republic-os/legal/us/code/title-15/chapter-7/section-278t.md

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LegalText	15 U.S.C. § 278t	Advanced communications research activities	us	united_states_code	code_section	15	COMMERCE AND TRADE	7	NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY	278t	15 U.S.C. § 278t	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc15@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t15/s278t	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-15/usc15.xml	180049a345548fc2f6ec3b8726145ed433a98c2d708160774d648289537f24ca	6982338d990ef19d6b52bff6825089bdd6d0ee1233d9382673faf533decd5059	418f55818fe8d01a4e90493e24e2edde25d01965db88ef8c9e2595187c702740	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

15 U.S.C. § 278t - Advanced communications research activities

Text

(a) Advanced communications research (1) In general The Director, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall carry out a program of measurement research for advanced communications technologies.

(2) Research areas Research areas may include—

(A) radio frequency emissions and interference, including technologies and techniques to mitigate such emissions and interference;

(B) advanced antenna arrays and artificial intelligence systems capable of operating advanced antenna arrays;

(C) artificial intelligence systems to enable internet of things networks, immersive technology, and other advanced communications technologies;

(D) network sensing and monitoring technologies;

(E) technologies to enable spectrum flexibility and agility;

(F) optical and quantum communications technologies;

(G) security of advanced communications systems;

(H) public safety communications;

(I) resilient internet of things applications for advanced manufacturing; and

(J) other research areas determined necessary by the Director.

(3) Testbeds In coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, the private sector, and other Federal agencies as appropriate, the Director may develop and manage testbeds for research and development of advanced communications technologies, avoiding duplication of existing testbeds run by other agencies or the private sector.

(4) Outreach In carrying out the activities under this subsection, the Director shall seek input from other Federal agencies and from private sector stakeholders, on an ongoing basis, to help inform research and development priorities, including through workshops and other multistakeholder activities.

(5) Technical roadmaps In carrying out the activities under this subsection, the Director shall convene industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, Federal laboratories, and other Federal agencies engaged in advanced communications research and development to develop, and periodically update, coordinated technical roadmaps for advanced communications research in priority areas, such as those described in paragraph (2).

(b) National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (1) In general The Director, in coordination with the Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall operate a national network of government, academic, and commercial test capabilities and facilities to be known as the National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (referred to in this section as “NASCTN”).

(2) Purposes NASCTN shall be for the purposes of facilitating and coordinating the use of intellectual capacity, modeling and simulation, laboratory facilities, and test facilities to meet national spectrum interests and challenges, including—

(A) measurements and analyses of electromagnetic propagation, radio systems characteristics, and operating techniques affecting the utilization of the electromagnetic spectrum in coordination with specialized, related research and analysis performed by other Federal agencies in their areas of responsibility;

(B) conducting research and analysis in the general field of telecommunications sciences in support of the Institute’s mission and in support of other Government agencies;

(C) developing methodologies for testing, measuring, and setting guidelines for interference;

(D) conducting interference tests to better understand the impact of current and proposed Federal and commercial spectrum activities;

(E) conducting research and testing to improve spectrum interference tolerance, flexibility, agility, and interference mitigation methods; and

(F) other activities as determined necessary by the Director.

(Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 872, § 35, as added Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title II, § 10230(2), Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1482.)