Technology in Service of Human Progress: NTIA in the Biden-Harris Administration

January 7, 2025

By Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce & NTIA Administrator

Every day at NTIA, we work to promote technology in the service of human progress. That has been the throughline of our actions on Internet connectivity, spectrum and tech policy.

As I look ahead to my third anniversary and final days as NTIA Administrator next week, I'm incredibly proud of what we have accomplished to advance technology for people and progress.

Closing the Digital Divide

When I took office three years ago, President Biden had just given us a simple but historic mission: Connect everyone in America to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service.

Today, NTIA has awarded more than $46 billion in broadband funding and connected thousands of families. That includes:

• More than 40,000 homes with new high-speed Internet access through the Broadband Infrastructure Program.
• $1 billion worth of Middle Mile networks, including building over 3,200 miles of fiber and counting.
• 4,500 homes with either new or subsidized Internet connections on Tribal lands.

These programs - and the billions flowing in from private capital - have contributed to major progress: Over 3 million previously unserved homes and business have been connected to the Internet since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration.

And there is much more to come. We ended 2024 with a major milestone: Obligating all available funding from the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment, or BEAD, program to the states and territories. That means every state and territory finally has the resources it needs to connect every resident to high-speed Internet service.

Behind all of these numbers are the people whose lives are changing for the better because of this work. As Assistant Secretary, I had the chance to meet many of those people firsthand: A grandmother in Bunkie, La., trembling in frustration about how hard it was to get her grandchildren online during the pandemic. A teenager in Phoenix, Ariz., lining up for a refurbished laptop so he didn't have to do his homework on a phone. A former autoworker in Holly, Mich., building the equipment that is going into our fiber optics networks.

There are millions of stories like these - and millions more people whose lives will be changed by Internet access. Thanks to the hard work of the states and territories, the BEAD program is poised to deliver what no program has before: universal Internet connectivity.

Wireless Leadership and Innovation

I am also proud of NTIA's work on spectrum and in the wireless space during this Administration.

Think about where the federal government was three years ago: We were just completing a bruising process working through the hard issues around 5G and radio altimeters. Collaboration between federal agencies on spectrum was fraught. And the United States had no National Spectrum Strategy.

All of that has changed. We have built stronger processes and better working relationships among agencies to solve the many issues that come up in managing federal spectrum.

And the Administration delivered a National Spectrum Strategy to meet our future spectrum needs. In the year since the White House announced that Strategy, NTIA has reached important implementation milestones. We've released an Implementation Plan, completed the strategy's first band study in the 37 GHz , released a National Spectrum R&D Plan, and securing funding for the lower 3 GHz and 7-8 GHz band studies.

In short, we are doing the hard work needed to maintain the U.S. position as the world leader in wireless technology.

That includes supporting the industry's shift to trusted, open and interoperable wireless networks. NTIA's Wireless Innovation Fund, and our work with global allies, is promoting more trustworthy networks around the world.

Our $1.5 billion program aims to boost competition and supply chain resiliency, and lower costs for consumers and network operators in the shift to Open RAN. So far, NTIA has awarded more than $413 million from the Wireless Innovation Fund, and we just announced another $450 million in available funding.

Building a Better Internet

Even as we've worked to build out connectivity and spur wireless innovation, we have also tackled the policy issues that come with universal access - competition, online safety, Internet governance, and promoting a free and open global Internet.

But no tech policy issue today is more pressing than how governments respond to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

Responsible advances in AI will bring enormous benefits and innovation. But we will only realize the full promise of AI if we address the real risks it poses and ensure broad access to the opportunities it offers.

Guided by these twin goals of maximizing AI's benefits while mitigating its risks, NTIA finished two major AI policy initiatives in 2024.

• Our AI Accountability Policy Report called for independent audits of the highest-risk AI systems - those that directly impact physical safety or health, for example - and for building an ecosystem around AI accountability.
• Our Open Weights Model Report supports making the key components of these powerful AI models widely available, but also calls for active government monitoring of potential risks that arise.

Both of these areas - AI accountability and open model weights - will need a lot of work in the years to come. Our hope is our early initiatives in this space will build the foundation for AI deployment in the service of people and progress.

Building an NTIA for the 21^st Century

This has been just a snapshot of NTIA's many accomplishments over the past few years.

But as I reflect on my tenure, some of our most impactful work has been in building an NTIA for the 21^st century. In my first year at the helm, we experienced explosive growth. Nearly a third of NTIA was new to their job by the end of my first 18 months. And as we grew, we built and organized an agency capable of tackling the big missions it was given - and with the talent to tackle the big technology policy challenges that lie ahead. Now as I prepare to leave, I am proud of the NTIA we have built together and optimistic about what this agency can achieve in the future.

It has been an incredible privilege and honor to serve as Assistant Secretary at this historic moment. I am grateful to President Biden and Secretary Raimondo for this opportunity and for their leadership on our issues. I thank NTIA's many supporters and partners, both inside and outside of government, without whom our achievements would not be possible. And I salute the hardworking and dedicated staff of NTIA, who I know will carry this important work forward.

Onward!