Telecommunications/ICT Development Activities, Priorities and Policies To Connect the Unconnected Worldwide in Light of the 2021 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-21), 24391-24393 [2021-09581]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 86 / Thursday, May 6, 2021 / Notices
States Code; and developing and
implementing the integrated strategy
under 51 U.S.C. 60601(c), including
subsequent updates and reevaluations.
The SWAG shall also conduct a
comprehensive survey of the needs of
space weather products users to identify
the space weather research,
observations, forecasting, prediction,
and modeling advances required to
improve space weather products, as
required by 51 U.S.C. 60601(d)(3).
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II. Structure
The SWAG shall consist of not more
than 15 members, including a chair, of
whom: Five members shall be
representatives of the academic
community; five members shall be
representatives of the commercial space
weather sector; and five members shall
be nongovernmental representatives of
the space weather end-user community.
Members will be chosen to provide an
appropriate range of views that
represent the span of the space weather
community and end-user sectors.
Members shall serve in a representative
capacity; they are, therefore, not Special
Government Employees. As such,
members are not subject to the ethics
rules applicable to Government
employees, except that they must not
misuse Government resources or their
affiliation with the Committee for
personal purposes. All members of the
SWAG will be appointed by the
interagency working group for a 3-year
term, with one member appointed by
NOAA as the Chair. Members may not
serve on the SWAG for more than two
consecutive terms. A member of the
SWAG may not serve as the Chair of the
SWAG for more than two terms,
regardless of whether the terms are
consecutive. The SWAG will meet
approximately three times each year,
which may be conducted in person or
by teleconference, webinar, or other
means. Additional meetings may be
called as appropriate, with approval by
the Administrator of NOAA. Members
are reimbursed for actual and reasonable
travel and other per diem expenses
incurred in performing such duties but
will not be reimbursed for their time. As
a Federal Advisory Committee, the
SWAG’s membership is required to be
balanced in terms of viewpoints
represented and the functions to be
performed, as well as appointments
shall be made without discrimination
on the basis of age, race, ethnicity,
gender, sexual orientation, disability, or
cultural, religious, or socioeconomic
status.
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III. Nominations
Interested persons may nominate
themselves or third parties. An
application is required to be considered
for SWAG membership, regardless of
whether a person is nominated by a
third party or self-nominated. The
application package must include: (1)
The nominee’s full name, title,
institutional affiliation, and contact
information; (2) identification of the
nominee’s area(s) of industry
perspective—academia, commercial
service provider, or end-user; (3) a short
description of his/her qualifications
relative to the kinds of advice being
solicited by NOAA in this Notice; and
(4) a current resume (maximum length
four [4] pages). All nomination
information should be provided in a
single, complete package, and should be
sent to the DFO of the SWAG at the
electronic address provided above.
Dated: April 30, 2021.
Benjamin Friedman,
Deputy Under Secretary for Operations
Performing the Duties of Under Secretary of
Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and
Administrator, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021–09530 Filed 5–5–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–KE–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and
Information Administration
[Docket No. 210503–0097]
RIN 0660–XC050
Telecommunications/ICT Development
Activities, Priorities and Policies To
Connect the Unconnected Worldwide
in Light of the 2021 International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) World
Telecommunication Development
Conference (WTDC–21)
National Telecommunications
and Information Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice, request for public
comment.
AGENCY:
As the United States prepares
for the International
Telecommunication Union’s (ITU)
World Telecommunication
Development Conference (WTDC–2021)
scheduled for November 8–19, 2021, in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the National
Telecommunications and Information
Administration is working closely with
the U.S. Department of State, the
Federal Communications Commission
(FCC), other federal agencies, and
members of the U.S. private sector. The
SUMMARY:
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WTDC–2021 will set the priorities and
activities for the ITU
Telecommunication Development
Sector in areas such as connectivity and
digital inclusion. Through this Notice,
NTIA is seeking public comments
regarding activities, priorities, and
policies that advance
telecommunications and information
and communications technology (ICT)
development worldwide to assist the
U.S. government in the development of
its position for the conference.
