NTIA Blog

By Bob Cannon, Senior Telecommunications Policy Analyst, NTIA

My name is Bob.  I am number six.

Do you believe me?

If I were wrong… would you know?

In the 1960s television show “The Prisoner,” retired secret agents are held captive in a place known only as “The Village” and assigned numbers to replace their identities.  Protagonist “Number Six” quickly learns that what one claims to be and what one is can be two different things.

Internet routing is a bit like life in The Village.  One network whispers to a second that it is number six.  The second network then tells two other networks that it can send traffic to number six.  And those two networks tell two more networks that they can reach the network that reaches number six.  And so on.  Networks make routing decisions based on these whispers, following the path back to the network that says it is number six.  Sometimes those whispers are right. Sometimes they are wrong. When they are wrong, Internet traffic can go astray.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is embarking on an inquiry into whether more privacy protections are necessary for people who have registered “.us” domains on the Internet.

NTIA administers the contract for the country code top-level domain, for the United States, .us. The .us domain is used by American businesses, individuals, and localities.

NTIA’s contractor, Registry Services, is required by the agency to maintain a publicly accessible database of .us domain name registrations. Registry Services provides a directory service that allows anyone to obtain registration data without any authentication.

Personal information – including names, home addresses and phone numbers – is included in the registration database. Concerns have been raised that this information may be misused for abusive purposes, including doxxing, spam, or other harassment.

NTIA is working on multiple fronts to address data privacy concerns. To better protect the personal information of .us domain registration holders, NTIA is seeking comment on a Registry Services’ proposal that would require those that request access to registration data to provide an email address, identify a legitimate purpose, and accept Terms of Service.

Americans increasingly rely on radio spectrum for much of their daily lives. From texting friends to car navigation these airwaves play an invisible but central role.

Much like other important resources, spectrum access is finite. Demand continues to grow. Federal spectrum policy experts recognize this – and have come up with creative new ways to allow greater spectrum access by sharing this vital resource.

One innovative approach is the Citizens Broadband Radio Service, which allows for dynamic spectrum sharing between the Department of Defense and commercial spectrum users. The DOD users have protected, prioritized use of the spectrum. When the government isn’t using the airwaves, companies and the public can gain access through a tiered licensing arrangement.

This means the DOD can use the same spectrum for its critical missions while companies can use it for 5G and high-speed Internet deployment.

This is possible through automated sense-and-avoid dynamic access. This ground-breaking framework was made possible by rules established by the Federal Communications Commission in 2015, technologies standardized and developed by industry, and certification tests executed at NTIA's research and engineering lab, the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS).

And there were a lot of questions about whether it would work.

A new report from ITS shows that it is working.

This April marks the 6th annual National Supply Chain Integrity Month. NTIA and its Federal partners are pleased to participate in this campaign to raise awareness of the threats to supply chains, the resources available to mitigate such threats, and ways to build resilience to future risks. 

This year’s theme is “Supply Chain Risk Management – The Recipe for Resilience.” The “recipe” for improving an organization’s resilience involves several key ingredients:  

• Acquisition security,  
• Information security,  
• Insider threat mitigation, and  
• Cybersecurity.  

A comprehensive supply chain risk management (SCRM) program allows an organization to better understand its risk profile and where and when to implement mitigations throughout the supply chain lifecycle.     

By Christopher Maximos, Intern in the Office of Congressional Affairs

I still remember the sense of wonder that I felt when I entered the Herbert Clark Hoover Building for the first day of my internship. I could almost feel the history of the Department of Commerce as I walked through meeting rooms filled with antiques and hallways blanketed by the portraits of previous Secretaries.  

Yet, the fourth floor, where most of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s offices sit, is different. Colorful spectrum charts blanket the timeless marble walls. Staffers discuss emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and 5G in rooms that look out to the Washington Monument and the White House.

Wireless connectivity empowers nearly every aspect of modern life, and reliable access to spectrum resources is essential. So, it’s perhaps no surprise that NTIA has received an immense amount of feedback on the development of a National Spectrum Strategy since announcing the start of this effort on March 15. 

Most recently, the period for providing responses to NTIA’s Request for Comments (RFC) closed April 17.  NTIA received 131 written comments from stakeholders who provided in-depth information in response to questions about the nation’s spectrum needs, how best to engage in long-term spectrum planning, and technology innovations that can help better manage the nation’s spectrum resources.  The comments are now accessible both on NTIA’s website and on Regulations.gov.  

On Wednesday, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the formal launch of the $1.5 billion Innovation Fund, an initiative designed to support the development of open and interoperable 5G and future generation technologies. Funded by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, this historic investment aims to drive wireless innovation, strengthen supply chain resilience, and unlock opportunities for new and emerging companies to compete in the global telecommunications market. With the publication of our first Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), NTIA is moving one step closer to achieving a diverse, sustainable, and competitive wireless supply chain. 

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a Federal Register Notice to seek expressions of interest from individuals who would like to serve on the Board of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority Board or Board).  Prospective candidates must have expertise or experience in at least one of the following areas: public safety, network, technical, and financial. The FirstNet Authority Board is responsible for providing overall policy direction and oversight of FirstNet to ensure that the nationwide network continuously meets the needs of public safety. 

The 15-member FirstNet Authority Board includes 12 non-permanent members, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Attorney General of the United States, and Director of the Office of Management and Budget. One of the 12 non-permanent members to the FirstNet Authority Board resigned prior to the end of his term.  The Secretary of Commerce will appoint an individual to complete that Board member’s term through September 2024.   

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

The Internet for All initiative is a critical component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s overall strategy to build a more dynamic economy. It will enable American workers and businesses to compete on the global stage and generate new economic opportunities in overlooked communities throughout the country. Internet for All will create as many as 150,000 jobs nationwide – but to maximize the economic potential of this initiative, manufacturers and Internet service providers will need to build right here in America.

As President Biden said in his State of the Union Address this week, “[w]e’re making sure that every community has access to affordable, high-speed Internet...And when we do these projects, we’re going to Buy American.” The president made clear that while Buy America has been the law of the land since 1933, too many administrations have found ways to skirt its requirements.

We will not.

The iron and steel, manufactured products, and construction materials needed to deliver affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service to millions of Americans is an opportunity to create jobs and opportunities right here in America. That’s why NTIA believes that if it can be Made in America, it should be made in America – and it’s why we’ll strictly enforce ‘Build America, Buy America’ (BABA) requirements outlined in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Internet for All Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs).