H.R. 1377 would require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to encourage trusted companies and stakeholders to participate in setting standards for 5G and future generations of wireless communications networks. Under the bill, the NTIA would provide technical assistance to such companies and stakeholders to facilitate participation.
Based on information from the NTIA, CBO expects that the agency would need seven employees, at an average annual salary of about $160,000 each, to meet the bill’s requirements. In total, CBO estimates that salaries and additional expenses would cost about $8 million over the 2023-2028 period. It would cost an insignificant amount each year, CBO estimates, for the National Institute of Standards and Technology to help facilitate industry participation in the international standard-setting process for 5G networks. Spending for both agencies would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
