News and Publications

BOULDER, Colo. - The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced plans to establish a national Center for Advanced Communications in Boulder, Colo. The new center will implement a key provision of a memorandum President Obama issued earlier today on “Expanding America’s Leadership in Wireless Innovation.”

“The President’s action today confirms and strengthens the efforts of NTIA, working with other federal agencies, to allocate 500 megahertz of spectrum by 2020 for wireless broadband services while balancing the spectrum needs of federal agencies. Spectrum is an important driver of economic growth and innovation. The Presidential Memorandum will encourage greater collaboration between industry and the government necessary to facilitate greater sharing of spectrum and ensure that agencies will utilize spectrum as efficiently as possible.”

In a new report released today, Exploring the Digital Nation: America’s Emerging Online Experience, NTIA examines how Americans connect to the Internet and what Americans do once they get online. The report, co-authored with the Economics and Statistics Administration, confirms the dramatic growth in the number of Americans who are going online to perform important tasks like applying for jobs, looking up health information, and learning about current events.

“We look forward to working with the FCC, the Department of Education and all other stakeholders to achieve the president’s goal of ensuring that 99 percent of U.S. students have access to next-generation broadband within the next five years,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling.

Westminster, Colo. – The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) today approved resolutions proposed by its new General Manager, Bill D’Agostino, to give FirstNet the funding and organizational structure it needs to advance its mission to build a nationwide, public safety broadband network for first responders.

WASHINGTON – The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Board voted today to establish a Special Review Committee that will review issues raised by Board member Sherriff Paul Fitzgerald at FirstNet’s April 23, 2013 Board meeting.

The committee will look at FirstNet’s compliance with applicable federal hiring and procurement rules, conflict of interest rules and open meeting requirements. The committee will also make recommendations on any process improvements the FirstNet Board should implement to address the concerns raised by Sheriff Fitzgerald.

WASHINGTON – The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) announced today that the first in a summer-long series of consultations with states, tribes, territories and localities will take place May 15-16 in the Washington, D.C area. FirstNet will conduct regional workshops in six regions and will also meet with each state individually during the consultation process.

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.

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.”

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.

“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.