Strategic Objective 2.3

Advance the development of global e-commerce and enhanced telecommunications and information services

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2.3 TOTAL RESOURCES

Fiscal Dollars (Dollars in Millions) FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 $96.2 $97.6 $84.4 $69.9

FTE 1 Resources FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 244 251 269 259 1. FTE— Full-Time Equivalent ( back)

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2.3 REPORTED RESULTS

Rating	Results
On Target	5
Slightly Below Target	0
Below Target	0
See Appendix A: Performance and Resource Tables for individual reported results.

This objective is important not only to the nation, but to the international community as it has a role in radio frequency (RF) spectrum management and communications on a national level, to the President as an advisor on communications policy matters, on Internet domain names, and for cellular phones and dial-up and high-speed Internet services.

Achievement of this objective will continue to further the technological advances for cellular, Internet services, domain name issues, and other advances in technology. A discussion of each performance goal supporting this objective will further describe the outcomes of this objective.

The Department through NTIA:

• Serves as the principal adviser to the President on domestic and international communications and information policy-making.
• Promotes access to telecommunications services for all Americans and competition in domestic and international markets.
• Manages all federal use of the electromagnetic spectrum and generally promotes efficient use of spectrum.
• Conducts telecommunications technology research, including standards-setting in partnership with business and other federal agencies.
• Awards grants through the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP).

The Agency’s expertise encompasses every aspect of telecommunications, including domestic policy, international policy, spectrum management, and technical telecommunications research and engineering.

• In a “Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies” dated November 30, 2004, the President directed that an Implementation Plan be developed in FY 2005 for the recommendations contained in a two-part series of reports released by the Secretary of Commerce in June 2004, under the title Spectrum Policy for the 21st Century—The President’s Spectrum Policy Initiative Reports. The purpose of the Initiative is to promote the development and implementation of a U.S. spectrum policy that will foster economic growth; ensure U.S. national and homeland security; maintain U.S. global leadership in communications technology development and services; and satisfy other vital U.S. needs in areas such as public safety, scientific research, federal transportation infrastructure, and law enforcement.
• Among its broadband-related activities, NTIA provided technical guidance to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the responsible deployment of broadband over power line (BPL) systems, contributing significantly toward fulfillment of the President’s vision for universal affordable broadband Internet access for all Americans by 2007.
• NTIA also is leading Commerce Department activities in the areas of next-generation Internet Protocols, ultrawideband (UWB) technology, wireless broadband applications, wireless sensor technologies, and child-friendly Internet content.

SUMMARY OF STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2.3 PERFORMANCE GOALS

PERFORMANCE GOAL	STATUS*
Ensure that the allocation of radio spectrum provides the greatest benefit to all people (NTIA)
Promote the availability, and support new sources, of advanced telecommunications (NTIA)
* = Met (100%) = Significantly Met (75% - 99%) = Not Met (<75%) (back)

Performance Goal: Ensure that the allocation of radio spectrum provides the greatest benefit to all people (NTIA)

Advancing broadband and third generation (3G) wireless services.

PERFORMANCE GOAL REPORTED RESULTS

Rating	Results
On Target	2
Slightly Below Target	0
Below Target	0
See Appendix A: Performance and Resource Tables for individual reported results.

NTIA examined an array of spectrum management policy issues in FY 2005 dealing with innovative approaches to spectrum management and the effectiveness of current processes. The availability of the RF spectrum is key to the development and implementation of innovative telecommunications technologies.

NTIA prepared and coordinated with federal agencies in the OMB clearance process a Spectrum Reform Initiative implementation plan with 54 milestones to be completed over the next five years. This initiative will fundamentally change the business of spectrum management over the next five years. The purpose of the initiative is to promote the development and implementation of a U.S. spectrum policy that will foster economic growth; ensure our national and homeland security; maintain U.S. global leadership in communications technology development and services; and satisfy other vital U.S. needs in areas such as public safety, scientific research, federal transportation infrastructure, and law enforcement. One result will be the first National Strategic Spectrum Plan. NTIA also took steps to establish the Department of Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee, consistent with the Federal Advisory Committee Act and the NTIA Organization Act. This Committee will be comprised of a broad range of stakeholders including representatives from state, regional and local sectors, industry, academia, and consumer groups.

