NTIA Blog

For more than 25 years, NTIA has been surveying the American public about its computer and Internet use, in partnership with the Census Bureau.

Our most recent NTIA Internet Use Survey went into the field in November 2019, with more than 50 questions administered to approximately 50,000 households across the United States. The survey covers a range of topics related to digital inclusion and similar issues, with the goal of informing Internet policy analysis and development that can help to bridge the digital divide.

In anticipation of conducting future surveys, NTIA is seeking recommendations from the public about how we can improve our survey and make it as relevant as possible. Are there questions we previously asked that should be changed or deleted? Are there any questions that we should be adding? We want to hear from you.

After digesting your comments, NTIA will draft a revised survey instrument to use in the future. Beginning this fall, experts from the Census Bureau will conduct cognitive testing of our draft survey, which will help us learn what questions may cause confusion or elicit inaccurate responses. Census will recommend changes aimed at addressing any problems uncovered during this process.

The Trump administration has made substantial progress in improving the resilience of the Internet ecosystem and reducing the threat of botnets. In a report released today, the Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security documented more than 50 activities led by industry and government that demonstrate progress in the drive to counter botnet threats. Building upon work started two years ago with the Botnet Report and Road Map, industry and government are working hard to put a stop to these dangerous attacks.

Here are a few of the milestone achievements:

NTIA launched the Minority Broadband Initiative (MBI) in November 2019 in partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to work on solving deployment challenges in vulnerable communities.  As part of that ongoing effort, BroadbandUSA’s July webinar, “Cyberinfrastructure: Moving Beyond Broadband at HBCUs and TCUs,” highlighted that cyberinfrastructure – the broader network of technology systems – is a vital component for HBCUs and TCUs to remain competitive in the digital economy. The webinar was moderated by NTIA’s MBI lead, Francine Alkisswani, and Tonya Smith-Jackson, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at North Carolina A&T State University.

Curtis Bradlee, Acting Chief Information Officer at South Carolina State University, said partnerships with area universities helped to expand SC State’s capabilities. Among these partnerships is C-Light, a statewide direct fiber network managed by Clemson University that provides access to national and international research networks such as Internet2. SC State serves as an access point for other institutions to connect to Internet2, and participated in the National Science Foundation (NSF) CI Empower initiative.

NTIA’s National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM) has added Indiana and Georgia to its growing roster of participants. These additions closely follow the incorporation of Wyoming and Washington State to the broadband platform earlier this month. To date, NBAM includes 22 states.   

The NBAM is a geographic information system platform which allows for the visualization and analysis of federal, state, and commercially available data sets. This includes data from the Federal Communications Commission, U.S. Census Bureau, Universal Service Administrative Company, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ookla, Measurement Lab, and the state governments. The mapping platform provides users, including administrators from the 22 participating states, with access to the NBAM and its data to better inform broadband projects and funding decisions in their states.

With more and more states joining, the NBAM is another step closer to creating a national platform that can help inform policymakers and expand Internet coverage across the United States. 

For questions, please email: nbam@ntia.gov.

NTIA’s National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM) reached a 20 state milestone with the addition of Wyoming and Washington State. 

The NBAM is a geographic information system platform which allows for the visualization and analysis of federal, state, and commercially available data sets. This includes data from the Federal Communications Commission, U.S. Census Bureau, Universal Service Administrative Company, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ookla, Measurement Lab, and the state governments. The mapping platform provides users, including administrators from the 20 participating states, with access to the NBAM and its data to better inform broadband projects and funding decisions in their states.

40 percent of the states now participate in the NBAM. This positive momentum will better equip policymakers as we work together to expand broadband Internet coverage across the United States.

For questions, please email: nbam@ntia.gov.

Today, NTIA is announcing the establishment of the Communications Supply Chain Risk Information Partnership (C-SCRIP), a program to share supply chain security risk information with trusted communications providers and suppliers. 

Small and rural communications providers and equipment suppliers are the primary focus of this program, and our goal is to improve their access to information about risks to key elements in their supply chain. NTIA will ensure that this risk information is relevant and accessible, and we will work with our government partners to enable the granting of security clearances when necessary.

The C-SCRIP program was called for in the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, which President Trump signed into law on March 12, 2020. The Act established a Federal Communications Commission program to reimburse smaller providers for removing and replacing equipment and services that threaten national security. This information sharing program, mandated by Section 8 of the Act, was intended to ensure that small, rural providers have access to the supply chain risk information they need before they make an investment, which should help mitigate further “rip and replace” programs in the future.

The Minority Broadband Initiative (MBI) has been closely engaging with Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) presidents, chancellors, and students on Digital Economy related issues since its launch last November. Building and maintaining conversations with key stakeholders has been instrumental in understanding and exploring options for leveraging HBCU broadband infrastructure to connect neighboring communities of vulnerable populations, especially during the outbreak of COVID-19. 

In May and June, the MBI hosted a teleconference with 77 leaders from 57 HBCUs to discuss HBCU institutional approaches, successes, and remaining challenges as they confront the immediate response to COVID-19 and set plans for the longer-term recovery. The schools’ leaders identified an ongoing need for targeted federal funding for broadband access, digital literacy training, and continued close engagement with government at all levels to expand the relationship with the HBCU community and ensure the distinct needs of their institutions are well understood by decision makers.

Today, NTIA is releasing results of its latest NTIA Internet Use Survey, which show that nearly 4 out of 5 Americans were using the Internet by November 2019, and are increasingly using a larger and more varied range of devices. Even as seniors and other demographic groups reported encouraging increases in Internet use, the data show that a persistent digital divide still exists based on income levels, age groups, and race, among other factors.

This is the fifteenth edition of the survey—the product of a partnership between NTIA and the U.S. Census Bureau that spans a quarter century—and it includes over 50 detailed questions about computer and Internet use administered to approximately 50,000 households across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The NTIA Internet Use Survey is a vital data source for policymakers, researchers, and advocates seeking to understand critical questions related to Internet use and help bridge the digital divide.

By NTIA

NTIA today is announcing the addition of five states to its National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM) program. Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, and New Hampshire join 13 other states who are partnering on this critical broadband data platform.

The NBAM is a geographic information system platform which allows for the visualization and analysis of federal, state, and commercially available data sets. This includes data from the Federal Communications Commission, U.S. Census Bureau, Universal Service Administrative Company, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ookla, Measurement Lab, and the state governments. The mapping platform provides users, including administrators from the 18 participating states, with access to the NBAM and its data to better inform broadband projects and funding decisions in their states.

With the addition of five new states, the NBAM is another step closer to creating a national platform that can help inform policymakers and expand Internet coverage across the United States. 

For questions, please email: nbam@ntia.gov.

NTIA has updated its BroadbandUSA website database of 57 federal broadband programs, spanning 14 federal agencies with billions of dollars for broadband grants, loans, and other resources. The site, created with the help of participating federal agencies, fulfills a goal set out in the Trump Administration’s American Broadband Initiative to make it easier for providers and stakeholders to find federal funding and permitting information.