DATES: Comments are due on or before
June 7, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be
submitted by mail to the Office of
International Affairs (OIA), National
Telecommunications and Information
Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue
NW, Room 4701, Washington, DC
20230. Written comments may also be
submitted electronically to WTDC21@
ntia.gov. Please submit electronic
comments, either in Microsoft Word or
Adobe PDF, using a text searchable
format. NTIA will post comments to the
NTIA website at https://
www.ntia.doc.gov/federal-registernotice/2021/request-commentsconnecting-unconnected-worldwidewtdc-21.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Diane Steinour, Office of International
Affairs, National Telecommunications
and Information Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce, 1401
Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4701,
Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202)
482–3180; email: dsteinour@ntia.gov.
Please direct media inquiries to NTIA’s
Office of Public Affairs at (202) 482–
7002 or press@ntia.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
International Telecommunication
Union’s (ITU) World
Telecommunication Development
Conference (WTDC–21 or Conference),
whose theme is ‘‘Connecting the
Unconnected to Achieve Sustainable
Development,’’ is scheduled for
November 8–19, 2021, in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia. The WTDC–2021 is a
quadrennial conference that will bring
together the ITU’s 193 Member States
and private sector organizations (sector
members) that participate in the
Development Sector of the ITU (ITU–D).
As the United States prepares for the
WTDC–21, NTIA is working closely
with the U.S. Department of State,
which is leading and coordinating the
WTDC–21 preparatory process for the
United States, along with several
Executive Branch agencies, the FCC and
members of the U.S. private sector. The
Conference will set the priorities and
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activities for the ITU
Telecommunication Development
Sector in areas such as connectivity and
digital inclusion. To inform the
development of the U.S. government’s
priorities and position for the
Conference, NTIA is seeking comments
and recommendations on activities,
priorities, and policies that advance
telecommunications and information
and communications technology (ICT)
development worldwide.1
In general, the U.S. government’s goal
is to strengthen open, inclusive, and
secure digital ecosystems as nations
work towards universal connectivity.
Additionally, the U.S. government seeks
to leverage private sector collaboration
to strengthen local capacity, create
improved outcomes for development
and humanitarian assistance, encourage
adoption of U.S. values, ensure
adherence to internationally recognized
standards, improve cybersecurity, and
foster open markets to close the global
digital divide. We seek to reach the U.S.
telecommunication/ICT stakeholder
community and expand this community
with new connectivity stakeholders in
order to obtain a diverse range of views
and increase recognition about the
positive contributions U.S. entities are
making to connect the unconnected and
increase digital inclusion. We welcome
views, studies, reports and references to
development projects and engagements
that could bolster and help facilitate
future partnerships and collaborative
endeavors towards telecommunications/
ICT development.
The COVID–19 global health
emergency has underscored the need for
greater connectivity around the globe to
meet the challenges of daily life. Only
51 percent of the world’s population is
online, leaving nearly four billion
people unable to connect to the internet.
The United Nations (UN) estimates that
it will cost $428 billion to connect the
unconnected by 2030. As we learn
lessons from unserved and underserved
communities in the United States and in
other countries and regions, we seek
greater stakeholder engagement, input
1 NTIA is the President’s principal adviser on
telecommunications policy. See 47 U.S.C.
902(b)(2)(D). NTIA also develops and sets forth, in
coordination with the Secretary of State and other
interested agencies, plans, policies, and programs
which relate to international telecommunications
issues, conferences, and negotiations; coordinates
economic, technical, operational, and related
preparations for United States participation in
international telecommunications conferences and
negotiations; and provides advice and assistance to
the Secretary of State on international
telecommunications policies to strengthen the
position and serve the best interests of the United
States in support of the Secretary of State’s
responsibility for the conduct of foreign affairs. See
47 U.S.C. 902(b)(2)(G).
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and advice: what works, what does not,
and what lessons have been learned to
help address affordable access to and
uptake of telecommunications and ICT
products and services worldwide.
