Expert Opinion
Johnny Kampis: Federal Bureaucracy an Impediment to Broadband on Tribal Lands
18% of people living on Tribal lands lack broadband access, compared to 4% of residents in non-tribal areas.
Tribal
Tribal leaders say the federal government has failed to uphold its trust responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of Native American tribes.
FCC
Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chair Takes FCC to Task for Communication With Tribes
‘You need to get a little better about talking to and listening to native communities,” the chairman told the FCC.
Commerce
Biden Administration Awards More Funding for Tribal Broadband, With $262 Million for 9 Projects
The Commerce Department has now made a total of 63 awards totaling more than $601 million in Tribal funding.
Tribal
Institute for Local Self-Reliance Announces Two Initiatives to Foster Local Broadband Solutions
Urban Digital Equity Bootcamp and Let’s Get Going Broadband Program announced.
Commerce
NTIA Approves $1.2M in Grants for Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
The NTIA awarded four grants worth $1.2 million.
Tribal
USDA Anticipates Infrastructure Technical Assistance Tailored Towards Tribal Applicants
At a White House event an agency representative said webinar programs are likely for Indigenous communities.
Infrastructure
Relationship Building Key to Connecting Tribal Communities: USDA Policy Advisor
‘You should build a relationship with your telecommunications field representative,’ Edyael Casaperalta said.
BIP
NTIA Broadband Programs Announce Grants to Tackle Last-Mile Infrastructure
Recent policy talks have pushed for more focus on middle-mile with future funding from infrastructure bill money.
Tribal
ReConnect Rep Warns of ISPs Asking for More Subsidies Than Needed for Builds
Shekinah Pepper said Wednesday tribal communities should be on alert for service providers asking for chunks of subsidies upfront.
Tribal
Alaska Predicted to Receive a Majority of Tribal Broadband Funds
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held Wednesday hearing exploring broadband investments in Tribal communities.
Tribal
NTIA Publishes Report Calling for Better Data Aggregation Methods
The report notes need for separating broadband access data from other consumer stats.
Tribal
Sen. Alex Padilla Emphasizes Billions in Broadband Funds for California
California also has 18 projects that are part of the state’s $6-billion broadband investment under its California Comeback Plan.
Tribal
Native Americans Need Control Over Mapping Data, Conference Hears
Indigenous connectivity advocates said Native Americans should have control over their mapping data.
Infrastructure
Exclusive Drew Clark Column: Three Other Broadband Funding Programs (Besides the Infrastructure Bill)
It’s worth focusing on other broadband programs run by NTIA, including Tribal Connectivity, and Connecting Minority Communities.
FCC
Federal Communications Commission Grants First Licenses for Tribal Radio Frequencies During Priority Window
October 24, 2020 – The Federal Communications Commission on Friday granted its first licenses in the 2.5 GigaHertz (GHz) spectrum to 154 tribal applicants during the agency’s first Rural Tribal Priority Window. The licenses provide exclusive use of up to 117.5 megahertz of 2.5GHz spectrum and will p
Infrastructure
Members of Democratic Caucuses Call to Modernize Broadband for Rural and Tribal Lands
August 19, 2020 — Members of the Rural Caucus and the Native American Caucus of the Democratic Party made calls for modernizing broadband and energy infrastructure during caucus meetings on Tuesday. As part of the Democratic National Convention, members of the Rural Caucus opened their meeting by ob
