It. Thank you administrator. Obviously broadband, thats the foundation of it but as we are looking at other options, very important so we are utilizing all technologies and advancing new technologies, too. Thanks for being here today, i yield back. Thank you. The gentleman yields. We are now going to take a short, very short recess. I ask that members remain seated so we can convene very shortly. Thank you very much. My [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] ayokay folks. [inaudible conversations] thank you thank you mr. Davidson. The chairman recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. Kohler rakas 545 minutes. Thank you mr. Chairman, i appreciate it much. As you know, states are in the process of submitting their draft initial proposals to your agency for review and approval before beginning to run their state programs. One requirement ntia injected was a requirement for state players to address middleclass affordability. Hearing the secretary raimondos promise in a Senate Hearing do not regulate rates in the ii ja clear prohibition on regulation when you commit to not approve plans that will either directly or indirectly regulate rates. Mr. Davidson, thats a question for you. First of all, thanks for the question. We know affordability is in the statute. Bipartisanship, the importance of affordability, wilson over going to spend billions of dollars of federal money and people are going to have that money, they are asking about affordability when they do so. And tia we are not gauging that rate regulation. Thank you. [ laughter ] clearly as bedroom, this means we need to have the institutes and spread the resources as efficiently as possible. What tools should we consider to consider federal agencies are considering the use of spending . Because thank you for the question, its incredibly valuable and scarce resource, making sure that we are all using it carefully is extremely important. I think congress can help in many ways, doing what it has been doing, to make sure we are using it spectrum wide, and continue to to push spectrum wide legislation,ha to among other things, authorizing the ability of the fcc to do spectrum auctions, with the spectrum authority. With that fund, some of the other ones that are the toolkit, we will help make sure we all have the right incentive to use it wisely to reallocate it and the pace of it in the right place. Thank you. In your experience, federal uses, asked to when the ntia is utilized for spectrum use . T the ones that are making i so valuable for the private sector also make it quite valuable for the public sector. It did not surprise anybody that federal spectrum users feel that their use of the spectrum is quite important. And those missions are incredibly valuable, we have to work carefully together and we have worked collegially with our brother and the other federal agencies to make sure that we have that caught looking at that spectrum, the president ial memorandum that just came out, critical documents because they show they really make it clear how we are going to examine spectrum Going Forward and where we are going to look for those opportunities. And the place we should havent that process for those studies. Essentially the memorandum, it requires ntia, with views on the spectrum matters, to be sure the views are adequately represented. And what steps are you personally taking to build trust among other federal agencies to ensure these process reforms and if you can expand on that. Speakers sure, incredibly important question,au we need t work with these, in many cases, they are very important, and with the weather. We want to make sure that agencies can meet their mission, but also know that we have to be more efficient with how we use them, we have worked quite closely. In a lot of cases, its sitting down with the agency heads, understanding their needs and helping them understand we are all on the same side here, and it has worked well in many cases since ive been on board, developing collegial relations with our spectrum heads and these other agencies, with that coordination of support. Expired, representative custer. Thank you for being with us, it is clear that ntia has been busy since you are last before this committee a few months ago, and i want to commend you and your staff, starting with the announcement of state funding allocations for the program, New Hampshire will receive nearly 197 million to build out broadband infrastructure and make sure everyone can connect with the internet. This is a huge investment, real money where i come from, were going to need all hands on deck to fill out the network, joining my colleagues, a letter requesting that ntia provide alternative programs and requirements to allow for greater provider while saving taxpayer dollars, i appreciate the announcement of alternatives, for the small rural providers to participate in this new program and serve the communities they know best. Just last week, issued announcements for the wireless plan, and science, research and development supported to help secure the wireless network, especially please for 2 million awarded to a company in my district in New Hampshire working on 5g technology, the importance of the wireless funds and the Grant Program will help to further our nations 5g and wireless communication goals. Thank you and congratulations, a very competitive Grant Program to make the award. And just generally, the Wireless Innovation Fund is so important for competitiveness. Right now there are very few providers of wireless mobile networks, its a very collocated market, and to be honest, some of those are not trusting the provider, and when you take them off the table there are really only two or three, were trying to do is promote more openness and resilience in 5g, by creating an open network and supporting open networks and again the way you do this, how can we act as a catalytic attachment catalyst for the Innovation Fund to Fund Research and testbeds and help companies create a