NTIA is seeking to foster more active
United States participation and
leadership by stakeholders in the ITU.
U.S. citizen Doreen Bogdan-Martin
serves as the current
Telecommunication Development
Bureau Director and is the first female
elected to the ITU leadership team. She
is seeking to widen the communities of
interest represented in ITU–D activities
to help lead to more concrete results
and outcomes in project and capacity
building implementation. WTDC–21
will launch a four-year work program in
2022–25 for ITU–D, during which it will
set out its priorities for development
assistance, regional office capacity
building, and study areas along thematic
priorities.
The U.S. government’s objectives for
the WTDC and ITU–D include
advancing U.S. efforts to:
—Improve global ICT connectivity and
affordability to reach everyone
—Improve digital skills acquisition
—Reduce the global digital divide and
promote inclusion, with a focus on
women and girls and students, as
drivers for adoption, especially in
developing countries
—Demonstrate U.S. leadership in
connecting the unconnected
nationally, regionally, and globally
—Promote policies that spur
competition, investment, and
innovation
—Promote ITU–D’s focus on capacity
building, enabling policy
environments to foster adoption of
new technologies, and promote new
business models and forms of
partnership to connect the
unconnected with affordable
broadband services
—Leverage the WTDC–21 to kick-start
new ICT development partnerships
worldwide that produce sustainable
and effective solutions
—Increase the value proposition for
stakeholders, especially from the
Americas region, to engage in ITU–
D activities
—Strengthen our interactions with both
developed and developing
countries to accomplish shared ICT
objectives.
This Notice and Request for Public
Comment is the public’s opportunity to:
(1) Provide input to NTIA on the
public’s interest in general global
telecommunications and ICT policy and
development activities and priorities,
(2) assist the U.S. delegation to the
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WTDC as it prepares for the Conference,
and (3) inform future U.S.
telecommunications and ICT
development goals and priorities
including engagement with the ITU
Development Sector on capacity
building activities. NTIA seeks
comments and supporting materials
regarding the objectives listed above as
well as proposals on U.S. policies and
goals about telecommunications and
ICT development activities. Comments
are welcome from all interested
stakeholders including the private
sector, the technical community,
academia, government, civil society,
and individuals. The comments will
help NTIA and the U.S. government
leverage and prioritize resources and
policy expertise most effectively.
Please address any of the following
topics in any submission:
1. ICT Development Priorities
a. Over the next five years, what
should the U.S. government priorities be
for telecommunications/ICT
development?
b. Are there particular areas of focus
for economic development, as well as
telecommunications/ICT development
that might help the United States align
with developing countries’ development
interests?
c. What are valuable venues, forums,
or methods to focus this work?
2. U.S. Stakeholder Community
a. In General
i. What are the challenges or barriers
towards connecting the unconnected?
Are there particular lessons or policy
approaches regarding the gender digital
divide?
ii. What types of activities or projects
have been most successful in building
capacities of developing countries
towards increasing telecommunications/
ICT development and inclusion?
iii. How can virtual platforms increase
capacity building, especially since
COVID–19 began?
iv. How best can the U.S. government
share its experiences and best practices
on telecommunications/ICT deployment
overcoming the digital divide, and other
telecommunications/ICT developmental
topics? In 2021? Longer term?
v. What interest or experience, if any,
should the U.S. government be aware of
entities participating in
telecommunications/ICT projects,
capacity-building efforts, and/or
donation of ICT products and services
globally and/or particularly those
focused on meeting developing country
needs?
vi. What types of financing or other
partnership mechanisms, including
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 86 / Thursday, May 6, 2021 / Notices
particular organizations or venues, may
help advance global ICT development?
vii. What are some structured
corporate social responsibility, goodwill
programs, or corporate partnership
programs that may be useful resources?
