Require Tribal Consent for 5G Fund, Tribes Say

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2024 – Tribal governments are urging the Federal Communications Commission to require their consent before subsidizing 5G infrastructure on Tribal lands.

“Indeed, the Tribe unfortunately knows firsthand what happens when tribes are not full participants in the process of deployment on Tribal lands,” the Southern Ute Indian Tribe wrote in comments posted Friday. “Tribal communities will only receive adequate broadband service if they are provided the resources to do it themselves, or the ability to choose their provider partnerships.”

The FCC adopted in August an order standing up its long-planned 5G Fund for Rural America, which will spend up to $9 billion on wireless infrastructure via a reverse auction.