more open ecosystem, and what we are expecting is that it will make it possible for smaller companies, a variety of companies, in this market, i did a few big companies, were excited about the process. Is so much. The cochair of 5g and beyond, are excited about these innovations, we can advance the nations wireless and Communications Goals until we find ways to better manage our spectrum resources. Ntia has been test with the responsibility of establishing a National Strategy that will help develop the future spectrum fund, the final report is not due until 2025 and we can continue to wait until other countries and determine very spectrum bands, other opportunities to free up additional spectrum for use while we wait for the National Strategy . Let me start by saying we completely agree, we need to make sure were meeting the needs and in the leadership role weve had in wireless innovation. And with all the different kinds of spectrum uses its incredible and of paramount importance. We need to have both mid to longterm strategy and also a shortterm strategy, and what youre seeing in the National Spectrum strategy is looking ahead, multiyears, were do we need to go . In the meantime i will note that the chairwoman was here, last week, she noted that we actually do have some nearterm targets, these are both incredibly important, they are ready for example, the upper 12 gigahertz, what we are looking at, some low band spectrum that the commission is looking at, and thats why its so important to get Spectrum Auction Authority going again, i know im preaching to the choir here but its important so that we can start to move out on the nearterm auctions even as we are doing the studies, and wanda cearley take that but as we move out on near term and longterm targets. Very helpful. I wanted to shift gears quickly on the work, the ntia task force on health and safety. Addressing Online Safety is a top priority of mine, parents are concerned about what their children may encounter online, and helping to protect children online, and eventually protecting them. Very quickly ill just say usually important issue, and we are delighted to be cochairing the task force. A homework assignment to get that worked on by next summer and were going to be looking at things that are not about putting the onus on parents, and the family members and caregivers, you are in charge of this. To make something possible as well. The gentle ladies time is expired, now recognizing you for five minutes of questioning. Thank you chair, administered of davis. And when they appeared before the subcommittee last week, they asked if the commission would be able to meet the spectrum pipeline act of 2015, and the statutory requirement to identify 30 megahertz of spectrum for auction by summer of 2024, and the response was quite troubling. She stated that she could not hear as ntia had not completed its statutory obligation of delivering a report by january 2022. Tran15s 2023 annual report, at ntia and other agencies are still studying this band, i understand they are complex and technical studies, and that federal users have Important Missions that depend on access to spectrum, but the administration began studying the spectrum in 2017. Were approaching seven years of study, ntia has already blown past the january 2022 statutory deadline by two years next month. How many more years would you like to give spectrum and will another seven years be enough . Congressman, i appreciate the question, seriously as appeared to be hard. A hard expensive requirement. Passed in 2015, well before i started in the rule. The study ongoing for some time. You know, were hoping to be able to release the conclusions of that, for the clearance process, i would just say i dont think its going to be the answer that we had hoped for. And finding a path forward, in this study, to be able to meet those requirements. Millions of dollars going into that, at the time, should not negate the whole thing but bottom line is, it is done, we can expect that. And im hoping that it will. And i raise all of this to illustrate why myself and others on this committee, the National Spectrum strategy, i think youre going to have to do something to assure us that you are serious about what is getting done. And failing to commit for every megahertz of spectrum. Even in this example, congress had special statutory requirements of freeing of the spectrum, the Biden Administration misses them in favor of more study. Very concerned about draft volume one of michigans initial proposal. And could take a broader view, of underserved locations as it looks to distribute money, for example, and underserved all of the locations, and placing it on the national map where speed tests show is maturely below 100 downstream in 20 upstream. And also consider undisturbed those locations were fixed wireless is the only technology with that criteria. Im very concerned about this proposal. It is not tech neutral, and will lead to overbuilding and ignores the broadband map. I understand that you rejected ohios proposal, and having similar problems, im not one that likes to lose to ohio. In a strange way after the past few years are not used to either. [ laughter ] will you commit to also rejecting the proposal, if it continues to include those . I parachute i appreciate the question, doing is much as possible. Do the right thing. And i cant really answer the question without seeing the totality of what theyre proposing and what they might be working on. I will say there good reason why the states have tried in some situations to work with him, the statute allows them, to make these changes that they come up with, with their own challenge about that and figure out where theyre going to spend the money. The question is really making sure that these maps are as accurate as possible and truly absurd and they truly are served, it is key. And i will say i will reiterate our commitment for the program, a focus on the unserved and underserved, in that order and basically the intent of the statute, to focus on those areas first, that we are working. Will keep watching. And the outcome, for my state, my you back. The gentlemans time is expired and the 33rd district for five minutes of questions. Thank you mr. Chairman. Thank you for being here today, shortly after the testimony, before the committee in may, the administration announced a nearly 42. 