FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON · . OFF.ICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honoraple Michelle Lujan Grisham · U.S. House ofRepresentatiyes 214 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congresswoman Grisham: March 7, 2017 Thank you for your letter regarding the importance of addressing the lack of broadband on Tribal lands in which you correctly note that I pledged to take action to address the digital divide on Tribal lands. I take this pledge seriously. Last September, when announcing my Digital Empowerment Agenda I explained that " ... 41% of those living on Tribal lands lack adequate access" to broadband. · Tha.t is why I am proud to have proposed to my colleagues, and for the. FCC to have adopted, the Tribal Mobility Fund Phase II at the Commission's February 23 meeting. That Fund will direct approximately $340 million to build out 4G L TE coverage on Tribal lands. I have also asked the Commission's Office ofNative Affairs and Policy to coordinate with the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Wireline Competition Bureau to help direct that funding to reach Tribal members in remote areas that would otherwise be without access to next­ generation services. In the same vein, in early February, I circulated to my colleagues an order that would assist carriers serving Tribal lands in deploying, upgrading, and maintaining modem high-speed networks. The order recognizes that carriers serving Tribal lands incur costs that other rurcil carriers do not face, resulting·in significantly higher operating expenses to serve very sparsely populated service areas. The proposal I have put before my colleagues would allow carriers serving Tribal lands a greater ability to recover operating expenses, thus improving the financial viability of operating a broadband network serving Tribal lands. Additionally, I directed the Universal Service Administrative Company to give additional time to Tribal families living in the remote reaches of the Navajo Nation to comply with a certification deadline for the Lifeline program. I have attached the letter I sent to Mr. Russell Begaye, President of the Navajo Nation, detailing that situation. These are just some of the Commission's efforts to connect those on Tribal lands. I look forward to continue working with you as we move forward. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. (: ~ ~ncere(ly, ! Jv.. _; ;{./ . , V )i ·~· v ( \ Ajit V. Pai \ il ..... ./ FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Mmiin Heinrich United States Senate 303 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Heinrich: March 7, 2017 Thank you for your letter regarding the importance of addressing the lack of broadband on Tribal lands in which you correctly note that I pledged to take action to address the digital divide on Tribal lands. I take this pledge seriously. Last September, when announcing my Digital Empowerment Agenda I explained that " ... 41% of those living on Tribal lands lack adequate access" to broadband. That is why I am proud to have proposed to my colleagues, and for the FCC to have adopted, the Tribal Mobility Fund Phase II at the Commission's February 23 meeting. That Fund will direct approximately $340 million to build out 4G LTE coverage on Tribal lands. I have also asked the Commission's Office ofNative Affairs and Policy to coordinate with the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Wireline Competition Bureau to help direct that funding to reach Tribal members in remote areas that would otherwise be without access to next­ generation services. In the same vein, in early February, I circulated to my colleagues an order that would assist carriers serving Tribal lands in deploying, upgrading, and maintaining modern high-speed networks. The order recognizes that carriers serving Tribal lands incur costs that other rural carriers do not face , resulting in significantly higher operating expenses to serve very sparsely populated service areas. The proposal I have put before my colleagues would allow carriers serving Tribal lands a greater ability to recover operating expenses, thus improving the financial viability of operating a broadband network serving Tribal lands. Additionally, I directed the Universal Service Administrative Company to give additional time to Tribal families living in the remote reaches of the Navajo Nation to comply with a certification deadline for the Lifeline program. I have attached the letter I sent to Mr. Russell Begaye, President of the Navajo Nation, detailing that situation. These are just some of the Commission's efforts to connect those on Tribal lands. I look forward to continue working with you as we move forward. Please let me know if I can be of any fmiher assistance. Sincerely, v. Ajit V. Pai FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION · WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Ben Ray Lujan U.S. House of Representatives 2231 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congressman Lujan: March 7, 2017 Thank you for your letter regarding the importance of addressing the lack of broadband on Tribal lands in which you correctly note that I pledged to take action to address the digital divide on Tribal lands. I take this pledge seriously. Last September, when announcing my Digital Empowennent Agenda I explained that " ... 