Today’s 5G equipment market, however, is highly consolidated, with a small group of suppliers making up most of the marketplace. This lack of competition can reduce supply chain security, contribute to higher prices, and make it challenging for new, innovative companies to break into the market.  

Over the next decade, the Biden-Harris Administration, led by the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), will work to catalyze the development and adoption of open, interoperable, and standards-based networks through the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund. Authorized under the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act and funded through the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, this ten-year grant program will help drive wireless innovation, foster competition, and strengthen supply chain resilience. It will also help unlock opportunities for companies from the United States and its global allies, particularly small and medium enterprises, to compete in a market historically dominated by a few suppliers, including high-risk suppliers that raise security concerns.

NTIA is excited to lead the work of implementing the Innovation Fund. We will share more details about the program and the timeline for implementation as they become available. If you have questions about the Innovation Fund, please contact us at InnovationFund@ntia.gov for more. If you would like to subscribe to updates about the Innovation Fund, send an email to join-pwscif-info@osmmail.ntia.doc.gov.