Remarks of Assistant Secretary Arielle Roth at the Americas Spectrum Management Conference

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Arielle Roth delivered remarks at the Americas Spectrum Management Conference on October 30. She spoke about the three core principles of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's spectrum policy. "First, spectrum policy shouldn’t be zero-sum: Just as the One Big Beautiful Bill pipeline advances win-wins for federal and commercial users, we must ensure that our work on one service doesn’t take away from our attention to others. In the 6G era of convergence, we need more spectrum access for everyone. Second, bureaucracy should never stand in the way of progress. Government must clear the runway for innovation by streamlining coordination, reducing regulatory delays, and empowering the private sector to move fast. And third, technology neutrality isn’t just a slogan—it’s an existential necessity. When government favors one technology over others, innovation slows. As we’ve highlighted in NTIA’s broadband grant program, BEAD, locking in a single model crowds out research and development, distorts the market, and ultimately warps progress. Spectrum policy must promote experimentation, scale, and flexibility to keep America’s innovators on top."