Internet Policy

As the Executive Branch agency responsible for advising the President on telecommunications and information policy issues, NTIA is committed to the continued growth of the Internet. As the Internet evolves, new challenges emerge. Working with other stakeholders, NTIA is developing policies to preserve an open, interconnected global Internet that supports continued innovation and economic growth, investment, and the trust of its users. This multistakeholder model of Internet policymaking – convening government, the private sector, and civil society to address issues in a timely and flexible manner – has been responsible for the past success of the Internet and is critical to its future.

Among other efforts, NTIA plays a leading role in the Commerce Department's Internet Policy Task Force, which is conducting a comprehensive policy review related to online privacy, copyright protection, cybersecurity, and the global free flow of information with the goal of ensuring that the Internet remains open for innovation.

NTIA also actively leads and participates in interagency efforts to develop Internet policy. In addition, NTIA works with other governments and international organizations to discuss and reach consensus on relevant Internet policy issues.

C-SCRIP Hosts First Webinar on NTIA’s High-Speed Internet Grant Programs and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework

September 20, 2022

The Communications Supply Chain Risk Information Partnership (C-SCRIP) held its first webinar for stakeholders on Monday, August 8. This program featured discussions on:

NTIA’s Internet for All high-speed Internet grant programs, presented by Andy Berke, NTIA Special Representative for Broadband, and;
NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework and Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management Program, presented by Cherilyn Pascoe, NIST Senior Technology Policy Advisor, and Angela Smith, NIST Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management Program Technical Lead.

Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, NTIA is responsible for distributing $48 billion to help close the digital divide and ensure that all Americans have access to reliable, affordable high-speed Internet service. Berke explained the programs and suggested that interested attendees sign up for upcoming virtual Internet for All Office Hours. He recommended that they work closely with state broadband offices to stay in the loop on the high-speed Internet grant programs.

Topics

High-Speed Internet

Internet Policy

Funding Programs

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD)

Joint Statement on 5G/Open RAN Information Sharing and Telecommunications Resilience and Security Between the United States and Australia

September 14, 2022

The Australian Department of Home Affairs and the U.S. Department of Commerce, as represented by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), issue the following joint statement following today's meeting between Minister for Home Affairs Clare O'Neil, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, Department of Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo, and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson.

Topics

Internet Policy

Secure 5G

NTIA Seeks Input on Competition in the Mobile App Ecosystem

April 25, 2022

Apps on mobile devices are a part of daily life for many Americans. They allow us to talk with our friends, find a ride home, play games, or monitor our health. These applications on our mobile phones and tablets can help small business owners reach new customers, and thousands of American entrepreneurs and innovators are working on apps that increase productivity, improve health care and make learning more fun.

That’s why mobile apps have become a significant part of our economy -- by one industry account, the app economy was valued at $1.7 trillion in 2020, employing more than 5.9 million Americans.

In his Executive Order on promoting competition, President Biden recognized America’s tech sector as an engine of innovation and growth, but he warned that dominant Internet platforms can “use their power to exclude market entrants, to extract monopoly profits, and to gather intimate personal information that they can exploit for their own advantage.”

With the goal of promoting a fair, open, and competitive marketplace, the Executive Order directed the Department of Commerce to conduct a study of the mobile app ecosystem, and to use an open and transparent process to hear from the many stakeholders in the app economy, including consumers, app developers, businesses, and nonprofits.

Topics

Internet Policy

Mobile App Competition