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- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Economic Development
WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission has granted licenses to 154 tribal applicants who applied during the “Rural Tribal Priority Window” to access unassigned wireless broadband spectrum over their reservations.
The licenses spanning 27 states will allow tribes to develop their own wireless broadband networks and improve internet access in remote areas in Indian Country. The FCC solicited applications from federally recognized tribes in a process that started in February and ran until Sept. 2.
Historically, the 2.5 GHz band spectrum licenses were reserved for educational institutions. The FCC offered the licenses to tribes for free under the Rural Tribal Priority Window.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai hailed the first round of licenses as “a major step forward” to address the digital divide in Indian Country.
The licenses give tribes access to spectrum to provide broadband and other advanced wireless services, including 5G, to rural tribal communities.
“Few communities face the digital connectivity challenges faced by rural Tribes,” Pai said in a statement. “By prioritizing Tribal access to this mid-band spectrum, we are ensuring that Tribes can quickly access spectrum to connect their schools, homes, hospitals, and businesses.”
More than 400 applications were sub mitted as part of the Rural Tribal Priority Window. The FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau selected the initial set of awards from a pool of 157 applicants, according to a Sept. 15 public notice.
“Having visited many of these communities and met with Tribal leaders, I have seen first-hand the connectivity difficulties facing Native Nations,” Pai stated. “I am exceedingly pleased that — less than a year after we announced the timeline for the Rural Tribal Priority Window — we are now distributing 2.5 GHz band licenses to help Tribal communities bridge the digital divide.”
Initially, the application period was to expire Aug. 3, but the FCC announced a 30-day extension of the Rural Tribal Priority Window in response to concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic restricted tribes’ ability to gather the necessary information.
While the move to give tribes access to the unassigned spectrum garnered widespread support in Indian Country, many Native advocacy groups criticized the FCC for the short extension, with some calling for an additional 180 days in the process, according to reports.
Any spectrum that remains unassigned after the closure of the tribal priority window will be made available by the FCC via a commercial auction.
A list of the 154 applications selected in the initial round is available here.
