Office of International Affairs (OIA)
NTIA’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) is principally responsible for advising the President on international telecommunications and information policy issues. OIA plays an important role in the formulation of international telecommunications and information and communications technology (ICT) policies and strategies to foster cross-border innovation, expression, and commerce, and promote U.S. technological leadership and competitiveness. The office shapes technology-neutral policy with or before international institutions, foreign governments, Congress, and domestic and international stakeholders. OIA promotes the multistakeholder system of internet governance.
In addition, OIA sustains NTIA’s role as the Executive Branch expert on issues relating to the internet’s domain name and numbering systems, which are critical components of the internet's technical infrastructure. In this regard, OIA represents the U.S. government in its interactions with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the not-for-profit corporation that coordinates the technical management of these systems. OIA leads the interagency process to prepare for meetings of ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). OIA also oversees the management of the .US and .EDU Top Level Domains.
OIA also supports the development and deployment of secure, reliable 5G infrastructure, including open and interoperable networks. It does so by fostering global consensus and coordination on policies to facilitate robust, trusted, and competitive 5G markets and industry-led innovation, as well as to lay the foundation for leadership in 6G and other next-generation telecommunications advances. OIA engages with a wide range of foreign governments, international fora, and non-governmental stakeholders in support of these priorities. OIA also leads the interagency Telecommunications Supply Chain Resilience Working Group, which works to coordinate U.S. government efforts to reduce entry barriers for additional trusted vendors of 5G network equipment and services and to promote the development of open, interoperable networks. Additionally, OIA contributes to ICT standards development processes, international capacity-building efforts, and U.S. interagency policymaking on matters related to secure and resilient 5G ecosystems.
OIA advances U.S. positions on telecommunications and ICT policy and standards at various regional and international fora including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the G7, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). OIA collaborates with U.S. government colleagues, industry, and technical experts in these fora to maintain open and interoperable networks worldwide and promotes technical standards that enhance economic security and global technology leadership. OIA also coordinates the Department of Commerce’s engagement on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in multilateral fora, working across the Department and with interagency partners to advocate for pro-innovation AI policies, reduce unnecessary barriers to AI development and deployment, and ensure that international frameworks reflect U.S. values.
Associate Administrator: Jaisha Wray
Contact
Office of International Affairs
National Telecommunications & Information Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave., N.W., Room 4701
Washington, D.C. 20230
Phone: (202) 482-1866
Fax: (202) 482-1865