This NOFO is the first in a series that NTIA will issue and administer under the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (Innovation Fund). The purpose of the Innovation Fund Program is to fund efforts that accelerate the development, deployment, and adoption of open and interoperable radio access networks (RAN) through a competitive grant program. In response to this first NOFO, NTIA looks forward to receiving and reviewing a broad range of applications proposing creative ways to: (1) expand industry-accepted testing and evaluation to effectively facilitate and assess the interoperability, performance, and/or security of open and interoperable, standards-based 5G radio access networks; and (2) develop new and/or materially improve existing testing methodologies to test, evaluate, and validate the interoperability, performance, and/or security of these networks, including their component parts, in order to address needs not currently met by industry-accepted tests and best practices.