NTIA and the FCC launched online registration for high-speed wireless links sharing spectrum in the 70-80-90 GHz bands. These fiber-speed wireless communications links may now be coordinated and approved for non-federal use in a matter of minutes. These extremely large “millimeter wave” bands were once used exclusively by the federal government and radio astronomers. Commercial users can now establish high-speed, point-to-point data links through a Web-based registration process first activated this year. Federal agencies will use the same process to apply for and obtain frequency assignments in the 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz, 92-94 GHz, and 94.1-95 GHz bands. In terms of bandwidth, the bands span nearly 13 GHz, which is at least five times larger than the aggregate amount of spectrum used by AM and FM radio, television broadcasters, and cellular telephone carriers combined.

The achievements of this performance goal are described below:

• NTIA has improved the timeliness of processing frequency assignment requests from a target of 12 business days to less than 10 days. This has been accomplished through business process reengineering and IT improvements. These frequency assignments satisfy the near-term and future spectrum requirements of the 63 federal agencies to operate radio communications that provide the public with national and homeland security, law enforcement, transportation control, natural resource management, and other public safety services during peacetime and emergencies. NTIA’s long-term goal is to improve spectrum management processes throughout the federal government so that time for spectrum assignments can be reduced from more than 15 days to three days or fewer by 2008, and ultimately to near instantaneously, supporting long-term goals for efficiency and effectiveness of spectrum use. NTIA’s research efforts directly support this goal. The Spectrum Initiative for the 21st Century Implementation Plan, developed in coordination with other federal agencies, provides targets for specific NTIA spectrum management and spectrum policy activities, which serve to advance both of the Agency goals. NTIA adopted a new measure of the percent of milestones completed annually to measure progress in achieving these goals.
• NTIA’s Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) completed a Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Channel Occupancy report, assessing this frequency band in the Washington, D.C. area. The report provides specific traffic loading information needed to help design future alternative systems for the Washington, D.C. area, and provides information about the current state of crowding in the federal LMR bands.

Performance Goal: Promote the availability, and support new sources, of advanced telecommunications (NTIA)

Performing research to improve both the performance of telecommunications networks and the availability of digital content on the Internet.

PERFORMANCE GOAL REPORTED RESULTS

Rating	Results
On Target	3
Slightly Below Target	0
Below Target	0
See Appendix A: Performance and Resource Tables for individual reported results.

NTIA participated on behalf of the Administration in FCC and congressional proceedings on telecommunications policies, including the development of appropriate regulatory treatment for broadband services deployment. A number of Internet related policy issues required NTIA action, including ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) reform and continuing Internet privatization, domain name management both domestically and internationally, next generation Internet Protocols, and the combination of Internet and telecommunications addressing (ENUM). NTIA pursued policies promoting international trade in telecommunications products and services, promoting consistent international approaches to telecommunications policies, and improving relations with Western Hemisphere neighbors. All of these activities required substantial coordination among NTIA’s program offices, as well as interagency coordination to develop the Administration’s positions.

The achievements of this performance goal are described below:

• The President’s National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace directed the Secretary of Commerce to form a task force to examine the issues implicated by the deployment of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) in the United States. As co-chairs of that task force, NIST and NTIA have conducted an inquiry into a variety of IPv6-related issues including the benefits and possible uses of IPv6; current domestic and international conditions regarding the deployment of IPv6; economic, technical, and other barriers to deployment of IPv6; and the appropriate role for the U.S. government in the deployment of IPv6. NIST and NTIA have prepared and coordinated with federal agencies in the OMB clearance process a report of the findings of this inquiry.
• NTIA awarded $21.4 million in funding from the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) to assist public radio, public television, and nonbroadcast (distance learning) projects across the country. $11.7 million will go to 33 grantees to assist in the digital conversion of public television facilities; $7.4 million will fund 73 radio grants; $383,000 is for five television equipment replacement grants; $1.5 million is for 11 distance learning grants; and one grant was made to the University of Hawaii for $499,415 for the PEACESAT (Pan Pacific Educational and Cultural Experiments by Satellite) project. The total amount awarded by PTFP in FY 2005 is $21.4 million for 123 grants. NTIA also awarded an emergency grant to Louisiana Educational Television Authority to fund equipment damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The award will replace a television transmitter at WLPB-TV in Baton Rouge, which is the flagship station of the statewide network. The WLPB-TV transmitter is operating at 20% power due to hurricane damage. With this emergency grant, the transmitter will be replaced to restore full power and enable WLPB-TV to provide educational and public broadcasting services to southeast Louisiana including the city of New Orleans.
• NTIA filed comments with the FCC examining issues related to the development and deployment of cognitive radio (CR) technology. NTIA believes that CR technology has the potential to provide more innovative, flexible, and comprehensive use of the radio frequency spectrum, while at the same time minimizing the risk of interference to other spectrum users. CRs can be developed that have the technical capability to adapt their use of the spectrum in response to information external to the radio. As a result of this technical and operational flexibility, CR technologies may also make it possible to use spectrum that may be available in a particular geographic location or during a particular period of time and would otherwise go unused. NTIA has also prepared a series of technical reports examining the interference potential of ultra wideband signals.
• NTIA’s ITS published technical reports on Bandwidth Dependence of Emission Spectra of Selected Pulsed-CW Radars, Comparison of Radar Spectra on Varying Azimuths Relative to the Base of the Antenna Rotary Joint, Interference Potential of Ultrawideband Signals, Radiation Pattern Analysis of a Four-Element Linear Array, Analysis of the Markov character of a general Rayleigh fading channel, and Measurement Procedures for the Radar Spectrum Engineering Criteria (RSEC). ITS also entered into five Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs). ITS has participated for a number of years in CRADAs with private sector organizations to design, develop, test, and evaluate advanced telecommunication concepts.

