NTIA

NTIA, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce. It serves as the principal adviser to the President and Congress on telecommunications and information policy, represents U.S. interests in international forums, and conducts research to support a secure, competitive, and innovative communications landscape. NTIA’s work encompasses broadband access and digital inclusion, information infrastructure resilience, and the regulation and development of communications technologies.

A central function of NTIA is spectrum management. The agency coordinates with the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Defense, and other federal entities to allocate and manage radio frequencies used by government and civilian systems. Its efforts aim to maximize efficient spectrum use, minimize interference, and support advances in wireless technologies, satellite, public safety, and scientific research. NTIA also collects, analyzes, and disseminates data on communications and spectrum policy to inform decision makers and the public.

NTIA oversees the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, the agency’s research arm, which conducts applied work in radio propagation, wireless communications, cybersecurity, and spectrum management methods. In the international arena, NTIA engages with multinational partners and organizations to shape global policy, standards, and best practices related to digital infrastructure and information access. Historically, NTIA has played a role in Internet governance, including stewardship of the IANA functions and the 2016 transition of those responsibilities to the global multi-stakeholder community.

The agency is led by an Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and collaborates closely with other federal agencies, industry, and academia to advance policy, innovation, and public-interest outcomes in telecommunications and information technology.