viii. What are some foundations or
financial institutions or non-profits that
can share donor experiences and best
practices to encourage investment in
underserved and unserved areas
(domestically or internationally)?
b. For the ITU and WTDC–21
i. How might virtual platforms
enhance the development and capacity
building work of the ITU Bureau of
Telecommunication Development (BDT)
and ITU–D study groups, including U.S.
participation, in a post-COVID–19
environment? Are other methods
available or appropriate?
ii. How should we best engage U.S.
stakeholders and ascertain their input
before, during, and after the WTDC–21
(and on an ongoing basis)?
iii. BDT is seeking to ensure that
WTDC–21 is a development-focused
conference that mobilizes people and
resources to ‘‘Connect the Unconnected
to Achieve Sustainable Development’’
including thematic dialogues, a youth
summit, and other events to bring
stakeholders together to consider key
telecommunications/ICT development
topics. How can the U.S. government
increase awareness or participation in
WTDC–21 in order to help ensure
concrete outcomes?
sector organizations, and stakeholders
for WTDC–2021.
Instructions for Commenters
Commenters are encouraged to
address any or all of the questions in
this RFC. Comments that contain
references to studies, research, and
other empirical data that are not widely
published should include copies of the
referenced materials with the submitted
comments. Comments submitted by
email should be machine-readable and
should not be copy-protected.
Comments submitted by mail may be in
hard copy (paper) or electronic (on CD–
ROM or disk).
Commenters should include the name
of the person or organization filing the
comment, as well as a page number on
each page of their submissions. All
comments received are a part of the
public record and generally will be
posted on the NTIA website, https://
www.ntia.gov, without change. All
personal identifying information (for
example, name, address) voluntarily
submitted by the commenter may be
publicly accessible. Do not submit
confidential business information or
otherwise sensitive or protected
information.
Dated: May 3, 2021.
Kathy Smith,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications
and Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021–09581 Filed 5–5–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–60–P
3. WTDC–21
a. What WTDC–21 outcomes would
best help achieve the Conference’s goal
to connect the unconnected and to help
raise awareness and mobilize resources
to close the digital divide?
b. What development projects, ideas,
and activities might be useful for the
U.S. government to advance through the
ITU Development Sector?
c. What ITU–D accomplishments
should the U.S. government encourage
the ITU seek to replicate?
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[Docket No: CFPB–2021–0009]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Notice of Approval of
Information Collection Requirements
Bureau of Consumer Financial
Protection.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), the Bureau of Consumer
Financial Protection (Bureau) is
announcing Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) approval of new
information collection requirements
contained in an interim final rule
published in the Federal Register on
April 22, 2021, ‘‘Debt Collection
Practices in Connection with the Global
COVID–19 Pandemic (Regulation F).’’
See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section below for additional information
about this OMB approval.
SUMMARY:
4. Other
a. Are there other
telecommunications/ICT development
matters that stakeholders want to raise
with the U.S. government (unrelated to
the ITU or UN)?
Request for Public Comment
In addition to the questions above,
NTIA invites comment on the full range
of issues that may be presented by this
inquiry. We also welcome input and
comments on any specific issues being
advanced by other countries, private
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BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL
PROTECTION
16:49 May 05, 2021
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Documentation prepared in support of
this information collection request is
available at www.regulations.gov.
Requests for additional information
should be directed to Suzan Muslu, Data
Governance Program Manager, at (202)
435–9267, or email: CFPB_PRA@
cfpb.gov. If you require this document
in an alternative electronic format,
please contact CFPB_Accessibility@
cfpb.gov. Please do not submit
comments to this mailbox.
