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

On August 3, 2018, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a final rule that revised the implementing regulations for the 911 Grant Program, as a result of the enactment of the Next Generation 911 (NG911) Advancement Act of 2012. This document corrects numbering errors in the regulatory text.

The Board of the First Responder Network Authority (``FirstNet Authority Board'') will convene a meeting of the FirstNet Authority Board and the Committees of the FirstNet Authority Board (``Board Committees'') that will be open to the public via teleconference and WebEx on August 13, 2018.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) BroadbandUSA Program, in partnership with the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), will host the Virginia Broadband Summit in Roanoke, Virginia on October 30, 2018. The purpose of the Summit is to engage the public and stakeholders with information to accelerate broadband connectivity, improve digital inclusion, and support local priorities. The Summit will provide information on topics including local broadband planning, funding and engagement with service providers. Speakers and attendees from Virginia, federal agencies and across the country will come together to explore ways to facilitate the expansion of broadband capacity, access, and utilization.

This notice announces a public meeting of the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee provides advice to the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on spectrum management policy matters.

The Board of the First Responder Network Authority (``FirstNet Authority Board'') will convene a meeting of the FirstNet Authority Board and the Committees of the Board of the First Responder Network Authority (``Board Committees'') that will be open to the public via teleconference and WebEx on June 20, 2018.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will convene meetings of a multistakeholder process on promoting software component transparency. This Notice announces the first meeting, which is scheduled for July 19, 2018.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), on behalf of the Department of Commerce (Department), is requesting comment on actions that can be taken to improve the quality and accuracy of broadband availability data, particularly in rural areas, as part of the activities directed by Congress in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018. Through this Request for Comments (RFC), NTIA seeks input from a broad range of interested stakeholdersincluding private industry; academia; federal, state, and local government; not-for-profits; and other stakeholders with an interest in broadband availabilityon ways to improve the nation's ability to analyze broadband availability, with the intention of identifying gaps in broadband availability that can be used to improve policymaking and inform public investments.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is seeking applications from persons interested in serving on the Department of Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC or committee) for two-year terms. The CSMAC provides advice to the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator on spectrum policy matters.

This notice announces a public meeting of the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee provides advice to the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on spectrum management policy matters.

The First Responder Network Authority (``FirstNet'') publishes this notice of its final procedures for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (``NEPA''). The final procedures include a revised list of, and replace, previously established categorical exclusions (``CEs'') and extraordinary circumstances.

The Department of Commerce (Department) is requesting comment on a draft Report about actions to address automated and distributed threats to the digital ecosystem as part of the activity directed by Executive Order 13800, ``Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure.'' Through this Notice, the Department seeks broad input and feedback from all interested stakeholdersincluding private industry, academia, civil society, and other security expertson this draft Report, its characterization of risks and the state of the ecosystem, the goals laid out, and the actions to further these goals.

The Department of Commerce's internet Policy Task Force (Task Force) will hold a conference at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) facility in Alexandria, Virginia, on January 25, 2018, to discuss current initiatives and technologies used to develop a more robust and collaborative digital marketplace for copyrighted works. This follows up on three earlier public meetings held by the Task Force: On December 12, 2013, which included panels focusing on access to rights information and online licensing transactions; on April 1, 2015, which focused on how the Government can assist in facilitating the development and use of standard identifiers for all types of works of authorship; and on December 9, 2016, which was designed to facilitate constructive, cross-industry dialogue among stakeholders about ways to promote a more robust and collaborative online marketplace for copyrighted works.

The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Act) requires a Governor of a State to notify the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of a State's decision to opt-out of participation in the deployment of the nationwide public safety broadband network (NPSBN) as proposed by FirstNet and to conduct its own deployment of a Radio Access Network in the State. This Notice provides instructions for such ``opt-out'' notices to NTIA.

The EDA, NTIA and BIS, Department of Commerce (DOC), announce the appointment of those individuals who have been selected to serve as members of the Performance Review Board. The Performance Review Board is responsible for (1) reviewing performance appraisals and ratings of Senior Executive Service (SES) members and Senior Level (SL) members and (2) making recommendations to the appointing authority on other performance management issues, such as pay adjustments, bonuses and Presidential Rank Awards for SES and SL members. The appointment of these members to the Performance Review Board will be for a period of twenty-four (24) months.

The First Responder Network Authority (``FirstNet'') announces the availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the South Region (``Final PEIS''). The Final PEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of the proposed nationwide public safety broadband network in the South Region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas).

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is repealing its regulations governing the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP). The PTFP was a competitive grant program that helped public broadcasting stations, state and local governments, Indian Tribes, and nonprofit organizations to construct public television and radio stations. As of Fiscal Year 2011, no funds have been available for PTFP grants. NTIA is repealing its regulations governing the PTFP because the regulations are unnecessary and obsolete.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), as part of its BroadbandUSA program, will host a series of webinars on a monthly basis to engage the public and stakeholders with information to accelerate broadband connectivity, improve digital inclusion, strengthen policies and support local priorities. The Practical Broadband Conversations webinar series will provide an ongoing source of information on a range of topics and issues being addressed by BroadbandUSA, including best practices for improving broadband deployment, digital literacy and e-government.

Congress authorized the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), an independent authority within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to assess and collect, among other funds, three specific types of fees. By law, NTIA must review and approve these fees on an annual basis. This final rule describes NTIA's overarching scope, boundaries, and guidelines for its FirstNet fee review and approval process as mandated by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (the Act).

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), through the BroadbandUSA program, will hold a Technical Assistance Workshop to share information and help communities build their broadband capacity and utilization. The workshop will present in- depth sessions on planning and funding broadband infrastructure projects. The session on planning will explore effective business and partnership models. The session on funding will explore available funding options and models, including federal funding.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issues this NPRM to propose the repeal of its regulations governing the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP). The PTFP is a competitive grant program that helps public broadcasting stations, state and local governments, Indian Tribes, and nonprofit organizations to construct public television and radio stations. As of Fiscal Year 2011, no funds have been available for PTFP grants. NTIA is proposing to repeal its regulations governing the PTFP because the regulations are unnecessary and obsolete.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), through the BroadbandUSA program, will hold a Technical Assistance Workshop to share information and help communities build their broadband capacity and utilization. The workshop will present in- depth sessions on planning and funding broadband infrastructure projects. The session on planning will explore effective business and partnership models. The session on funding will explore available funding options and models, including federal funding.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will convene a virtual meeting of a multistakeholder process on Internet of Things Security Upgradability and Patching on July 18, 2017. This is the fourth in a series of meetings. For information on prior meetings, see Web site address below.

In response to requests for additional time, the Department of Commerce is extending the closing deadline for submitting comments to a request for public comments entitled ``Promoting Stakeholder Action Against Botnets and Other Automated Threats.'' In the request for comment, the NTIA seeks broad input from all interested stakeholders including private industry, academia, civil society, and other security expertson ways to improve industry's ability to reduce threats perpetuated by automated distributed attacks, such as botnets, and what role, if any, the U.S. Government should play in this area. Through this notice, the Department extends the comment period to July 28, 2017.