NTIA Blog

By: Charles Cooper, Associate Administrator, Office of Spectrum Management

NTIA’s new round of funding from the $1.5 billion Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund presents a unique opportunity to advance spectrum-sensing technology, in turn potentially driving more efficient use of airwaves for the public and private sectors.

Spectrum sharing is an effective way to increase commercial access to spectrum resources while protecting and enhancing government operations. Spectrum-sensing technology incorporated into a sharing system or framework could protect incumbent operators while making more spectrum available for other beneficial uses. These sensor technologies would be able to detect and identify government radio signals among all of the various radio signals and avoid interfering with them.  

One objective of this funding opportunity’s second focus area is to propel the development of advanced Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology that meets the needs of modern mobile networks. Projects funded under this initiative will target several critical advancements:

By Charles Cooper, Associate Administrator, NTIA Office of Spectrum Management

NTIA is hard at work implementing the National Spectrum Strategy. First up: initiating technical studies of spectrum bands – including a process to streamline funding to federal agencies – and kicking off the exploration and demonstration of advanced spectrum management techniques including Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS).

On the band studies, NTIA is streamlining the pipeline plan process so that federal agencies can obtain funding from the Spectrum Relocation Fund (SRF)—what is commonly referred to as “pipeline” funding—for their studies.  Right away, we will be using this streamlined SRF process for both the Lower 3 GHz band and the 7/8 GHz band studies.  We expect that more than 10 federal agencies will seek funding, and our hope is this streamlined process will make the application process easier and quicker for these agencies.

Agency requests for SRF funds generally involve several steps.  

By Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator 

At NTIA, tech policy is what we do. From connecting everyone in America to the Internet, to managing federal airwaves, to crafting policy for emerging innovations like artificial intelligence systems, our goal is to make sure important technologies are developed in the service of people and progress.

To help reach that goal, I’m pleased to announce key additions to our leadership team.

Shiva Goel will join the Office of the Assistant Secretary as Senior Advisor for Spectrum Policy. He joins NTIA from the Federal Communications Commission, where he served as Legal Advisor to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. Mr. Goel was previously a partner in the telecom, appellate, and litigation practices of Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP, where he advised on wireless, space policy, and universal service issues.  

Francella Ochillo joins NTIA as Director of Public Engagement. Ms. Ochillo is a technology policy expert who specializes in promoting digital citizenship. She comes to NTIA from Georgetown University, where she served as a Technology and Society Fellow. She has served as a non-profit leader, an academic, and an attorney.

In today's digital world, access to technology and the Internet enables boundless opportunities.  Now more than ever, women and girls are seizing these opportunities to smash barriers and soar to new heights. 

For women and girls, achieving digital equity is more than gaining access to the devices and connectivity that empower them – it is also about safeguarding their journey. 

As we celebrate International Women's Day, read on for three reasons why digital equity is a game-changer for women and girls’ empowerment.  

1. Empowering through Education and Workforce Opportunities 

Digital equity ensures equitable access to education and workforce opportunities. By providing women and girls with access to online learning platforms, educational resources, and digital skills training programs, they get the tools they need to thrive in a technology-driven society. This access to education opens doors to diverse career paths, from STEM fields to entrepreneurship, enabling women and girls to challenge the status quo in male-dominated sectors and pursue their aspirations without limitations. 

By tapping into these opportunities, women and girls can achieve financial independence, contribute to household incomes, and challenge societal norms that perpetuate gender disparities in the workforce.