The National Telecommunications and Information Administration should grant its Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund to projects focused on 5G and future generations of wireless networks, the Information Technology Industry Council said.
ITI published its comments on Friday in response to NTIA’s request for comment on funding open and interoperable radio access networks. The organization has $1.5 billion in its disposal through the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
Aside from bolstering the country’s global leadership in telecommunications, the 10-year grant program was also established to elevate small and medium-sized businesses vying for a share of the market.
According to ITI, NTIA should include cybersecurity proposals as one of the main prerequisites in grant funding, and give attention to pilot projects and commercial deployments when considering awardees.
The council also recommended that the administration promote open RAN technologies in both the domestic and international markets to support continuous industry growth.
