WASHINGTON, June 8, 2023 – American investments in its domestic manufacturing must be accompanied by private investment and ambition, said the director of the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office Jigar Shah a a Thursday event by nonprofit newsroom Canary Media. 

Currently, private companies are not interested in financing manufacturing loans in the U.S., said Shah. He urged the private industry to show more ambition by investing in infrastructure programs as federal investments come down the pipeline. 

Don’t miss the discussion of the connection between green energy, semiconductor manufacturing and infrastructure investment at Broadband Breakfast’s Made in America Summit on June 27.

The Build America Buy America Act, strengthened as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, requires that all iron, steel, manufactured products and construction materials used in federally funded projects to be produced in the U.S.

Additionally, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 which invests $400 billion in federal funding to clean energy and the CHIPS and Science Act which invests $280 billion into U.S. domestic semiconductor manufacturing. Semiconductors are the microprocessors that power all electronic applications. 

These investments, paired with the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which invests in various American infrastructure projects, play a central role in the administration’s strategy to revitalize the American industry. They invest in a more sustainable, consistent, and dependable supply chain for the U.S. economy, said Shah. 

Investing in American manufacturing will increase investor confidence that the U.S. is capable of large manufacturing projects, he added. 

By passing these acts, Congress has moved forward to improve American manufacturing, said Shah. It is now up to private industry to make the most of these investments and reinvent themselves to improve American global competitiveness. 

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2023 – Experts in automated vehicles are urging regulators to approve the implementation of cellular vehicle-to-everything technology, warning a lengthy regulatory process could stifle innovation.

In April, the Federal Communications Commission approved a joint waiver by 14 automakers and equipment manufacturers to use CV2X technology in the 5.9 GHz transportation safety band after nearly two years of review. Since then, numerous similar applications have been submitted and due to review.

“The point of filing was to say, we don’t have time to wait until you finish with the rule making, FCC,” said Suzanne Tetreault, partner at the law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, a counsel to the 5G Automotive Association.

The industry’s shift from dedicated short-range communication to CV2X has prompted authorities to figure clear guidelines on the use of this emerging technology. While both allow for vehicles to broadcast signals, CV2X enables more robust connection between vehicles and infrastructure through high-speed cellular networks such as the 5G wireless standard.

These signals can be used to avoid collisions, traffic congestion and support the development of driverless vehicles.

The FCC is currently working with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Department of Transportation to come up with final rules for the widespread use of CV2X technology in addition to spectrum allocation.

Charles Cooper, associate administrator from the NTIA, explained that regulators need to find “a common basis for technical evaluation,” saying “it may take time and effort, but the payoff is tremendous.”

Karen Van Dyke, a spectrum management official at the Department of Transportation, added taking time for regulation is necessary to ensure “zero fatalities.”

Experts in the field, however, pointed out that it is unrealistic to guarantee total safety before moving to the implementation phase. Instead, regulators should aim for more attainable, short-term goals or “low-hanging fruits.”

“You don’t have to solve the problems 100 percent,” said Bryan Mulligan, president of Applied Information Inc. “Let’s focus on vision 50 – how can we get 50 percent of the fatalities saved in the next five years.”

Trial and error are the only way to generate the innovation and data necessary to guarantee safety, according to experts.

“The key thing is moving quick to get deployed and taking those advantages to feed information to the other vehicles,” said John Kuzin, vice president of spectrum policy and regulatory counsel at chips maker Qualcomm.

Meanwhile, the FCC is still waiting to regain its spectrum licensing authority, which has expired for the first time in the agency’s history.

WASHINGTON, June 2, 2023 — Perhaps the greatest surprise of the debt ceiling deal passed Thursday night by the Senate (and on Wednesday by the House) is that it leaves unscathed the Biden administration’s three top domestic priorities: the Inflation Reduction Act (August 2022), semiconductor promotion in the CHIPS and Science Act (July 2022), and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (November 2021).

Together, these measures will invest more than $2 trillion of federal funds into American manufacturing, infrastructure (including broadband) and advanced energy.

REGISTER FOR THE MADE IN AMERICA SUMMIT

As Broadband Breakfast’s Made in America Summit takes shape, we encourage you to register now to attend this important event on Tuesday, June 27, in Washington. The summit’s four sessions will explore the intersection of these vital big-picture topics:

• (R)e-building Energy and Internet Infrastructure
• Semiconductor Manufacturing and U.S.-Chinese Tech Race
• Challenges to Reorienting America’s Supply Chain
• Making Cleaner Energy and Enhancing Green Industry

Early-bird registration of $199 until Friday, June 9 + government and Broadband Breakfast Club rate.

Check back frequently to see updates on the Made in America Summit event page.

REGISTER FOR THE MADE IN AMERICA SUMMIT