NTIA is headed by the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, who is appointed by the President and acts as a principal advisor to the President on telecommunications and information policy matters; is the principal executive branch spokesman to Congress, the industry, state and local governments, and the public on such matters; is the key coordinator of the federal government's own communication systems; and is responsible for assisting in the formulation of the nation's overall telecommunications and information policy. Its budget report to Congress also includes information about NTIA obligations to support public safety, notably for the administration of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), an entity established by Congress in 2012 as an independent agency within the NTIA. The OTIA was also responsible for administering BTOP grants. OPSC was created by the NTIA at the end of 2012 to administer some provisions of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 ( P.L. 112-96 ), Title VI, also known as the Spectrum Act. This request was $1.6 million more than the FY2016 request of $49.2 million, and $11.3 million more than the FY2016 enacted amount of $39.5 million. For FY2017, as reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations, S. 2837 , the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, would have provided $39.5 million for salaries and expenses, equal to the FY2016 funding level. As reported by the House Committee on Appropriations, H.R. 114-223 ), provided funding for the NTIA from October 1, 2016 through December 9, 2016, at the FY2016 funding rate subject to a 0.496% across-the-board decrease. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 ( P.L. 115-31 ), signed by the President on May 5, 2017, provides $32.0 million to the NTIA for salaries and expenses, which is $7.5 million (19%) less than the FY2016 enacted amount. For FY2018, the White House's March 2017 budget blueprint signaled support for NTIA's role in multi-stakeholder forums on Internet governance and digital commerce, and agency efforts on efficient use of federal spectrum. The blueprint does not specify any proposed funding cuts for NTIA, though an overall decrease of $1.5 billion from the FY2017 level authorized by P.L. 114-254 is proposed for the Department of Commerce. Domestic and International Policies

The Obama Administration's FY2017 budget request for Domestic and International Policies was $15.8 million, a $6.7 million (74.1%) increase over the FY2016 enacted amount of $9.1 million. Proposed uses of the requested funds spanned a range of activities, including support for the Obama Administration's Digital Economy Leadership Team (DELT), created in 2015; international representation in the ICANN Governmental Advisory Committee and global Internet Governance Forums; the formulation of domestic Internet policy; and facilitation of federal communications networks' transition to technologies using the Internet Protocol (IP). Beginning in 1998, the NTIA played a key oversight role in ICANN, an international, not-for-profit entity that develops policies to support the Internet worldwide, notably through its coordination of the Internet naming system: the Domain Name System (DNS). Spectrum Management

The Obama Administration's FY2017 budget request for Spectrum Management included $8.9 million for salaries and expenses. The Spectrum Act ( P.L. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 ( P.L. The Spectrum Act gives the NTIA responsibilities to support FirstNet in planning, building, and managing a new, nationwide broadband network for public safety communications. In FY2010, the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) represented half of the NTIA's budget appropriations, receiving $20.0 million in funding to support broadcast and non-broadcast projects. Though funding for the PTFP was eliminated, the total enacted budget appropriations amount for the NTIA in FY2011 increased by 4% to $41.6 million; the total amount supported administrative expenses and salaries. According to the NTIA, the increase of $21.6 million from FY2010 to FY2011 in funding for salaries and expenses was largely attributable to the costs of administration of the $4.7 billion program for broadband deployment, as required by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ( P.L. 111-5 ).
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an agency of the Department of Commerce, is the executive branch's principal advisory office on domestic and international telecommunications and information policies. Its statutory mission includes providing greater access for all Americans to telecommunications services; supporting U.S. efforts to open foreign markets; advising the President on international telecommunications negotiations; and funding research for new technologies and their applications. It is also responsible for managing spectrum use by federal agencies.
Title VI of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-96), also known as the Spectrum Act, gives the NTIA responsibilities for improving public safety communications. The act required NTIA to assist with the development of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), created by Congress to deploy a nationwide public safety broadband network. NTIA is also required to assist in planning and funding for Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) services, which refers to the transition to digital, Internet-based systems to replace existing analog systems that are currently prevalent throughout the United States. The Spectrum Act also gave the NTIA new responsibilities and requirements for spectrum management, especially regarding the reallocation of federal spectrum. The Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-74, Title X) added further requirements for actions by the NTIA, including identification of additional spectrum for nonfederal use.
The NTIA also plays a central role in representing U.S. interests in the Internet internationally, including an active role in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN is an international entity that develops policies to support the Internet worldwide. NTIA participates in ICANN as a member of the Governmental Advisory Committee, which provides advice to ICANN.
Between FY2010 and FY2011, the NTIA's total budget appropriations increased by 4% to $41.6 million. During that same time, Congress defunded NTIA's Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP, funded at $20 million in FY2010), and more than doubled the budget for administration, salaries, and expenses, from $20.0 million to $41.6 million. This increase was largely attributed by the NTIA to its responsibilities in administering grants for broadband network deployment, as required by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, P.L. 111-5). Enacted amounts remained above $40 million until FY2015.The Obama Administration's budget request for FY2015 was $51.0 million, and the enacted amount was $38.2 million. For FY2016, the enacted budget amount for the NTIA was $39.5 million, compared to a request for $49.2 million.
The Obama Administration's budget request for FY2017 was $50.8 million. As reported by the Senate, S. 2837 would have provided a total of $39.5 million to NTIA for FY2017. As reported by the House, H.R. 5393 would have provided $36.3 million. A series of continuing appropriations acts (P.L. 114-223, P.L. 114-254, P.L. 115-30) provided funding for NTIA from October 1, 2016 through May 5, 2017 at about 99.5-99.8% of the FY2016 funding level. Signed by the President on May 5, 2017, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31), provides $32.0 million to NTIA, $7.5 million (19%) less than the FY2016 enacted amount.
For FY2018, the budget blueprint released by the White House in March 2017 signaled support for NTIA's role in multi-stakeholder forums on Internet governance and digital commerce and agency efforts on efficient use of federal spectrum. No funding cuts were specified in the blueprint for NTIA, though an overall decrease of $1.5 billion from the FY2017 continuing resolution level was proposed for the Department of Commerce.