47 U.S.C. § 906 Wireless Supply Chain Innovation and Multilateral Security

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023 Edition
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-19 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/06/2023)

(a) Communications technology security funds

(1) Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund

(A) Establishment

(i) In general

There is established in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the "Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund" (referred to in this paragraph as the "Innovation Fund").

(ii) Availability

(I) In general

Amounts appropriated to the Innovation Fund shall remain available through the end of the tenth fiscal year beginning after the date on which funds are appropriated to the Fund.

(II) Remainder to Treasury

Any amounts remaining in the Innovation Fund after the end of the tenth fiscal year beginning after the date of appropriation shall be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury.

(B) Use of Fund

(i) In general

Amounts appropriated to the Innovation Fund shall be available to the Secretary, acting through the NTIA Administrator, to make grants on a competitive basis under this paragraph in such amounts as the Secretary, acting through the NTIA Administrator, determines appropriate, subject to clause (ii).

(ii) Limitation on grant amounts

The amount of a grant awarded under this paragraph to a recipient for a specific research focus area may not exceed $50,000,000.

(C) Administration of Fund

The Secretary, acting through the NTIA Administrator, in consultation with the Commission, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Defense, and the Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, shall establish criteria for grants awarded under this paragraph, by the NTIA Administrator and administer the Innovation Fund, to support the following:

(i) Promoting and deploying technology, including software, hardware, and microprocessing technology, that will enhance competitiveness in the fifth-generation (commonly known as "5G") and successor wireless technology supply chains that use open and interoperable interface radio access networks.

(ii) Accelerating commercial deployments of open interface standards-based compatible, interoperable equipment, such as equipment developed pursuant to the standards set forth by organizations such as the O-RAN Alliance, the Telecom Infra Project, 3GPP, the Open-RAN Software Community, or any successor organizations.

(iii) Promoting and deploying compatibility of new 5G equipment with future open standards-based, interoperable equipment.

(iv) Managing integration of multi-vendor network environments.

(v) Identifying objective criteria to define equipment as compliant with open standards for multi-vendor network equipment interoperability.

(vi) Promoting and deploying security features enhancing the integrity and availability of equipment in multi-vendor networks.