Under the
PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) the Bureau
may not conduct or sponsor, and,
notwithstanding any other provision of
law, a respondent is not required to
respond to, an information collection
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number. On April 22, 2021, the
Bureau published an interim final rule
in the Federal Register titled ‘‘Debt
Collection Practices in Connection with
the Global COVID–19 Pandemic
(Regulation F)’’ to amend Regulation F,
which implements the Fair Debt
Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). The
interim final rule addresses certain debt
collector conduct associated with an
eviction moratorium issued by the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) in response to the
global COVID–19 pandemic. The
amendments prohibit debt collectors
from taking certain covered eviction
actions unless the debt collectors
provide written notice to certain
consumers of their protections under
the CDC temporary eviction moratorium
and prohibit misrepresentations about
consumers’ ineligibility for protection
under such moratorium. This
moratorium is in place now and
currently set to expire at the end of
June.
Pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.13, the
Bureau submitted a request for
emergency approval of these
information collection on April 22,
2021, and OMB approved this ICR on
April 30, 2021 and assigned it OMB
Control Number 3170–0074. Therefore,
in accordance with the PRA and 5 CFR
1320.11(k), the Bureau hereby
announces OMB approval of the
information collection requirements as
contained in the subject interim final
rule which is effective May 3, 2021.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Dated: April 30, 2021.
Suzan Muslu,
Data Governance Program Manager, Bureau
of Consumer Financial Protection.
[FR Doc. 2021–09533 Filed 5–5–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810–AM–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 86 (Thursday, May 6, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24391-24393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-09581]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
[Docket No. 210503-0097]
RIN 0660-XC050
Telecommunications/ICT Development Activities, Priorities and
Policies To Connect the Unconnected Worldwide in Light of the 2021
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Telecommunication
Development Conference (WTDC-21)
AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice, request for public comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: As the United States prepares for the International
Telecommunication Union's (ITU) World Telecommunication Development
Conference (WTDC-2021) scheduled for November 8-19, 2021, in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration is working closely with the U.S. Department of State,
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), other federal agencies,
and members of the U.S. private sector. The WTDC-2021 will set the
priorities and activities for the ITU Telecommunication Development
Sector in areas such as connectivity and digital inclusion. Through
this Notice, NTIA is seeking public comments regarding activities,
priorities, and policies that advance telecommunications and
information and communications technology (ICT) development worldwide
to assist the U.S. government in the development of its position for
the conference.
DATES: Comments are due on or before June 7, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by mail to the Office of
International Affairs (OIA), National Telecommunications and
Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401
Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4701, Washington, DC 20230. Written
comments may also be submitted electronically to [email protected].
Please submit electronic comments, either in Microsoft Word or Adobe
PDF, using a text searchable format. NTIA will post comments to the
NTIA website at https://www.ntia.doc.gov/federal-register-notice/2021/request-comments-connecting-unconnected-worldwide-wtdc-21.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Steinour, Office of
International Affairs, National Telecommunications and Information
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue
NW, Room 4701, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-3180; email:
[email protected]. Please direct media inquiries to NTIA's Office of
Public Affairs at (202) 482-7002 or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The International Telecommunication Union's
(ITU) World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-21 or
Conference), whose theme is ``Connecting the Unconnected to Achieve
Sustainable Development,'' is scheduled for November 8-19, 2021, in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The WTDC-2021 is a quadrennial conference that
will bring together the ITU's 193 Member States and private sector
organizations (sector members) that participate in the Development
Sector of the ITU (ITU-D). As the United States prepares for the WTDC-
21, NTIA is working closely with the U.S. Department of State, which is
leading and coordinating the WTDC-21 preparatory process for the United
States, along with several Executive Branch agencies, the FCC and
members of the U.S. private sector. The Conference will set the
priorities and
[[Page 24392]]
activities for the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector in areas
such as connectivity and digital inclusion. To inform the development
of the U.S. government's priorities and position for the Conference,
NTIA is seeking comments and recommendations on activities, priorities,
and policies that advance telecommunications and information and
communications technology (ICT) development worldwide.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ NTIA is the President's principal adviser on
telecommunications policy. See 47 U.S.C. 902(b)(2)(D). NTIA also
develops and sets forth, in coordination with the Secretary of State
and other interested agencies, plans, policies, and programs which
relate to international telecommunications issues, conferences, and
negotiations; coordinates economic, technical, operational, and
related preparations for United States participation in
international telecommunications conferences and negotiations; and
provides advice and assistance to the Secretary of State on
international telecommunications policies to strengthen the position
and serve the best interests of the United States in support of the
Secretary of State's responsibility for the conduct of foreign
affairs. See 47 U.S.C. 902(b)(2)(G).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In general, the U.S. government's goal is to strengthen open,
inclusive, and secure digital ecosystems as nations work towards
universal connectivity. Additionally, the U.S. government seeks to
leverage private sector collaboration to strengthen local capacity,
create improved outcomes for development and humanitarian assistance,
encourage adoption of U.S. values, ensure adherence to internationally
recognized standards, improve cybersecurity, and foster open markets to
close the global digital divide. We seek to reach the U.S.
