News and Events

By Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce & NTIA Administrator

Every day at NTIA, we work to promote technology in the service of human progress. That has been the throughline of our actions on Internet connectivity, spectrum and tech policy.

As I look ahead to my third anniversary and final days as NTIA Administrator next week, I’m incredibly proud of what we have accomplished to advance technology for people and progress.

Closing the Digital Divide

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has recommended for award more than $250 million to 24 organizations to support digital skills and inclusion projects in communities across the country. These investments will empower individuals and communities across the nation with the essential skills they need to thrive in today’s connected world.  

As of last week, the federal government has obligated all $42.45 billion in BEAD funding to states and territories (the “Eligible Entities”). This means that, subject to the terms and conditions of their awards, Eligible Entities can access their BEAD allocation to connect every resident to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service. With all 56 Eligible Entities having now reached this critical milestone, we know that grantees are eager to begin deployment of new high-speed Internet networks.

By Rafi Goldberg, Acting Deputy Associate Administrator

In September, NTIA and the Census Bureau announced an ambitious new initiative to improve our understanding of Internet use at a local level.

Local Estimates of Internet Adoption (Project LEIA) is aimed at producing more granular Internet adoption estimates using a combination of existing data and statistical modeling techniques known as “small area estimation.”

$16.1 million for Arizona, $10.1 million for Arkansas, $12.3 million for Colorado, $13.4 million for Maryland, $4.5 million for North Dakota, $2.1 million for American Samoa, and $2.1 million for the U.S. Virgin Islands

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that up to $450 million in funding will be made available for software-focused Open RAN innovation.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today has approved and recommended for award an application from Washington, allowing the state to request access to more than $15.9 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

WASHINGTON — The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today has approved and recommended for award an application from New Jersey, allowing the state to request access to more than $18 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

WASHINGTON — The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today has approved and recommended for award an application from Kentucky, allowing the state to request access to more than $12million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

$8.2 million for Kansas, $10.7 million for Mississippi, $22.4 million for North Carolina, $25.5 million for Pennsylvania, and $18.3 million for Virginia

WASHINGTON — The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today has approved and recommended for award an application from Massachusetts, allowing the state to request access to more than $14.1 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

WASHINGTON — The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today awarded more than $6 million to Hawaii to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

WASHINGTON — The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today has approved and recommended for award an application from Rhode Island, allowing the state to request access to more than $4.5 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will host a listening session in conjunction with a Request for Comment released today to gather feedback on potential ethical guidelines for the use of pervasive data in research.

Pervasive data refers to information about people gathered through online services. While this data can help provide essential insights for informing policy, there is a lack of clarity on how to ensure this research is done responsibly.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today has approved and recommended for award an application from Maine, allowing the state to request access to more than $5.7 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

WASHINGTON — The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today has approved and recommended for award an application from Washington, D.C., allowing D.C. to request access to more than $3.8 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

$41.7 million for Florida, $8.4 million for Iowa, $6.9 million for Montana, $2.1 million for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and $2.1 million for Guam

By:  Will Arbuckle, Senior Policy Advisor, NTIA  

The $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program aims to connect 25 million Americans currently without high-speed Internet access. Building these broadband networks on time and at scale across 56 states and territories will require tens of thousands of broadband construction workers: from network designers to pole surveyors, from locators to drill operators, from general laborers to fiber splicers. 

In November 2024, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) completed a study of the Lower 37 GHz band (37-37.6 GHz), paving the way for a co-equal, shared-use framework for government and commercial users in this “innovation band.”  It represents the first deliverable under the National Spectrum Strategy directive to examine a key set of bands to ensure U.S. leadership in spectrum-based services now and into the future.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today has approved and recommended for award an application from Illinois, allowing the state to request access to more than $23 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.