UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and
Information Administration
Washington, DC 20230
1
August 5, 2021
As required by Section 9202(a)(1)(G) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 21 NDAA), I am writing to provide an
initial report with additional recommendations to promote the competitiveness and sustainability
of trusted suppliers in the wireless supply chain, as well as on any further authorities that may be
needed to facilitate timely adoption of open standards-based equipment.
1
Through the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Department of Commerce
continues to closely monitor legislative developments pertinent to the Public Wireless Supply
Chain Innovation Fund (Innovation Fund) authorized by Section 9202(a)(1) of the FY 21
NDAA, such as the $1.5 billion in appropriated funding included as part of the Senate-passed
United States Innovation and Competition Act.
2
The Department’s primary recommendation is to support final passage of measures
necessary to allow NTIA to begin operating the Innovation Fund. Public research and
development investments have previously helped to drive transformative technological
breakthroughs, such as the emergence of the early Internet,
3
and today rank among the most
broadly supported measures among U.S. stakeholders active on open and interoperable
telecommunications networks. For example, a wide range of participants cited the Innovation
Fund during NTIA’s February 25, 2021, industry listening session on “Vendor Diversity for 5G
Security.”
4
This same theme recurred across various responses to the FCC’s March 2021 Notice
1
William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, Pub. L. No.
116-283, Div. H., Title XCII, § 9202(a)(1)(G), (Jan. 1, 2021) (authorizing the Public Wireless Supply
Chain Innovation Fund (Innovation Fund) to support the promotion, deployment, and acceleration of open
and interoperable interface radio access networks (RAN) and equipment).
2
United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, S. 1260, 117th Cong. § 1003 (2021), available at
https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/s1260/BILLS-117s1260es.pdf.
3
Vint Cerf, “A Brief History of the Internet & Related Networks,” available at
https://www.internetsociety.org/internet/history-internet/brief-history-internet-related-networks/.
4
NTIA, Industry Listening Session: Vendor Diversity for 5G Security 02/25/2021, available at
https://www.ntia.doc.gov/other-publication/2021/industry-listening-session-vendor-diversity-5g-security-
02252021.