telecommunication/ICT stakeholder community and expand this community
with new connectivity stakeholders in order to obtain a diverse range
of views and increase recognition about the positive contributions U.S.
entities are making to connect the unconnected and increase digital
inclusion. We welcome views, studies, reports and references to
development projects and engagements that could bolster and help
facilitate future partnerships and collaborative endeavors towards
telecommunications/ICT development.
The COVID-19 global health emergency has underscored the need for
greater connectivity around the globe to meet the challenges of daily
life. Only 51 percent of the world's population is online, leaving
nearly four billion people unable to connect to the internet. The
United Nations (UN) estimates that it will cost $428 billion to connect
the unconnected by 2030. As we learn lessons from unserved and
underserved communities in the United States and in other countries and
regions, we seek greater stakeholder engagement, input and advice: what
works, what does not, and what lessons have been learned to help
address affordable access to and uptake of telecommunications and ICT
products and services worldwide.
NTIA is seeking to foster more active United States participation
and leadership by stakeholders in the ITU. U.S. citizen Doreen Bogdan-
Martin serves as the current Telecommunication Development Bureau
Director and is the first female elected to the ITU leadership team.
She is seeking to widen the communities of interest represented in ITU-
D activities to help lead to more concrete results and outcomes in
project and capacity building implementation. WTDC-21 will launch a
four-year work program in 2022-25 for ITU-D, during which it will set
out its priorities for development assistance, regional office capacity
building, and study areas along thematic priorities.
The U.S. government's objectives for the WTDC and ITU-D include
advancing U.S. efforts to:
--Improve global ICT connectivity and affordability to reach everyone
--Improve digital skills acquisition
--Reduce the global digital divide and promote inclusion, with a focus
on women and girls and students, as drivers for adoption, especially in
developing countries
--Demonstrate U.S. leadership in connecting the unconnected nationally,
regionally, and globally
--Promote policies that spur competition, investment, and innovation
--Promote ITU-D's focus on capacity building, enabling policy
environments to foster adoption of new technologies, and promote new
business models and forms of partnership to connect the unconnected
with affordable broadband services
--Leverage the WTDC-21 to kick-start new ICT development partnerships
worldwide that produce sustainable and effective solutions
--Increase the value proposition for stakeholders, especially from the
Americas region, to engage in ITU-D activities
--Strengthen our interactions with both developed and developing
countries to accomplish shared ICT objectives.
This Notice and Request for Public Comment is the public's
opportunity to: (1) Provide input to NTIA on the public's interest in
general global telecommunications and ICT policy and development
activities and priorities, (2) assist the U.S. delegation to the WTDC
as it prepares for the Conference, and (3) inform future U.S.
telecommunications and ICT development goals and priorities including
engagement with the ITU Development Sector on capacity building
activities. NTIA seeks comments and supporting materials regarding the
objectives listed above as well as proposals on U.S. policies and goals
about telecommunications and ICT development activities. Comments are
welcome from all interested stakeholders including the private sector,
the technical community, academia, government, civil society, and
individuals. The comments will help NTIA and the U.S. government
leverage and prioritize resources and policy expertise most
effectively.
