Letter to Hon. Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America - MATSUI AND COLLEAGUES URGE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO BOLSTER NTIA, NOMINATE CTO Image

Letter

Dear Mr. President:

While we are on track for a successful rollout of 5G in the C-Band, the significant dispute over its use demonstrates the ongoing need for meaningful coordination across the Federal government. To ensure agencies have the requisite resources to fulfil their mandates and to maintain U.S. leadership in next generation communications networks, it is imperative that the Federal government have a unified approach to spectrum policy. Therefore, we encourage you to take action to bolster the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) statutory role as manager of the federal government's use of spectrum and quickly nominate a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to support the development and execution of the Administration's spectrum policy.

NTIA manages the Federal government's use of spectrum, supporting America's domestic and international spectrum goals while making efficient use of a limited resource. As manager of the federal government's use of spectrum, NTIA has a statutory "responsibility to ensure that the views of the executive branch on telecommunications matters are effectively presented to the [Federal Communications Commission (FCC)]" 47 U.S.C. § 902(b)(2)(J). This role allows NTIA to cogently represent federal interests before the FCC and ensures that the FCC is not forced to interpret divergent messages from individual federal agencies. To support NTIA in fulfilling this statutory obligation, President Obama's CTO issued a 2013 memorandum to all Federal agencies instructing that "before filing public comments in matters relating to telecommunications and information policy with the FCC or another independent Federal agency, your Department or Agency should coordinate the content and timing of those comments with NTIA so that the Administration speaks with one voice." With Alan Davidson's confirmation as NTIA Administrator, we believe there is an urgent need to revisit this memorandum and consider targeted ways to expand its scope to provide the agency with the Administration-backed authority it needs to fulfill its mandate.

As the 2013 memorandum shows, a permanent CTO allows the Administration to authoritatively communicate spectrum policy to Federal agencies. With the backing of the White House, a CTO can be a powerful force in ensuring the Administration speaks with one voice on spectrum matters. We urge you to quickly nominate a CTO to advance U.S. leadership on spectrum and other important technology issues impacting the Federal government.

We appreciate the progress your Administration has made on these important issues and your commitment to bring more high-speed internet options to all Americans.