The data used to evaluate the effectiveness of performance goal achievements are reviewed quarterly and the Department attests to the accuracy and reliability of the data. Data on the timeliness of processing frequency assignment requests is maintained by the Office of Spectrum Management. All other data is published on the NTIA Web site.

NTIA will be restructuring its performance measures for FY 2006 and beyond as a result of an exercise with OMB and the Program Assessment and Rating Tool (PART).

STRATEGIES AND FUTURE PLANS

The bulk of NTIA’s resources will be directed toward achieving the President’s goal of spectrum management reform. NTIA will facilitate a modernized and improved spectrum management system and facilitate economic incentives for more efficient and beneficial use of spectrum. NTIA’s other spectrum management activities include (1) identifying and supporting new wireless technologies that promise innovative applications for customers of the federal and private sectors; (2) providing the 63 federal agencies with the spectrum needed to support their missions for national defense, law enforcement and security, air traffic control, national resource management, and other public safety services; (3) developing plans and policies to use the spectrum effectively; (4) satisfying the United States’ future spectrum needs globally through participation with the 190 other countries of the International Telecommunication Union in establishing binding treaty agreements through world radio-communication conferences; and (5) improving, through telecommunications research and engineering, the understanding of radio-wave transmission thereby improving spectrum utilization and the performance of radio-communications systems.

NTIA will also work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the development of standards for the interoperability of public safety systems and on the implementation of Spectrum Relocation Fund legislation. NTIA will work with the Department of Transportation (DOT) on implementation of the Enhanced 911 Act. NTIA will continue work with the ICANN on the management of the Internet domain names system. NTIA anticipates that it will participate on behalf of the Administration in a congressional examination of the Telecommunications Act focusing on telephony subsidy reform and the classification of advanced broadband services. NTIA will also participate on behalf of the Administration in Digital TV transition policy-making and implementation
of IPv6.

CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE

In today’s era of modern communications, RF spectrum is critical. Current spectrum management policies are under increasing strain as the demand for existing spectrum-based services grows and new spectrum-related technologies and applications emerge. Working with all affected parties in the federal government and the private sector, NTIA and the Department of Commerce must find ways to implement the recommendations developed through the President’s Spectrum Policy Initiative to foster economic growth; ensure U.S. national and homeland security; maintain U.S. global leadership in communications technology development and services; and satisfy other vital U.S. needs in areas such as public safety, scientific research, federal transportation infrastructure, and law enforcement. Also, NTIA and the FCC must coordinate the development of a National Strategic Spectrum plan.

NTIA and the Department of Commerce must also respond to the President’s call to clear the regulatory hurdles that stand in the way of broadband deployment and create the regulatory certainty necessary to meet the President’s goal of universal and affordable broadband access by 2007. Some of the most promising new broadband technologies are wireless. By expanding the amount of spectrum available for commercial uses, the Department will increase high speed Internet access. In an era of rapidly changing new technologies like mobile wireless, high-speed fiber optics, and expanded broadband deployment, government policies should favor customer choice. Regulatory stability in the telecommunications sector will promote both competition and investment. Developing these policy frameworks to support these goals is the challenge facing NTIA and the Department.