NTIA

By: Karen Hanson, Director of Interagency Coordination, Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG), National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

As projects from the Biden-Harris administration’s Internet for All initiative connect people to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service around the country, coordinating across the federal government is crucial to maximize taxpayer dollars and ensure no one is left behind.

That interagency coordination is now stronger than ever, and yet can be further strengthened through additional action.  

To that point, NTIA today released a report based on the Government Accountability Office’s recommendation to assess legislative barriers in coordinating Federal broadband programs, and how to address those barriers.

The report highlights steps taken by agencies to promote alignment and provides suggestions for further improvements.

Alignment across federal agencies can prove challenging because programs are often authorized at different points in time and frequently impose different deployment obligations, timelines, and technical specifications. Despite this NTIA works collaboratively with our colleagues to promote best practices and make improvements where possible.

The report outlines recommendations to build on current efforts, mechanisms currently in place to minimize potential duplication between federal programs, and NTIA’s role in coordination.

WASHINGTON – Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted on a proposal that would require mobile providers to unlock customers’ cell phones within 60 days of activation. NTIA has advocated for such a policy for over a decade, both with the Library of Congress and the FCC.

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.