Written Statement of Arielle Roth Before the House Committee on Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Communications & Technology
Written Statement of Arielle Roth
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
Before the House Committee on Energy & Commerce
Subcommittee on Communications & Technology
“Oversight of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration”
June 30, 2026
Chairman Hudson, Ranking Member Matsui, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
It has been nearly a year since I was confirmed by the Senate to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). In that time, I have worked alongside the exceptional professionals at NTIA to execute an ambitious agenda: developing the biggest spectrum pipeline in our nation’s history, reforming and accelerating large broadband funding programs, strengthening public safety communications, and helping ensure American companies lead the world in developing the innovative and secure technologies and networks of the future.
It is an honor to testify before this Subcommittee just days before our nation celebrates its 250th birthday. That milestone is a powerful reminder of how far America has come—and how much our communications networks have shaped that progress. During the time of our founding, communicating through letters and pamphlets took days, weeks, or even months—delivered by horseback across the colonies, or by ship across the Atlantic.
However slow that may seem to us now, the free exchange of ideas was essential to America’s self-governance.
Since then, we have witnessed generations of transformation—the telegraph, telephone, radio, television, the internet, and now AI. Each advancement has dramatically expanded who can speak, who can be heard, and how quickly ideas can travel. American ingenuity drove these advancements, and American ideals ensured that new technologies expanded freedom, opportunity, and human flourishing—not government control.
These principles guide NTIA’s work every day. As AI and emerging technologies continue to reshape communications, our charge remains the same: to ensure that innovation expands opportunity, protects individual rights, and strengthens the free exchange of ideas.
Fulfilling that charge requires action. At NTIA, we're focused on delivering results: building a real spectrum pipeline, accelerating broadband deployment, strengthening mission-critical public safety communications, and ensuring the United States’ global technology leadership.
Building a Spectrum Pipeline
Last year, Congress passed the Working Families Tax Cut Act and directed the largest spectrum pipeline in our nation's history. I am pleased to report that NTIA is aggressively executing on Congress's direction. Congress set ambitious timelines, and we are committed to meeting—and where possible exceeding—them.
NTIA has another year to identify at least 200 megahertz of spectrum for commercial use, and we are approaching this goal with urgency.
In December, President Trump issued a Memorandum making it the policy of the United States to lead the world in 6G. It gave NTIA and our federal partners clear marching orders to move quickly, study the right bands, protect critical federal missions, and make more spectrum available for commercial use.
We are making substantial progress across every band in the pipeline.
The Presidential Memorandum directed us to immediately begin the process of identifying spectrum in the 7 gigahertz (GHz) band for full-power commercial licensed use and report the results of the studies by the end of the year. The 7 GHz band represents a critical opportunity for U.S. leadership in next-generation wireless and an important alternative to China’s efforts to dominate the future of 6G through the 6 GHz band. Thanks to the President’s leadership, we are on track to meet that deadline.
On the 2.7 GHz band, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Department of War now have access to funding from the Spectrum Relocation Fund (SRF) following completion of the statutory 60-day Congressional notification requirement and can now begin the technical and operational work necessary for NTIA to evaluate the feasibility of an identification.
On the 4 GHz Band, NTIA has approved blueprints from the 12 federal agencies operating across this band and is working toward Administration approval and submission of the plans to Congress, pursuant to the statutory requirement.
We have also already identified the 1675-1680 megahertz (MHz) as a “downpayment” on our targets. These 5 megahertz, paired with the adjacent 15 megahertz we are studying at 1680-1695 MHz, could also support future direct-to-device capabilities.
To promote transparency and accountability, NTIA recently launched spectrum.gov, which includes a chart tracking the status of each band. I also stand ready to answer questions today about what we have learned from the SRF process, including how long it can take to secure support for the very studies Congress has directed us to complete.
Leading on 6G and Emerging Tech
Our work to identify 500 megahertz for commercial use cannot be the ceiling of U.S. spectrum leadership. America must also lead in standards, satellite, Wi-Fi, and AI. NTIA is working to ensure the next generation of wireless technology is an American generation.
NTIA has been bolstering our engagement in key standards bodies defining 6G specifications, including 3GPP and ATIS. We are laser-focused on ensuring 6G networks are built on secure, resilient, and technically-sound standards—rather than standards shaped by authoritarian regimes.
Next month, we will launch a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the remaining $53 million in the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund to explore how the U.S. can promote a domestic, exportable AI-native 6G stack. We expect this work to inform future 3GPP and O-RAN standards.
