Remarks by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo at the Virginia Innovation Forum

Remarks by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo at the Virginia Innovation Forum
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Tue, 02/13/2024 – 13:30

ICT Supply Chain

AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

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Gina M. Raimondo

Thank you, Senator Warner. I am grateful to you and Representative Beyer for joining us today. Your leadership was essential to getting the CHIPS and Science Act passed and making the Innovation Fund happen.

I also want to thank Assistant Secretary Davidson and the entire Innovation Fund team at NTIA for your terrific work standing up this program and funding projects like the one we’re here to celebrate.

All of us are here for a simple reason: If America is going out-compete the rest of the world, we need to invest in technology and innovation. Wireless technology is particularly critical in that mission for our both our economic and national security.

Today, there are only a handful of wireless equipment suppliers, and some of them pose significant national security risks to the U.S. and our allies. That’s a serious problem – it’s unacceptable.

As is often the case, the solution to our greatest challenges can be found in fundamental American values: openness, competition, and working with our allies. Those are the driving forces behind the Innovation Fund.

By embracing open and interoperable wireless networks, we’re opening the door to innovation, we’re giving our wireless companies more choices, and we’re strengthening our supply chains. It will result in better performance, more secure networks and potentially lower costs for consumers.

As we see with today’s award, embracing competition doesn’t mean we’re rejecting collaboration. The ACCoRD project brings together over two dozen carriers, equipment suppliers, and universities, including our wonderful hosts, Virginia Tech.

I also want to thank the representatives from the Japanese and Indian embassies for joining us in this endeavor. Fortifying supply chains is an international undertaking. We can’t do it all alone and need to rely on our allies and partners to help us diversify our supply chains. We need to work together to build our capacity so that we can do the research, train the talent, and build the infrastructure needed to continue our leadership in telecommunications.

As of today, the Innovation Fund has contributed more than $140 million in wireless testing infrastructure and research, a historic investment by the federal government. These investments are laying the foundation for a new generation of prosperity and innovation.

There’s a lot more work to do, but this is an exciting moment, and I can’t wait to see the results of this fantastic collaboration. Thank you.

Bureaus and Offices

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Leadership

Gina M. Raimondo

Tags

Secretary Gina Raimondo
CHIPS and Science Act
National Security

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