News and Events

This blog is part of a new “Spotlight on NTIA” series. We’ll be highlighting the work that NTIA employees are doing to advance NTIA’s mission of promoting broadband adoption, finding spectrum to meet the growing demand for wireless technologies, and ensuring the Internet remains an engine for innovation and economic growth.

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

at the

SHLB 2013 Annual Conference
Washington, DC
May 2, 2013

As Prepared for Delivery

The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today released its Broadband Adoption Toolkit, a document aimed at sharing best practices developed from broadband adoption and digital literacy projects funded by the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). Leveraging the experience of about 100 communities served by BTOP to benefit the entire nation, the Toolkit gives practical ideas and tools for overcoming barriers to getting more Americans online access.

WASHINGTON – The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Board today adopted a resolution authorizing FirstNet Board member Sue Swenson to begin negotiations with the state of Texas to enter into a spectrum lease agreement for its public safety broadband project.

WASHINGTON  –  The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Board announced today the hiring of Bill D’Agostino, Jr. to be its General Manager.  D’Agostino is an accomplished telecommunications and wireless industry executive, with 33 years of experience designing, operating and upgrading telecommunications networks.

NEW ORLEANS – First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Board member Sue Swenson provided an update yesterday on FirstNet’s work to prepare for a nationwide public safety broadband network.  The following remarks are a summary of those delivered at the Competitive Carriers Association Global Expo in New Orleans on April 17.

Keynote address by Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information Angela Simpson
Broadband Communities Summit
Dallas, Texas
April 16, 2013

As Prepared for Delivery

Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information Lawrence Strickling was honored today for his leadership on behalf of the Obama administration’s efforts to enact wireless deployment and public safety provisions in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.

The following blog post originally appeared on the website of the United States Telecommunications and Training Institute (USTTI).

Washington – FirstNet Board member Sue Swenson, the Board’s lead negotiator with the seven Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) public safety projects on 700 MHz spectrum leases, provided an update today on the process and status of the negotiations.   The Board in February adopted a resolution outlining its path forward with the seven public safety BTOP grantees, whose funding was partially suspended following enactment of the law creating FirstNet.

“Julius Genachowski has built a substantial legacy of accomplishments during his four years as Federal Communications Commission Chair. He has provided intellectual leadership to the U.S. government’s efforts to advance the spread of broadband nationwide and to provide more spectrum to meet the nation’s growing demand for wireless technologies. I have learned much from working with him over the years and most recently in his role as FCC Chairman. I wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Closing the digital divide – and getting all Americans online – requires a multipronged approach. It’s not enough just to provide affordable computer equipment and access to broadband at a reasonable price. Just as important is digital literacy training to teach people how to use the Internet and take advantage of everything it has to offer.

Written Testimony of
Samuel Ginn
Chairman
First Responder Network Authority Board

Before the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
United States House of Representatives

Hearing on
“Oversight of FirstNet and Emergency Communications”

March 14, 2013

This article is cross-posted on the OSTP blog

The President’s strategy for expanding the capacity of high-speed wireless broadband services across the Nation may get a boost from a new Defense Department Initiative to fund research and development of innovative new approaches to spectrum sharing.

Testimony of
The Honorable Lawrence E. Strickling
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
United States Department of Commerce

Before the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
United States House of Representatives

Keynote Address by Lawrence E. Strickling
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
Silicon Flatirons Center Conference on
The Digital Broadband Migration: The Future of Internet-Enabled Innovation
Boulder, Colorado
February 11, 2013

- As Prepared for Delivery –

As the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) nears completion, NTIA staff is continuing to work closely with our grantees to ensure that projects are wrapping up on time and within budget, delivering the promised broadband benefits to the communities they serve.

WASHINGTON  –  Intuit today announced that the company supports the draft code of conduct being developed in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s privacy multistakeholder process, and that the company plans to adopt the code. The code, when finalized and adopted,  will improve disclosures regarding mobile applications' privacy practices.  In addition, other key stakeholders voiced general support for the direction the code is taking.

WASHINGTON – Following on NTIA's January 2013 report evaluating the potential use of up to 195 megahertz of additional spectrum in the 5 GHz band by unlicensed devices, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today proposed making the spectrum in the 5350-5470 MHz and 5850-5925 MHz bands available for such use. 

WASHINGTON – The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) today announced the structure and membership of FirstNet’s Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC), which will be comprised of 40 representatives of public safety organizations.

To understand how rural South Dakota is, consider this: The state ranks 17th in the nation in terms of geographic size, but 46th in population - with fewer than 820,000 people, according to the 2010 Census. In some parts of South Dakota, the distance between farmsteads can be six miles. Cattle outnumber people four to one.

For telecommunications companies, the state’s sparse population means that there are not enough customers in many places to enable them to recoup costly investments in advanced telecommunications networks needed to deliver high-speed Internet service.

“NTIA thanks the Board for conducting this review expeditiously.  NTIA is pleased that today’s resolution charts a path to allow the resumption of these projects in accordance with the two conditions set out when we partially suspended the projects last year: 

• The grant money will remain in the communities that received the grant.

• The grant dollars will be spent on facilities and equipment that can be incorporated into FirstNet’s nationwide network , or that will yield valuable data and information to guide FirstNet.”

“The FirstNet Board has been hard at work now for five months, laying the groundwork for what will be one of the largest telecommunications networks ever built.  We understand the enormity of our task at hand, and the urgency to get it done as expeditiously as possible.  But we want to get it right.

“The FirstNet Board has taken a big step forward with the BTOP public safety projects.  Using the information we obtained from our site visits and other work with the projects’ leaders and vendors, we have determined that each of these seven grantees could provide substantial benefits to FirstNet’s nationwide deployment efforts and generate valuable lessons learned on the challenges we face.  

“The FirstNet Board understands that this network cannot be built without the critical input of the public safety community and states, tribes and regional groups. As a representative of that community, I’m committed to ensuring that these voices are heard as FirstNet develops plans for this nationwide public safety network. We’ve already begun our outreach to these stakeholders, but we’re just getting started. Please be patient because there’s much more to come.