Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things (DIGIT) Act (S 1611, 116th Congress)

SciPol Summary

The Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things (DIGIT) Act aims to ensure that the internet of things (IoT) receives support from the government in the form of planning and interagency coordination. The bill directs the Department of Commerce to create a federal working group charged with investigating regulatory challenges that could interfere with the development of the IoT and recommending solutions to those issues. The working group would consist of officials from a variety of federal agencies and would have to consult with nongovernmental stakeholders.

The DIGIT Act further establishes a steering committee that would advise the working group by identifying federal regulations that inhibit the growth of the internet of things and guiding the working group to think about uses of the IoT that would benefit society and the economy. The steering committee would consist of non-governmental stakeholders with backgrounds in information technology or IoT, such as representatives from the information technology industry, security industry, academia, other businesses, and rural stakeholders.

In addition to the creation of the working group and its steering committee, the bill directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to collect public comment about current and future spectrum needs to enable better connectivity related to the IoT. Within one year of the bill’s enactment, the FCC will report to Congress on its findings and on summarized concerns from public comment.

The internet of things refers to the highly interconnected network of technological devices, such as mobile phones, computers, and internet connected appliances.