The Exit Interview: NTIA Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Friday, January 17, 2025

Digital Beat

The Exit Interview:
NTIA Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson

 

"Whoever you are, or wherever you live, everyone in America should have the opportunity to thrive in the modern digital economy. You should have access to reliable high-speed Internet service."

In early 2022, the U.S. Senate confirmed Alan Davidson to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information—and to lead the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). In the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), Congress charged the NTIA with administering $48.2 billion in federal investments to close the digital divide—including the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment​ (BEAD) Program. The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society's Kevin Taglang had the opportunity to ask Assistant Secretary Davidson a few questions as his NTIA tenure came to an end.

It’s been just over 1,000 days since you were sworn in to lead the NTIA. Which of your accomplishments will have the greatest, longest-lasting impact?

Alan Davidson
                              Davidson

Tough question! NTIA has been tasked with implementing several historic initiatives, each intended to be transformational. I would highlight three.

The Internet for All initiative is our generation’s big infrastructure moment. We have been talking about the digital divide in this country for nearly 30 years. Thanks to President Biden’s leadership and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we finally have the resources to do something serious and structural about it.

We are on time and on track to meet the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service by the end of the decade. The vast majority of unserved locations will connect through a fiber network that is scalable and will continue to meet their needs for many years to come. Those networks—along with the work we are doing to aid adoption by particular communities in need—will lead to a fully connected America that will have impact for years to come.

Second, our work to ensure that the United States remains the world’s leader in wireless innovation. The National Spectrum Strategy—the first in over a decade—is creating a spectrum pipeline to put better wireless technology in the hands of more consumers while serving important Federal missions like airline safety and national security.  And our work promoting Open RAN and a more trusted and resilient wireless supply chain, through NTIA’s Wireless Innovation Fund and our work with allies around the world, will have profound impacts on the future of communications.

"Building this capacity in government may be one of the more impactful things we've done."

The third area of impact, less visible to the outside world: Over the last three years I’ve prioritized building a stronger NTIA, one that can meet the big policy challenges of the 21st Century. Within my first year on the job, a third of NTIA staff were new. And the trend continued. We’ve attracted top talent to administer multiple massive grant programs. We took a customer service approach to those programs by hiring Federal Program Officers in every state to assist. We hired policy experts to tackle emerging issues like artificial intelligence, privacy, and space commerce. Building this capacity in government may be one of the more impactful things we've done.

Looking forward 1,000 days—to August 2027—what can we expect NTIA to have accomplished by then?

I can’t speak for the next administration, or what hard problem Congress might give to NTIA in the future. But if we just stay the course on our existing initiatives, then we will hit some major milestones in the next few years.

  • I expect every state and territory will be well into building the networks to connect everyone in America, with many projects nearing completion and lighting up new customers.
  • Many of our Middle Mile projects will be complete, completing the Internet’s “highway system” just in time for BEAD-funded projects to leverage this $1 billion investment.
  • Our Digital Equity programs will be helping people thrive online. Our Tribal program will have connected thousands of native families. By 2027, millions of people who could not get online will be able to get a reliable, affordable high-speed connection.
  • I expect that more of the Spectrum Strategy band studies will be completed and the FCC will be preparing more spectrum for auction and use. Dynamic Spectrum Sharing testbeds will show us the art of the possible in using technology to more efficiently use spectrum.

Based on NTIA’s review of Initial BEAD Proposals, does every state and territory have the resources it needs to connect every serviceable location?

Alan DavidsonYes. The early returns bear this out. Louisiana, Nevada, and Delaware all have approved final proposals that show how they will connect every unserved and underserved location. They took a range of approaches, and together offer a road map for how universal coverage can be achieved in a variety of states. Our team is highly confident that—using a mix of technologies that is right for their situation—every state will be able to reach universal coverage, and we can reach every serviceable location with the funding that we have in flight.

NTIA awarded all the Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).  How does the work of the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives evolve over the next few years?

I am so incredibly proud of what our Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives (OMBI) has been able to accomplish. The CMC Pilot Program, as you note, awarded all of its $268 million in available funds. Already we’re seeing the dividends. Tens of thousands of people in the communities that surround our grantees are obtaining free or low-cost connected devices. Classrooms are being connected. Training programs are being created for school staff, students, and community members, enabling them to qualify for skilled jobs.

One of our grantees, Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology, is a great example. It has graduated multiple classes of students seeking to change careers and become fiber optic technicians. Considering the huge investment coming from BEAD, this is perfect timing. We’ve been telling these stories in our ConnectingUS series, which I recommend to anyone who wants to see firsthand how our Internet for All programs are touching people’s lives.

Alan DavidsonAs the CMC grants comes to a close, you will see OMBI prioritize monitoring and implementation of our active projects. You will also see us working on strategies to help grantees ensure that their projects are sustainable over the long haul. And I hope that future NTIA Administrators will use OMBI as a strategic advisor on ways to expand digital opportunities for a range of communities in need.

You may recall that the CMC program was massively oversubscribed: We received applications totaling more than $833 million for a $268 million program. There’s clearly a need for additional investment. The CMC Pilot Program has shown that when we make those investments, the impact can be felt on campus and throughout the surrounding communities.

NTIA asked every state to articulate what their vision of digital equity is. What is Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson’s vision of digital equity?

Opportunity is at the core of our Internet for All initiative. We aim to level the playing field: addressing universal access to high-speed Internet service, ensuring that household income does not dictate online adoption, ensuring that we close the digital literacy gap.

So, I guess to me, “digital equity” means that whoever you are, or wherever you live, everyone in America should have the opportunity to thrive in the modern digital economy. You should have access to reliable high-speed Internet service. You should be able to afford that service. You should have the devices you need to get online. And you should know how to meaningfully participate in the online economy.

But perhaps more important than what it means to me is what it means for all of us, for everyone in America. Because NTIA’s work is about far more than just technology policy. 

This is about creating economic opportunity and new jobs. Improving equity at home. Promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms around the world. Tackling the big challenges facing our planet.

The road ahead is daunting. The potential for technology to promote human progress has never been greater. But the risks, in many ways, have never been higher.

This is our moment. And I am encouraged by the advocates who have stayed engaged for so many years. 

The choice is ours. The decisions we make now can lead us to a world where technology works in service of a more open, free, equitable and just society. 

 Together, I know we can build that better version of our future. Thanks.


 

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.


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Kevin Taglang

Kevin Taglang
Executive Editor, Communications-related Headlines
Benton Institute
for Broadband & Society
1041 Ridge Rd, Unit 214
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-220-4531
headlines AT benton DOT org

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