In accordance with the Administration’s AI Action Plan, NTIA hosted a convening on March 10 with approximately 100 stakeholders focused on supply challenges facing U.S. companies seeking to build advanced robotics and humanoids in the United States. We are also planning a follow-up convening on drones.
NTIA is also preparing for World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27), which will be held in Shanghai, China.
In May, I attended the ITU Council meeting in Geneva, where I met with like-minded partners to encourage them to pursue chair and vice chair positions during WRC-27. Those roles will matter enormously given China’s position as host of the conference. Similarly, I had the opportunity to promote American leadership at the ITU, supporting the campaigns for the reelection of Doreen Bogdan-Martin as Secretary General, Jennifer Warren for a seat on the Radio Regulations Board, and a U.S. seat on the ITU Council.
I also called for strong protections in the WRC-27 host country agreement to ensure that U.S. government and industry participants can attend and participate without fear of surveillance or interference.
We are working closely with the White House, the State Department, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and other partners to develop positions that will enable the United States to enter WRC-27 as the world’s most dynamic and authoritative leader in spectrum management. To date, we have already submitted several U.S. positions to the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), our regional preparatory body, and plan to submit the remaining positions at our next regional conference in November—far ahead of where we stood at this point before WRC-23.
Satellite will be a major focus at WRC-27, with roughly 80 percent of the agenda focused on such topics. In May, NTIA hosted a training in Ghana for more than 20 African countries on the importance of satellites in providing universal connectivity and on how international policy will impact satellite speeds and access across the world. Because Africa represents one of the largest voting blocs at WRC, these engagements are essential to advancing U.S. interests.
As part of our broader effort to champion America’s satellite industry, NTIA also led the interagency coordination for SpaceX’s Gen2 Version 3 application and Amazon’s recent Low Earth orbit (LEO) application. The FCC’s approvals were decisive steps toward expanding and enhancing satellite connectivity, unlocking more than 30 gigahertz of additional spectrum to support faster, higher-capacity satellite broadband services.
NTIA is also using digital tools to streamline outdated federal processes. In April, we debuted the Space Launch Frequency Coordination Portal, which creates a more transparent and efficient process for reviewing spectrum requests from launch providers and coordinating with federal agencies.
Ensuring Universal Broadband Availability
Satellite and wireless technologies have also been key to our successful reform of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. At the start of the Administration, BEAD was weighed down by bureaucratic red tape, market-distorting restrictions, and heavy-handed, extralegal social mandates.
Under Secretary Lutnick’s leadership, we restored BEAD to its statutory objective: universal connectivity delivered through competition, accountability, and respect for the law. The Benefit of the Bargain reforms lowered costs for taxpayers, increased skin in the game for providers, and will connect consumers faster.
In May, I traveled to Ogallala, Nebraska, to celebrate one of the first BEAD-funded connections in the country. That connection is a concrete example of what an efficient, technology-neutral BEAD program can achieve.
The connection came from an unlicensed fixed wireless provider that was able to connect consumers within months of BEAD approval—far faster than the four-year deployment window set by Congress. That was possible because NTIA embraced technology neutrality and opened the program to any provider capable of meeting our performance requirements.
The Benefit of the Bargain reforms have been enormously successful, with 54 of the 56 states and territories having received NTIA approval of their BEAD Final Proposals, and 52 states and territories having signed and returned their award agreement, making them eligible to access funds.
Under the Trump Administration’s BEAD program, nearly 4 million locations will be served with a broad mix of technologies: approximately 62 percent fiber, 24 percent LEO satellite, 13 percent fixed wireless, and 2 percent hybrid fiber-coaxial.
After NTIA encouraged matching funds above the 25 percent required by statute, Internet service providers committed nearly $12 billion in matching funds, about 40 percent of total BEAD costs. The average BEAD cost per location is now $4,765. Our focus on fiscal discipline and technology neutrality produced more than $21 billion in savings.
NTIA has also accelerated deployment by leading in permitting innovation. The Environmental Screening and Permitting Tracking Tool (ESAPTT) allows BEAD recipients to conduct a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental screening, seamlessly generate decision documents, and track permitting milestones for each subgrant project. NTIA also expanded the number of NEPA categorical exclusions available for broadband from 11 to 47, and up to 95 percent of BEAD projects will qualify for expedited review.
