Commerce Department

The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced completion of an initiative with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and VeriSign to enhance the security and stability of the Internet.  The announcement marks full deployment of a security technology -- Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) -- at the Internet's authoritative root zone (i.e.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today, joined by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at the South Los Angeles WorkSource Center,announced a $7.5 million Recovery Act grant that will upgrade and expand 188 computer centers that provide the public with free broadband access to the Internet. The investment will help bridge the technological divide and improve access to job and computer training, and educational opportunities.

U..S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke today urged Americans who need help getting ready for the national switch to digital television (DTV) to apply for a converter box coupon no later than Monday, June 1, in order to receive it before the June 12 transition.

Consumers who have TVs connected to cable, satellite, or another pay TV service are ready for the transition to digital. If they don't prepare, consumers who rely on free, over-the-air TV and use "rabbit ears" or a rooftop antenna with a television that uses an analog tuner, will lose television service on June 12.