Biden-Harris Administration Awards $19 Million For Wireless Innovation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 17, 2025
News Media Contact NTIA, Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded more than $19 million in the third and final batch of grants from the second Notice of Funding Opportunity.
The $1.5 billion Wireless Innovation Fund supports the development of open and interoperable wireless networks. Open and interoperable wireless equipment will help drive competition, strengthen global supply chain resilience, and lower costs for consumers and network operators.
“Wireless innovation is a major driver for U.S. competition and leadership globally,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in open and interoperable wireless networks will help secure global leadership and increase competition in the wireless market.”
This batch of awards will support projects focused on open radio unit innovation and commercialization. Applicants were required to partner with a mobile network operator to help produce products that will be commercially viable.
“Our awards today are tackling a major wireless network expense head-on with support to bring more open radio units to market,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson. “These projects will shore up the hardware supply chain and create new opportunities for companies from the U.S. and its allies along the way.”
The funding totals $19,428,079 and was awarded to two projects. So far, NTIA has awarded more than $550 million from the Wireless Innovation Fund. Funded by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the Innovation Fund will invest $1.5 billion over the next decade to support the development of open and interoperable networks.
“I’ve led the charge on the need for the U.S. to continue to serve as a global leader in this and future generations of wireless technology, which includes solving major problems related to interoperability, performance, and security, and, in recent years, we’ve made significant strides,” said Senator Mark Warner (VA). “I am thrilled to see Virginia reap the benefits of this work, securing nearly $10 million to help integrate ORAN into existing networks.”
