White House Communication Agency

The White House Communication Agency (WHCA) line item in the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) budget supports the procurement and modernization of secure communications and information technology services for the President, Vice President, White House staff, National Security Staff, U.S. Secret Service, and other designated entities. The program's overarching goal is to ensure the ability to communicate securely, globally, and on-demand, supporting both daily operations and crisis response.

WHCA's mission is critical to national security, requiring a no fail approach to maintaining effective communications infrastructure across all supported agencies and locations. This includes the National Capital Region, Presidential aircraft and vehicles, Camp David, and Continuity of Government sites.

Broadcast and Audio-Visual Services focus on providing high-quality voice, video, and image capabilities for the President, Vice President, and other senior leaders. The objectives include supporting broadcast production, archiving presidential records, multimedia production, and delivering content to both domestic and international audiences. Investments in this portfolio enable real-time streaming, increased bandwidth, and enhanced multimedia communications. The program also modernizes audiovisual equipment and integrates smart tagging for global access and search, ensuring the preservation and accessibility of historical records and event documentation.

Senior Leader Communications aims to deliver secure telecommunications, command and control, and messaging services to top national leadership. The WHCA operates three 24/7 customer support centers, providing secure teleconferencing, radio communications, and technical support. The portfolio includes the adoption of next-generation network services, cloud solutions, and enhanced motorcade communications, such as the Presidential Unified Motorcade Communication system. Investments also support classified conferencing, mobile device security, and SATCOM upgrades, ensuring reliable communications during travel and at remote locations. The program is designed to meet Continuity of Operations and Continuity of Government requirements, with a focus on maintaining high equipment availability.

Transport Services, executed as a sub-portfolio of Senior Leader Communications, provide global, point-to-point connectivity for mission partners using a mix of government-owned and commercially leased technologies. This includes wireless, SONET, WAN, and IP-based services, as well as satellite communications. The objective is to build out a Multi-Level System backbone supporting unified communications and high-speed transport, leveraging commercial solutions such as FirstNet, MUOS, 5G, and Iridium. These investments enhance the Presidential Transport Network, supporting secure communications for both routine and emergency actions.

Enterprise IT portfolio objectives center on modernizing the Presidential Information Technology Community network through technical refreshes, cybersecurity enhancements, and the consolidation of software applications. Key goals include upgrading routers, switches, servers, and data centers to improve reliability, security, and availability. The program implements the Comply to Connect cybersecurity framework, increases cyber resiliency, and ensures compliance with Federal and Presidential Records Acts. The network supports a growing digital services footprint, emphasizing mobility, customer service, and executive support, with a planned high uptime for IT infrastructure.

Deployable Services provide rapidly configurable travel and mobile vehicle capabilities for Presidential Information Technology Community and Senior Leader customers. The focus is on fielding secure, next-generation mobile devices and communication platforms, including executive and mobile communication vehicle fleets. These assets deliver secure and redundant communications during travel, at secondary residences, and at temporary locations. The program integrates commercial off-the-shelf and Department of Defense technologies to ensure high availability and security, supporting executive-level communications outside the National Capital Region and during Presidential travel missions.

Across all portfolios, WHCA's procurement and modernization efforts are justified by the need to replace end-of-life equipment, address evolving technology and cybersecurity threats, and maintain uninterrupted communications for national leadership. Performance metrics are rigorously tracked, with planned and actual success rates consistently high for broadcast, network, and deployable services. The FY 2026 budget increase is primarily attributed to replacing boundary and cyber network defense equipment within Enterprise IT and delivering next-generation secure motorcade communications. These investments are essential to sustaining the WHCA's mission and supporting the continuity of government and national security operations.