NTIA is also reforming its Tribal broadband programs to reduce red tape for Tribal governments, promote flexibility, and align grant opportunities to better serve Tribal connectivity. Earlier this month, we issued two new NOFOs that streamline the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and the Native Entities set-aside from the Digital Equity Act of 2021 to expand Tribal broadband access and adoption. We are eager to work with Tribes and move quickly on qualified applications.
Enhancing Public Safety Communications
As part of our work to expand connectivity, NTIA also plays a critical role in strengthening the communications systems America’s first responders depend on every day—including oversight of FirstNet.
NTIA was pleased to see FirstNet reauthorization legislation pass through this Committee and the full House of Representatives. This legislation includes important reforms that will strengthen accountability, improve governance, and help ensure the network meets the operational needs of our nation’s first responders. I want to thank the Members of this Committee for your bipartisan leadership on this effort.
In March, NTIA announced that Secretary Lutnick partnered with AT&T to secure an additional $2 billion in value for public safety under the FirstNet contract. This deal will expand coverage, accelerate 5G buildout for first responders, and increase investment into the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network.
Reliable public safety communications are not a luxury. During hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other emergencies, first responders need resilient, mission-critical connectivity that works when lives are on the line. Strengthening FirstNet remains one of NTIA’s top priorities.
Further, as Congress continues considering Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911), NTIA recently released an updated study showing that nationwide implementation costs have declined significantly since our 2018 assessment—from $9.5 billion to $12.7 billion in 2018 to $5.8 billion to $9.27 billion today. That reduction in costs reflects both investments already made by states and a broader market shift away from equipment-based systems toward software-driven and cloud-based solutions with lower upfront costs and recurring subscription-based pricing. NTIA stands ready to continue serving as a resource to Congress as you evaluate next steps on NG911.
Addressing Kids’ Excessive Screen Time
Finally, I want to mention our initiative on excessive screen time in schools. As a mom of six kids, this issue is deeply personal to me. The public debate often focuses on banning cell phones in schools, and while that’s important, it only scratches the surface.
When you talk to most parents, their concern isn’t just cell phones, it’s that their children are on school laptops, devices, and digital curricula and platforms for large portions of the school day, starting at very young ages. When screens become the default rather than a targeted and intentional tool, many parents worry that activities essential to learning and healthy development—reading, writing, physical activity, creative play, hands-on learning, and face-to face interactions—are being crowded out. Those concerns are reinforced by a growing body of evidence suggesting that the large-scale digitization of classrooms has outpaced rigorous evaluation of its effects, with research increasingly indicating that screen-based instruction can weaken comprehension and retention, reduce students’ ability to focus and sustain attention, and undermine the development of foundational skills that are critical to literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking.
Technology has a role in education, and certain tools have opened real opportunities for students. But classroom technology should serve learning—not the other way around.
Earlier this year, the Office of the Surgeon General recommended that schools “limit screen use by assigning work in books or on paper whenever possible,” reflecting growing recognition that excessive screen use in schools carries real developmental and educational tradeoffs.
Late last year, NTIA held a listening session to hear more about what’s driving these trends, including how federal rules, policies, and funding streams may be accelerating excessive screen use in the classroom. We heard from parents, teachers, researchers, medical experts, privacy advocates, and others who raised concerns not only about student learning, focus, attention, and distraction, but also about privacy, inappropriate content, and parental oversight.
As part of an Administration-wide effort to empower parents over their children’s screen use, the FCC is conducting a review of the E-Rate program to ensure that it is advancing student learning outcomes and protecting the interests of children. To inform this proceeding, NTIA will host a second listening session in the coming weeks to hear from parents, teachers, and child development experts about what programmatic reforms will ultimately benefit students. NTIA will continue to work with partners across the Administration to empower parents, support child development and educational excellence, and help ensure that the next generation develops strong cognitive and reasoning skills, meaningful face-to-face relationships, and a healthy and thoughtful relationship with technology.
Conclusion
NTIA is delivering results across our core priorities: spectrum leadership, global competitiveness in secure next-generation technologies, broadband deployment, and public safety connectivity. We are doing so with urgency, efficiency, and a commitment to ensuring that American taxpayers receive maximum value from every federal dollar invested.
Our nation’s 250th anniversary reminds us that we are carrying forward an American tradition of freedom, ingenuity, and progress. We are grateful for Congress’s support and partnership, and we look forward to continuing to work together to advance America’s communications infrastructure and strengthen our nation’s leadership in the technologies and networks that will define the next century.
Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.