrum capacity discussions have often focused on the lower frequency bands (below about 6 GHz) because those signals are able to travel significant distances without being interrupted by environmental factors. But these lower frequency bands do have a drawback for wireless transmission in a data-hungry age – available bandwidth is limited.

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:

This week, NTIA is joining communities, organizations and broadband advocates in recognizing Digital Inclusion Week and the important work being done by digital inclusion programs across the country.

Evolving and improving the science behind spectrum sharing is essential to NTIA’s commitment to delivering the spectrum needed to support innovation, power next-generation technologies and ensure that federal agencies can execute their spectrum-dependent missions.

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.

Over the last eight years, our agencies have worked to expand the availability and adoption of broadband in recognition of the increasingly important role that the Internet is playing in every facet of society.

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.

Remarks of Lawrence E. Strickling
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
The 5G Wireless Future and the Role of the Federal Government
Hudson Institute
Washington, D.C.
December 16, 2016
--As Prepared for Delivery--

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.

Stakeholders involved in NTIA’s cybersecurity multistakeholder process to promote collaboration on vulnerability research disclosure today are releasing initial findings, recommendations, and resources that they hope will enhance cooperation and lead to a more secure digital ecosystem. The three stakeholder-drafted reports reflect the experience and wisdom of many of the key experts in the field, including active security researchers, experienced software companies, security companies, academics, and civil society advocates, as well as industries new to the issue.

Remarks of Lawrence E. Strickling
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
Internet Governance Forum
Opening Session
Guadalajara, Mexico
December 6, 2016
--As Prepared for Delivery--

Remarks of Lawrence E. Strickling
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
Reflections on the evolution of the multistakeholder model
in the context of the IANA Stewardship Transition
Internet Governance Forum
Guadalajara, Mexico
December 5, 2016

--As Prepared for Delivery--

Remarks of Lawrence E. Strickling
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
Transforming Communities: Broadband Goals for 2017 and Beyond
Washington, D.C.
November 30, 2016

--As Prepared for Delivery--

Remarks of Lawrence E. Strickling
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information

UK Internet Governance Forum
London, England
November 17, 2016

--As Prepared for Delivery--

Thank you to the UK IGF steering committee for inviting me to participate, and thank you to those of your here in London, and to everyone joining the proceedings remotely. 

NTIA today is announcing the development of another tool to help meet the surging demand for spectrum from industry and government agencies.  It also is the latest demonstration of the Obama Administration’s ongoing commitment to make spectrum available for wireless broadband.

This blog post was cross-posted on the Commerce Department's website.

Merriam-Webster defines clutter first as “a crowded or confused mass or collection,” and then as “interfering radar echoes caused by reflection from objects (as on the ground) other than the target.” As we work to make the most efficient use of the radio spectrum, including by sharing it, we need to better understand how radio spectrum interacts with real world environments, not just in a lab, in order to predict when and where interference might occu

Remarks of Lawrence E. Strickling
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
The Self-Governing Internet

Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, Georgia
October 26, 2016

--As Prepared for Delivery--

Thank you Milton for inviting me and thank you to all of you joining us here at Georgia Tech and watching the webcast.

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.