Please address any of the following topics in any submission:
1. ICT Development Priorities
a. Over the next five years, what should the U.S. government
priorities be for telecommunications/ICT development?
b. Are there particular areas of focus for economic development, as
well as telecommunications/ICT development that might help the United
States align with developing countries' development interests?
c. What are valuable venues, forums, or methods to focus this work?
2. U.S. Stakeholder Community
a. In General
i. What are the challenges or barriers towards connecting the
unconnected? Are there particular lessons or policy approaches
regarding the gender digital divide?
ii. What types of activities or projects have been most successful
in building capacities of developing countries towards increasing
telecommunications/ICT development and inclusion?
iii. How can virtual platforms increase capacity building,
especially since COVID-19 began?
iv. How best can the U.S. government share its experiences and best
practices on telecommunications/ICT deployment overcoming the digital
divide, and other telecommunications/ICT developmental topics? In 2021?
Longer term?
v. What interest or experience, if any, should the U.S. government
be aware of entities participating in telecommunications/ICT projects,
capacity-building efforts, and/or donation of ICT products and services
globally and/or particularly those focused on meeting developing
country needs?
vi. What types of financing or other partnership mechanisms,
including
[[Page 24393]]
particular organizations or venues, may help advance global ICT
development?
vii. What are some structured corporate social responsibility,
goodwill programs, or corporate partnership programs that may be useful
resources?
viii. What are some foundations or financial institutions or non-
profits that can share donor experiences and best practices to
encourage investment in underserved and unserved areas (domestically or
internationally)?
b. For the ITU and WTDC-21
i. How might virtual platforms enhance the development and capacity
building work of the ITU Bureau of Telecommunication Development (BDT)
and ITU-D study groups, including U.S. participation, in a post-COVID-
19 environment? Are other methods available or appropriate?
ii. How should we best engage U.S. stakeholders and ascertain their
input before, during, and after the WTDC-21 (and on an ongoing basis)?
iii. BDT is seeking to ensure that WTDC-21 is a development-focused
conference that mobilizes people and resources to ``Connect the
Unconnected to Achieve Sustainable Development'' including thematic
dialogues, a youth summit, and other events to bring stakeholders
together to consider key telecommunications/ICT development topics. How
can the U.S. government increase awareness or participation in WTDC-21
in order to help ensure concrete outcomes?
3. WTDC-21
a. What WTDC-21 outcomes would best help achieve the Conference's
goal to connect the unconnected and to help raise awareness and
mobilize resources to close the digital divide?
b. What development projects, ideas, and activities might be useful
for the U.S. government to advance through the ITU Development Sector?
c. What ITU-D accomplishments should the U.S. government encourage
the ITU seek to replicate?
4. Other
a. Are there other telecommunications/ICT development matters that
stakeholders want to raise with the U.S. government (unrelated to the
ITU or UN)?
Request for Public Comment
In addition to the questions above, NTIA invites comment on the
full range of issues that may be presented by this inquiry. We also
welcome input and comments on any specific issues being advanced by
other countries, private sector organizations, and stakeholders for
WTDC-2021.
Instructions for Commenters
Commenters are encouraged to address any or all of the questions in
this RFC. Comments that contain references to studies, research, and
other empirical data that are not widely published should include
copies of the referenced materials with the submitted comments.
Comments submitted by email should be machine-readable and should not
be copy-protected. Comments submitted by mail may be in hard copy
(paper) or electronic (on CD- ROM or disk).
Commenters should include the name of the person or organization
filing the comment, as well as a page number on each page of their
submissions. All comments received are a part of the public record and
generally will be posted on the NTIA website, https://www.ntia.gov,
without change. All personal identifying information (for example,
name, address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly
accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or
otherwise sensitive or protected information.
Dated: May 3, 2021.
Kathy Smith,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-09581 Filed 5-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P
