National Telecommunications and Information Administration April 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

As part of the Digital Economy Agenda, the Department of Commerce is working to identify data gaps in measuring the importance of cross-border data flows and the economic impact of restrictions to the free-flow of data. Through this Notice, we announce a roundtable to facilitate a discussion with stakeholders and experts as a first step in improving the Department's understanding of those data gaps and related economic questions.

Recognizing the vital importance of the Internet to U.S. innovation, prosperity, education, and civic and cultural life, the Department of Commerce has made it a top priority to encourage growth of the digital economy and ensure that the Internet remains an open platform for innovation. Thus, as part of the Department's Digital Economy Agenda, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is initiating an inquiry regarding the Internet of Things (IoT) to review the current technological and policy landscape. Through this Notice, NTIA seeks broad input from all interested stakeholdersincluding the private industry, researchers, academia, and civil societyon the potential benefits and challenges of these technologies and what role, if any, the U.S. Government should play in this area. After analyzing the comments, the Department intends to issue a ``green paper'' that identifies key issues impacting deployment of these technologies, highlights potential benefits and challenges, and identifies possible roles for the federal government in fostering the advancement of IoT technologies in partnership with the private sector.