The following is a cross-post from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Every day, Americans depend on space-based technologies, which power navigation services, accurate weather forecasts, rural Internet access, public safety communications, national security objectives, and more. All of these technologies depend on a key public resource – radiofrequency spectrum...

The following is a cross-post from the official website of the Honorable U.S. Senator Roger Wicker U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, hosted U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo for a tour of sites along the Mississippi Gulf Coast on Friday, June 25. Wicker invited Raimondo to tour the Mississippi Gulf Coast...

Following President Joe Biden’s announcement of the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo released the following statement: “Today represents a historic accomplishment that will transform our economy, create millions of good-paying jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and position the United States to outcompete on the global stage...

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a new publicly available digital map that displays key indicators of broadband needs across the country. This is the first interactive, public map that allows users to explore different datasets about where people do not have quality Internet access. The public “Indicators of...

Thank you, Margaret, for that kind introduction and for your leadership. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how wide the digital divide truly is for America’s indigenous communities when it comes to broadband access. In the 21 st century economy, broadband access and affordability isn’t a luxury – it’s essential to everyday life. Yet, too often tribal lands lack basic cell service. And only half of...

Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced today at the White House the availability of nearly $1 billion in U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) grants to expand broadband access and adoption on Tribal land. The leaders called for significant broadband investments...

Thank you, Vice President Harris, for that introduction and for your amazing leadership on this important issue. And thank you President Holsey and Secretary Haaland for your leadership as well. When COVID-19 lockdowns began, schools across America quickly switched to online education. But last month I met with leaders from the Navajo Nation and learned that many of their children couldn’t attend...

Broadband Internet is increasingly essential for Americans to do their jobs, participate in distance learning, access health care and stay connected. Still, millions of Americans live in areas where there is no broadband infrastructure that can provide acceptable speeds. Americans outside of urban areas particularly lack adequate access. On tribal lands, the digital divide is especially stark...

Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo participated in a virtual listening session with Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and other Navajo officials on the barriers to reaching one hundred percent broadband access across the Navajo Nation. The conversation was moderated by U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján, and Raimondo was joined by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Rep...

As technology becomes more central to everyday life, policymakers are paying close attention to who is reaping the benefits of these advancements and who is being left behind. At the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), women in key leadership positions are working hard to secure our networks, close the digital divide and bring the next...