41% of those living on Tribal lands lack adequate access" to broadband. That is why I am proud to have proposed to my colleagues, and for the FCC to have adopted, the Tribal Mobility Fund Phase II at the Commission's February 23 meeting. That Fund will direct approximately $340 million to build out 4G LTE coverage on Tribal lands. I have also asked the Commission's Office of Native Affairs and Policy to coordinate with the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Wireline Competition Bureau to help direct that funding to reach Tribal members in remote areas that would otherwise be without access to next­ generation services. In the same vein, in early February, I circulated to my colleagues an oi:der that would assist carriers serving Tribal lands in deploying, upgrading, and maintaining modern high-speed networks. The order recognizes that carriers serving Tribal lands incur costs that other rural carriers do not face , resulting in significantly higher operating expenses to serve very sparsely populated service areas. The proposal I have put before my colleagues would allow carriers serving Tribal lands a greater ability to recover operating expenses, thus improving the financial viability of operating a broadband network serving Tribal lands. Additionally, I directed the Universal Service Administrative Company to give additional time to Tribal families living in the remote reaches of the Navajo Nation to comply with a certification deadline for the Lifeline program. I have attached the letter I sent to Mr. Russell Begaye, President of the Navajo Nation, detailing that situation. These are just some of the Commission's efforts to connect those on Tribal lands. I look forward to continue working with you as we move forward . Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Ajit V. Pai FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON O F FICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Steve Pearce U.S. House of Representatives 2432 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congressman Pearce: March 7, 2017 Thank you for your letter regarding the importance of addressing the lack of broadband on Tribal lands in which you correctly note that I pledged to take action to address the digital divide on Tribal lands. I take this pledge seriously. Last September, when announcing my Digital Empowerment Agenda I explained that " ... 41% of those living on Tribal lands lack adequate access" to broadband. That is why I am proud to have proposed to my colleagues, and for the FCC to have adopted, the Tribal Mobility Fund Phase II at the Commission's February 23 meeting. That Fund will direct approximately $340 million to build out 4G L TE coverage on Tribal lands. I have also asked the Commission' s Office ofNative Affairs and Policy to coordinate with the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Wireline Competition Bureau to help direct that funding to reach Tribal members in remote areas that would otherwise be without access to next­ generation services. In the same vein , in early February, I circulated to my colleagues an order that would assist can'iers serving Tribal lands in deploying, upgrading, and maintaining modern high-speed networks. The order recognizes that carriers serving Tribal lands incur costs that other rural carriers do not face, resulting in significantly higher operating expenses to serve very sparsely populated service areas. The proposal I have put before my colleagues would allow carriers serving Tribal lands a greater ability to recover operating expenses, thus improving the financial viability of operating a broadband network serving Tribal lands. Additionally, I directed the Universal Service Administrative Company to give additional time to Tribal families living in the remote reaches of the Navajo Nation to comply with a certification deadline for the Lifeline program. I have attached the letter I sent to Mr. Russell Begaye, President of the Navajo Nation, detailing that situation. These are just some of the Commission's efforts to connect those on Tribal lands. I look forward to continue working with you as we move forward. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, ~~ ~ v ~ Ajit V. Pai FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON O F FICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Tom Udall United States Senate 531 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Udall: March 7, 2017 Thank you for your letter regarding the importance of addressing the lack of broadband on Tribal lands in which you correctly note that I pledged to take action to address the digital divide on Tribal lands. I take this pledge seriously. Last September, when mmouncing my Digital Empowerment Agenda I explained that" . . . 41% of those living on Tribal lands lack adequate access" to broadband. That is why I am proud to have proposed to my colleagues, and for the FCC to have adopted, the Tribal Mobility Fund Phase II at the Commission's February 23 meeting. That Fund will direct approximately $340 million to build out 4G LTE coverage on Tribal lands. I have also asked the Commission's Office ofNative Affairs and Policy to coordinate with the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Wireline Competition Bureau to help direct that funding to reach Tribal members in remote areas that would otherwise be without access to next­ generation services. In the same vein, in early February, I circulated to my colleagues an order that would assist carriers serving Tribal lands in deploying, upgrading, and maintaining modern high-speed networks . The order recognizes that carriers serving Tribal lands incur costs that other rural carriers do not face, resulting in significantly higher operating expenses to serve very sparsely populated service areas. The proposal I have put before my colleagues would allow carriers serving Tribal lands a greater ability to recover operating expenses, thus improving the financial viability of operating a broadband network serving Tribal lm1ds. Additionally, I directed the Universal Service Administrative Company to give additional time to Tribal families living in the remote reaches of the Navajo Nation to comply with a certification deadline for the Lifeline program. I have attached the letter I sent to Mr. Russell Begaye, President of the Navajo Nation, detailing that situation. These are just some of the Commission's efforts to connect those on Tribal lands. I look forward to continue working with you as we move forward. Please let me know ifl can be of any fmiher assistance. Sincerely, Ajit V. Pai