What does the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) do?
Refreshed annually
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is a subdivision of the Department of Commerce responsible for advising the president on telecommunications and information policy issues. It was established in 1978.
In FY 2025,
$1.44B
was spent by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
In FY 2025,
4.9%
of Dept. of Commerce spending was by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
How much does the National Telecommunications and Information Administration spend?
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration spent a net total of $1.44 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 4.9% of the $29.7 billion spent by the Department of Commerce, which itself was 0.4% of all federal spending. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration ranked third among DOC subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration ranked third among Department of Commerce divisions in net spending in 2025.
DOC net spending by division, FY 2025
Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s federal spending has increased from $142.7 million in 1980 to $1.44 billion in 2025.
Get weekly insights
Subscribe for data-driven insights. No spin, just the facts.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1980.
Yearly federal net spending by NTIA, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 1980–2025
Since 1980, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's spending has increased 911%, while overall spending has increased 196.9%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. NTIA spending grew more than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget increased. In 2025, NTIA accounted for 0.021% of overall federal spending.
Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s share of federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1980.
Net spending by NTIA as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2025
Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2025, National Telecommunications and Information Administration transferred 49.2% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net NTIA spending.
How did the National Telecommunications and Information Administration spend its budget in 2025?
Federal government net spending isolated to NTIA, FY 2025
How many people work for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration?
Some 527 of the 2.03 million total civilian federal employees work for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration as of May 2026. This is 89.6% more people than the division staffed in 2012.
The number of federal employees working for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has increased 89.6% since 2012.
Number of federal employees working for NTIA, May 2012–2026
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration accounts for 0.026% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a larger share of the overall federal workforce in May 2026 compared to 2012 (0.013%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s share of the workforce (0.026%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.021%).
Who leads the National Telecommunications and Information Administration?
NTIA is led by the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information. This individual is appointed by the president of the US and requires confirmation by the Senate, and reports to the Secretary of Commerce.
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
