Response to U.S. DOT RFI for Transportation Digital Infrastructure

Response to the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Docket No. DOT-OST-2026-0430 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology; Request for Information: Research to Support Establishing a National Strategy for Transportation Digital Infrastructure

Respondent: Neo Network Development, Inc.

Contact: Vincent J. Aragona, Founder, President and CEO

Subject: Alignment of the National Broadband Master Plan (USAIntranet) with Transportation Digital Infrastructure (TDI) Strategy

Overview

The proposed Neo Networks Development, Inc. National Broadband Master Plan (NBMP) (https://nndi.us/innovative-solutions/nbmp) provides a foundational framework that directly supports the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) effort to establish a national strategy for Transportation Digital Infrastructure (TDI). The RFI calls for scalable, interoperable, secure, and multimodal digital infrastructure to modernize transportation systems across the U.S.

At its core, the NBMP proposes the development of a nationwide, high-capacity fiber optic backbone – leveraging federal transportation rights-of-way – to support government, commercial, and community use cases . This architecture aligns closely with U.S. DOT’s priorities in system interoperability, real-time data exchange, cybersecurity, and AI-enabled transportation systems.

The NBMP should therefore be understood not simply as a telecommunications initiative, but as a national physical-layer platform that would facilitate TDI deployment at scale.

1. Defining Transportation Digital Infrastructure

The U.S. DOT RFI asks how TDI should be defined. The NBMP indicates a clear, actionable definition:

TDI is the integrated physical and digital system that enables secure, real-time data exchange, control, and coordination across transportation modes, assets, and operators.

The NBMP contributes the physical-layer foundation of this architecture, including revenue generation through monetization elements, while providing operations, maintenance and security.:

• A nationwide fiber backbone co-located with highways and transportation corridors
• Direct interconnection with airports, ports, rail hubs, and logistics centers
• Connectivity to traffic control systems, sensors, and operational platforms

This aligns with U.S. DOT’s goal of enabling multimodal operations, safety, and asset management through digital infrastructure at scale.

2. Research, Development, and Deployment Priorities

The RFI emphasizes prioritizing research and deployment strategies. The NBMP addresses this through a phased, corridor-based national buildout:

a. Corridor-Based Deployment

The plan prioritizes deployment along:

• Interstate highways (Phase 1)
• Federal and state highways (Phase 2)
• Subsequent expansion to state and local networks

This directly answers U.S. DOT’s question on which corridors should be prioritized, providing a scalable, nationally consistent approach grounded in existing transportation infrastructure.

b. Immediate Testbeds and Pilots

The NBMP recommends the U.S. create an infrastructure that would facilitate:

• A national test-bed environment for TDI applications
• Real-world deployment zones for:
• Vehicle-to-everything (V2X)
• Autonomous systems
• Smart traffic and logistics systems
• Sensoring for natural or man-made disasters

c. Priority Use Cases

The proposed NBMP infrastructure enables priority use cases by providing the conduit and control mechanisms for its easy installation and maintenance for:

• Real-time traffic and incident management
• Freight and logistics optimization
• Autonomous vehicle coordination
• Infrastructure condition monitoring
• Emergency response and evacuation coordination

These map directly to U.S. DOT’s requested priority TDI applications.

3. System Architecture, Interoperability, and Standards

The U.S. DOT RFI highlights the need for interoperable, multi-modal system architectures. The NBMP addresses this at the physical and network architecture level through:

a. Federated, High-Capacity Backbone

The plan proposes infrastructure that facilitates:

• A fiber infrastructure with circuits owned and operated by stakeholders (U.S. DOT in this case) that makes possible information-based applications.
• Standardized interconnection points (POIs)
• Nationwide routing consistency

This enables federated data sharing across states and regions, a core U.S. DOT requirement.

b. Integration with Existing Frameworks

The NBMP proposal supports:

• ARC-IT architecture alignment
• Integration with existing ITS deployments
• Compatibility with public APIs and data-sharing frameworks

c. Performance Requirements

The proposed infrastructure provides the U.S. government the ability to quickly create and access:

• Ultra-low latency fiber for safety-critical applications
• High throughput for AI-driven systems and sensor networks
• Dedicated capacity for mission-critical communications

These capabilities directly support U.S. DOT’s requirements for V2X, ADS, and Cooperative Driving Automation systems.

4. Artificial Intelligence and Automation Enablement

The RFI emphasizes AI-enabled transportation systems. The NBMP enables AI deployment in three key ways:

a. Data Availability

A nationwide fiber backbone supports:

• High-volume sensor data ingestion
• Real-time data fusion across jurisdictions
• Persistent connectivity for distributed AI systems

b. Edge and Distributed Compute Integration

The plan envisions:

• Interconnection with edge data centers and regional compute nodes
• Support for AI inference at the edge, critical for transportation systems

c. Operational AI Applications

Enabled use cases include:

• Predictive maintenance of infrastructure
• AI-driven traffic optimization
• Autonomous vehicle coordination
• Airspace and drone traffic management

This directly addresses U.S. DOT’s question on high-value near-term AI applications.

5. Data Governance, Privacy, and Cybersecurity

One of the strongest alignments between the NBMP and the U.S. DOT RFI is in cybersecurity and resilience.

a. Physical-Layer Security Model

The NBMP proposes:

• A dedicated fiber network separate from the public internet, which reduces exposure to external cyber threats
• Segmentation of critical infrastructure communications

This represents a structural cybersecurity enhancement, rather than reliance solely on software-based defenses.

b. Secure Data Exchange

The architecture supports:

• Federated data-sharing models
• Controlled access points
• Segmented networks for sensitive applications

c. Alignment with Federal Frameworks

The design can be aligned with:

• NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)
• National security networks
• Federal data governance strategies
• Privacy-preserving data architectures

This directly addresses U.S. DOT’s focus on trust, accountability, and secure interoperability.

6. Role of the Department of Transportation

The NBMP uniquely positions U.S. DOT as a central enabling authority for TDI deployment:

a. Rights-of-Way as Strategic Assets

The plan leverages:

• Federal highway corridors
• DOT’s influence to acquire transportation rights-of-way
• Existing infrastructure investment

U.S. DOT is the lead agency for physical-layer TDI deployment.

b. Multimodal Integration

U.S. DOT is uniquely positioned to ensure true multimodal digital integration, as envisioned in the RFI, due to its oversight of:

• Highways
• Rail
• Aviation
• Maritime systems

c. National Coordination

The NBMP supports U.S. DOT’s role in:

• Coordinating federal, state, and local stakeholders
• Establishing national standards
• Scaling deployment across regions

Conclusion

Neo Network Development’s NBMP provides the missing physical foundation required to realize the U.S. DOT’s vision for TDI.

Where the U.S. DOT RFI identifies:

• The need for interoperable systems
• Scalable deployment strategies
• Secure and resilient infrastructure
• AI-enabled transportation capabilities

… the NBMP provides:

• A deployable national architecture
• A corridor-based implementation strategy
• A secure, high-capacity communications backbone
• A platform for next-generation transportation technologies

In this context, the NBMP should be viewed as a core enabling layer for national TDI strategy, transforming transportation infrastructure into a fully digital, intelligent, and resilient system.

Request for Information: Research to Support Establishing a National Strategy for Transportation Digital Infrastructure (TDI)

National Broadband Master Plan (NBMP)