Notice2024-20135
Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Listening Session #2
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 6, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Telecommunications and Information Administration
Abstract
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will convene its second virtual industry roundtable listening session on the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund ("Innovation Fund"). The listening session will discuss Innovation Fund progress to date and solicit stakeholder input to help inform future funding opportunities.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 173 (Friday, September 6, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 173 (Friday, September 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72828-72829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-20135]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Listening Session #2
AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration,
Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of open meeting.
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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA) will convene its second virtual industry roundtable listening
session on the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund
(``Innovation Fund''). The listening session will discuss Innovation
Fund progress to date and solicit stakeholder input to help inform
future funding opportunities.
DATES: The listening session will be held on September 26, 2024, from
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., eastern daylight time.
ADDRESSES: The session will be held virtually, with online slide share
and dial-in information to be posted at <a href="http://www.ntia.gov/program/innovation-fund">www.ntia.gov/program/innovation-fund</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct questions regarding this
Notice to Richard Upchurch at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b5dcdbdbdac3d4c1dcdadbd3c0dbd1f5dbc1dcd49bd2dac3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="543d3a3a3b2235203d3b3a32213a30143a203d357a333b22">[email protected]</span></a>, indicating
``Innovation Fund Listening Session #2'' in the subject line, or if by
mail, addressed to National Telecommunications and Information
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: 202-482-3806. Please direct media
inquiries to NTIA's Office of Public Affairs, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0e7e7c6b7d7d4e607a676f20696178"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4a3a382f39390a243e232b642d253c">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background and Authority: On August 9, 2022, President Biden signed
the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 into law, appropriating $1.5 billion
for the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund to support the
promotion and deployment of open, interoperable, and standards-based
radio access networks (RAN) (Pub. L. 117-167, Div. A, sec. 106, 136
Stat. 1392). The Innovation Fund is authorized under section 9202(a)(1)
of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2021 (Pub. L. 116-283; 47 U.S.C. 906(a)(1)). This
historic investment aims to support U.S. leadership in the global
telecommunications ecosystem, foster competition, lower costs for
consumers and network operators, and strengthen our supply chain. The
Secretary of Commerce, acting through the NTIA Administrator, shall
establish criteria for grants awarded to support the following:
(i) Promoting and deploying technology, including software,
hardware, and microprocessing technology, that will enhance
competitiveness in the fifth-generation (commonly known as ``5G'') and
successor wireless technology supply chains that use open and
interoperable interface radio access networks.
(ii) Accelerating commercial deployments of open interface
standards-based compatible, interoperable equipment, such as equipment
developed pursuant to the standards set forth by organizations such as
the O-RAN Alliance, the Telecom Infra Project, 3GPP, the Open-RAN
Software Community, or any successor organizations.
(iii) Promoting and deploying compatibility of new 5G equipment
with future open standards-based, interoperable equipment.
(iv) Managing integration of multi-vendor network environments.
(v) Identifying objective criteria to define equipment as compliant
with open standards for multi-vendor network equipment
interoperability.
(vi) Promoting and deploying security features enhancing the
integrity and availability of equipment in multi-vendor networks.
(vii) Promoting and deploying network function virtualization to
facilitate multi-vendor interoperability and a more diverse vendor
market.
In accordance with the above statute, NTIA issued two Notice of
Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) based on stakeholder feedback.
NTIA's first NOFO was released in August 2023, which awarded more
than $140 million to 17 grantees. This first funding opportunity
focused on advancing two key areas:
1. Testing and Evaluation (T&E): Projects aimed at expanding
industry-accepted T&E, within the United States and its territories and
possessions, to test, evaluate, facilitate, and assess, the
interoperability, performance, and/or security of open and
interoperable, standards-based 5G radio access networks.
2. Research and Design (R&D) into Testing Methods: R&D projects
aimed at addressing needs not currently met by industry-accepted tests
and best practices. These projects fall into two categories: (1)
developing new and emerging performance indicators and/or (2)
developing enhanced methods for existing test criteria that make
material improvements on current methods needed to assess
interoperability, performance, and/or security on these networks and
their component parts.
NTIA's second NOFO was released in May 2024 with up to $420 million
allocated for awards. NTIA anticipates beginning to award grants this
fall. This second NOFO focuses on:
1. Open Radio Unit (RU) Commercialization: Projects aimed at
accelerating the development of open RU products to the point where
they meet carrier needs and are ready for commercial trials. NTIA seeks
to accelerate mobile network operator (MNO) adoption by requiring
suppliers and MNOs to partner on the development of open RU products
that meet operators' performance and feature requirements.
2. Open Radio Unit (RU) Innovation: Projects aimed at improving the
overall performance and capabilities of open RUs through targeted
research and development. NTIA seeks to drive RU innovation that
results in advanced performance and features--in turn accelerating the
adoption of open and interoperable networks.
Considering the research focus areas undertaken to date, NTIA
invites input from all interested stakeholders--including private
industry, academia, civil society, and other experts--on the following
topics, among others, to help inform the future of the Innovation Fund:
(a) Ongoing barriers to Open RAN adoption, including for example,
technology gaps and market challenges, among others, and opportunities
to address such barriers;
(b) Anticipated use cases for open and interoperable standards-
based networks in public and private 5G networks; and
(c) Desired outcomes from industry, including relevant trials,
deployment models, or proofs of concept.
Time and Date: NTIA will convene the public listening session on
September 26, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. eastern daylight time.
The exact time of the meeting is subject to change. Please refer to
NTIA's website, <a href="http://www.ntia.gov/program/innovation-fund">www.ntia.gov/program/innovation-fund</a> for the most
current information.
[[Page 72829]]
Place: The meeting will be held virtually, with online slide share
and dial-in information to be posted at <a href="https://www.ntia.gov/program/innovation-fund">https://www.ntia.gov/program/innovation-fund</a>. Please refer to NTIA's website, for the most current
information.
Other Information: The meeting is open to the public and the press
on a first-come, first-served basis. The virtual meeting is accessible
to people with disabilities. Individuals requiring accommodations such
as real-time captioning, sign language interpretation or other
ancillary aids should notify the Department at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a1e8cfcfced7c0d5c8cecfe7d4cfc5e1cfd5c8c08fc6ced7">[email protected]</a>
at least seven (7) business days prior to the meeting. Access details
for the meeting are subject to change. Please refer to NTIA's website,
<a href="https://www.ntia.gov/program/innovation-fund">https://www.ntia.gov/program/innovation-fund</a> for the most current
information.
Stephanie Weiner,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-20135 Filed 9-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P
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