What We Do
The Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) is the research and engineering laboratory of NTIA. We perform advanced communications research to inform spectrum policy and develop capabilities to solve emerging telecommunications issues. We serve as a principal Federal resource for solving the telecommunications concerns of other Federal agencies, state and local Governments, industry, and international organizations. We work to continually advance the state of the art in radio frequency (RF) propagation measurement, RF propagation modeling, spectrum monitoring and enforcement, electromagnetic compatibility analysis, interference mitigation strategies, evaluation of end-user experience, and engineering analysis of evolving technologies to manage and share spectrum efficiently. Learn more about ITS on our YouTube Channel or read about our research programs in the FY 2017 Technical Progress Report.
May 9, 2019
ITS has a long history of leadership in air-to-ground
propagation model development within the International
Telecommunications Union – Radiocommunication Sector’s (ITU-R)
Study Group 3 – Radiowave Propagation (and its...
March 10, 2019
How can we get more use out of the radio spectrum? One way is by
sharing radio bands between users who have never shared before.
Consider radio frequencies near 3.5 GHz. Until recently, that part
of the spectrum was...
November 26, 2018
Behind every initiative to share spectrum are models of
how radio waves in a particular band propagate through different
environments. How far will a signal travel before it becomes too
faint to be useful or...
August 7, 2018
The record attendance (nearly 170 experts from government,
academia, and industry) at the 17th International Symposium on
Advanced Radio Technologies (ISART) demonstrated the deep interest
in the problem of modeling...
April 24, 2018
As demand for spectrum for commercial use continues to grow,
policymakers are exploring spectrum sharing as a way to expand
capacity while still fulfilling the needs of federal agencies. This
model can work only if rules...
New Publications
This Month in ITS History
July 1907: John Howard Dellinger Begins his NBS Career
On July 3, 1907, John Howard Dellinger was officially appointed to the National Bureau of Standards. S.W. Stratton, the director of the Bureau, met with Dellinger and recommended him to the post of Laboratory Assistant in a letter to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor. Dellinger began his duties on his 21st birthday. After a few years of service he took a sabbatical to attain his PhD., but returned to the Bureau on its completion. Dellinger rose through the Bureau ranks quickly, becoming the Chief of the Radio Section in 1919, and gaining the nickname Dr. D from his staff. He remained head of the laboratory, which grew into the Central Radio Propagation Laboratory, until 1948 when he retired. During his tenure he published over 140 papers in his own name, primarily on radio propagation and interference, but also on subjects ranging from electrical impedance to Planck's constant. Dellinger directed the work of the Radio Section from its rapid growth in the 1920s, through World War II when the Bureau was immersed in inventing and testing military technology. Dellinger is known for his leadership role in international organizations such as the IRE, the IEEE, USRI, and CCIR (precursor to ITU-R). The Dellinger Effect, which he described, and the Dellinger crater on the moon are named in his honor. ITS leadership continues to follow in Dellinger's footsteps, publishing independently, mentoring other researchers, supporting international cooperation, and widely disseminating the results of their research to the public.