Lawmakers discussed a potential reorganization of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on Wednesday during a House Commerce Subcommittee hearing on network resilience on Wednesday. The NTIA is the subject of several bills before lawmakers to increase the agency’s role in securing America’s telecom networks and 5G supply chain, Inside Towers reported. But the agency, which oversees government spectrum, needs more people and a permanent leader, witnesses said.
Six out of the nine bills that have been introduced by committee members would reconfigure NTIA, speakers observed. It’s currently led by Acting Administrator, Evelyn Remaley.
Dileep Srihari, senior policy counsel for technology consultancy Access Partnership, said lawmakers “need to ensure that NTIA and the FCC are well organized” to handle upcoming cybersecurity and network security responsibilities for 5G, 6G and Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN). “The committee should ensure that NTIA has the staff to do this. NTIA needs an administrator to do what it is being asked to do.” That position was left “vacant under the previous administration for far too long,” he testified.
Srihari estimated that NTIA has about 150 staffers total. Most of the changes being proposed would involve its domestic and international programs division, which currently has about 30 employees. He noted that President Joe Biden has proposed raising that number to a little over 50.
Asked what types of things NTIA should be doing to advance next generation wireless networks, he said: “I would tell NTIA, ‘introduce operators now deploying Open RAN around the world,’” and hold events like the FCC’s Open RAN showcase happening in two weeks.
“You should urge the president to fill this vacancy,” Srihari said. “Ideally, Congress should hear from NTIA itself on these issues.”
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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