5 billion in broadband and with the access and the employment fun, going to be allocated among states and territories. I wanted to ask, you probably already know the text, highest allocation at 3. 3 billion in the fund, far outweighing any other state, given the vastness of the diversity, can you elaborate on how these funds will help urban hubs like vfw as well as the rural areas. Absolutely. We are very excited about what is going on with the program and the opportunity it offers, no bigger challenge than texas right, the largest set of allocations coming out of todays program and the program, over 3 billion, it reflects the tremendous need that we know is out there, thousands and thousands of unserved homes that are affected. We are confident with the funding that texas will have, both through our program and other federal programs, the state stepping up with its own program, we will be to make sure that everyone is connected with high speed and affordable internet service. Other programs we are implementing as well, our Digital Program and others that also will make sure in texas as well as access, these are programs that are going to make it possible and again texas will have that digital plan, for adoption and not just access. And the oversight hearing, and with the lead programs like your home and internet pilot program, and the acp navigator pilot program. On the acp, however as you mentioned in a previous conversation, the connection doesnt necessarily guarantee that families are going to thrive. And they wont be able to be a part of the ecosystem. And responding to the digital act and inclusion in the bipartisan infrastructure law. And after states succeed in helping communities deal with the digital competency, schools are learning about these things in the classroom, but how about the work that still really needs to be able to acquire new opportunities in this area where Digital Skills are required . Figure Digital Equity axis is important piece of the puzzle here, if we can build a connection to somebodys home, if they can afford the connection it is not that useful, even if they can afford the connection and they dont have the skills or tools or devices to get online, all of this work is for naught, so the axis is important to make sure it gives communities the tools and funding, and devices, to reach that, seniors and veterans, people in Rural Communities, make sure they have the skills and actually five online. And every state in the country will have a Digital Equity plan by the First Quarter of next year this winter. And will be putting out a next round of funding as well. Absolutely, i wanted to switch over really fast, in what ways does the National Spectrum strategy support good jobs and foster a Diverse Workforce that can meet the spectrum challenges make sure the u. S. Continues to lead in wireless innovation and Technological Advancement . First off, our main goal here is to make sure that we are promoting so that the u. S. Remains a leader in wireless innovation, they will enable us to continue the wireless innovation, creating new kinds of industries and new jobs and new uses of spectrum. Also something very specific that we are trying to do in the National Spectrum strategy. To build that out, we need more engineers and scientists, and people in industry and technology, on spectrum, i cant all be about ai, and engineers, and the leader around the world. And investing in that strategy. Thank you. And 13th district, five minutes for questions. The ranking member, and secretary davidson, for that, the Current Administration has been tempted to regulate the internet, the utilities for a long period of time, as you heard just last week, the most recent example of this has been the reinstatement of Net Neutrality rules under title ii by the fcc. We must not go down this path of rate regulation, not only understand that we need a free market, but we need the innovation, for my rural constituents, who ultimately might not be able to receive internet access, these would be utility style regulations. Mr. Davidsson. Im concerned that the affordability requirements, and the pressure that ntia is placing on states to include affordability requirements in their estate plan will result in rate regulation which is contrary and will wind up causing the program to ultimately fail. Will you still please reassure this commitment that ntia will not encourage or otherwise attempt to assign specific price caps, to any broadband tear, and specified period of time or otherwise regulate the price of anything for middle class affordability plans in order to gain tran15s approval . Congressman, thank you for the question, and the statute is very clear that we are not doing rate regulations. Thats important to me in the committee. I thank you for that. Will you commit further that if any state, including price caps in rate reasons freezes or any other regulation, will be rejected by ntia, approving such a plan, ntia is you just stated would be violating the regulation, on broadband regulation . Bigger we have given states a tremendous amount of flexibility about how they want to implement these rules especially around the options, the statutes and the bible bipartisan infrastructure law, ensuring that providers have a lowcost option, giving states a lot of flexibility in terms of how they implemented and some of them will choose them, all choosing different ways to do it, our expectation is that we are going to embrace the laboratory of democracy, in different ways, now setting the price and tia, not setting the National Price for broadband. Even if it went out the ntia express over