Department of Commerce

Recently, President Donald Trump attended the American Farm Bureau Federation's Annual Convention in Nashville (TN) to announce the recommendations of the interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. The Administration is taking immediate steps to reduce barriers to deployment of broadband in rural America. An executive order released on Jan 8 – Streamlining and Expediting Requests to Locate Broadband Facilities in Rural America – instructs agencies to remove obstacles to capital investment and broadband services and more efficiently employ government resources.

The G20 (Group of 20) is a forum for representatives of governments of 20 major economies to consider and address issues of common interest impacting the citizens of these economies. As the president of the G20, Germany initiated a work stream focused on the digital economy. Over the past four months, representatives of the G20 countries have been examining policies and practices that will further the growth, development and deployment of digital economy technologies. These policies and practices cover all aspects of the digital economy, from connecting to the internet, to the use of international standards, to strengthening user confidence in digital technologies, to policies that allow U.S.-headquartered companies to compete around the world.

Recognizing the importance of these factors, the United States signed the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Declaration. The Declaration recognizes and reiterates many fundamental principles that have made the internet possible and have improved the quality of our lives. By committing with our G20 partners to the free flow of information across national borders, to the protection of intellectual property, to the use of industry-led international standards, and to fair competition, we will ensure that the full potential of the digital economy can be realized, and that our citizens will reap its benefits. The United States government will continue to work with Germany, other G20 partners and all other interested countries to strengthen these fundamental principles, while fighting against efforts to weaken them or create barriers that impede U.S. companies from accessing and competing in foreign markets.

The Department of Commerce and First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) announced the selection of AT&T to build the first nationwide wireless broadband network dedicated to America’s first responders. This record-breaking public-private partnership is a significant investment in the communications infrastructure that public safety desperately needs for day-to-day operations, disaster response and recovery, and securing of large events. It will also make 20 MHz of prime broadband spectrum available for private-sector development. The broad terms of this 25-year agreement between FirstNet and AT&T are:

FirstNet will provide 20 MHz of high-value, telecommunications spectrum and success-based payments of $6.5 billion over the next five years to support the Network buildout – FirstNet’s funding was raised from previous Federal Communications Commission spectrum auctions;
AT&T will spend about $40 billion over the life of the contract to build, deploy, operate and maintain the network, with a focus on ensuring robust coverage for public safety;
Additionally, AT&T will connect FirstNet users to the company’s telecommunications network assets, valued at more than $180 billion.

This innovative public-private partnership will create more than 10,000 new jobs and ensure public safety has a voice in the growth and evolution of the Network. In addition, FirstNet and AT&T will maximize the resources they are bringing to the partnership to create a financially self-sustaining network.

The goal of this paper is to identify elements of an approach for the Department of Commerce to foster the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT).

The record of comments underlying this green paper, however, does set forth a series of issues that should be considered in any future discussions related to the possibility of a national IoT strategy. The publication of this green paper will be followed by a further Request for Comment that will solicit feedback on the findings of the paper and the proposed approach and next steps. This further consultation will inform the Department's approach and next steps as we work with interagency partners on the U.S. Government's approach to IoT.

Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker submitted her exit memorandum to President Barack Obama highlighting the Department of Commerce’s major accomplishments that helped grow the US economy during the past eight years. Sec Pritzker’s “Open for Business” agenda focused the efforts of the Department’s 12 bureaus and 46,000 employees on five pillars – trade and investment; innovation; data; environment; and operational excellence – in order to achieve its single mission of helping to create the conditions for economic growth, job creation, and opportunity across the United States. Two specific areas of achievement denoted in the memorandum were strengthening the digital economy and trade enforcement.

Cybersecurity: In an economy increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, the Department plays a central role in the federal government’s policymaking focused on securing America’s data networks and systems. In 2014, the Department released the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity. Created through unprecedented collaboration between private industry and government, the voluntary Framework consists of standards, guidelines, and practices that promote the protection of critical infrastructure networks. The Framework has become the gold standard for cyber-risk management and has gained widespread acceptance.

The Obama Administration has worked aggressively on several fronts to rapidly expand and train the cybersecurity workforce of the future. We launched the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), a program led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the US Department of Commerce, to create an ecosystem of cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development. And at the community level, we are supporting the development of fast-track tech training programs through TechHire, building public-private collaboration to help train and place people into tech jobs.

NICE was designed to expand the cybersecurity workforce by accelerating learning and skills development; nurturing a diverse learning community; and guiding career development and workforce planning. NICE is undertaking a range of strategies to put these goals into action. This June, the Department of Labor awarded $150 million in TechHire grants for partnerships to develop tech talent following this model across the country. Through these funds and other investments, local communities are launching a range of innovative training and placement models in critical tech fields, including cybersecurity. The demand for cybersecurity skills will only continue to grow. Through local collaborative efforts between employers, training providers, and community leaders, we can be sure that all individuals have the opportunity to build on their tech knowledge and participate in the thriving tech economy.

US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker received a series of recommendations from members of the Digital Economy Board of Advisors that identify key actions the US Department of Commerce can take to support the digital economy, encourage growth and increase opportunity. The recommendations, with accompanying reports, were issued by three working groups of the Board of Advisors that focused on areas where the digital economy has fundamentally transformed the economy. The working groups were established by the Board last spring, and their reports cap six months of intense work to offer actionable recommendations to the Department along with areas worthy of further study.

US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews delivered keynote remarks at an event hosted by the Urban Alliance on “Young People, Tech and the Future of Work.” The event brought together leaders in government, business, and academia to collaborate on creating opportunities for young people and the business community to train, prepare, and leverage the skills of the next-generation of workers and innovators. During his remarks, Deputy Sec Andrews highlighted the Department of Commerce’s partnerships with industry to help close the nation’s talent gap through the Skills for Business agenda. In closing, the Deputy Sec underscored the critical importance of preparing the nation’s young people to succeed in the high-tech jobs of the 21st century.