Federal Communications Commission DA 11-873
Before the
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D.C. 20554
In the Matter of
Improving Communications Services for Native 
Nations
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CG Docket No. 11-41
ORDER
Adopted:  May 16, 2011 Released:  May 16, 2011
Revised Comment Date:  June 20, 2011
Revised Reply Comment Date: August 4, 2011
By the Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau:
1.   On March 4, 2011, the Commission released a Notice of Inquiry seeking comment on a wide 
range of issues related to improving communications services for Native Nations, including a Native 
Nations Priority, a Native Nations Broadband Fund, adoption and utilization of communications services 
on Tribal lands, the need for a uniform definition of Tribal lands to be used agency-wide in rulemakings, 
and the need to strengthen consultation and coordination with Native Nations.1 The Native Nations NOI 
sets deadlines for filing comments and reply comments at 45 and 90 days after publication of it in the 
Federal Register.2 On April 5, 2011, a summary of the Native Nations NOI was published in the Federal 
Register.3 Accordingly, the deadline for filing comments was set at May 20, 2011, and the deadline for 
filing reply comments was set at July 5, 2011.4  
2.   On May 11, 2011, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Colville Tribes) 
submitted a Request for Extension of Time seeking a 30-day extension of the deadlines for all interested 
parties to submit comments and reply comments in response to the Native Nations NOI.5 The Colville 
Tribes indicate that such an extension is warranted because it will enable the Colville Tribes and other 
Tribal Nations to help develop a more robust record in response to the Native Nations NOI, particularly 
concerning the many diverse issues raised.6 The Colville Tribes also note that the FCC-Native Nations 
Broadband Task Force will hold its initial meeting in Washington, DC on May 24 and 25, 2011.7 This 
  
1 Improving Communications Services for Native Nations, CG Docket No. 11-41, Notice of Inquiry, 26 FCC Rcd 
2672 (2011) (Native Nations NOI).
2 Id.
3 See 76 Fed. Reg. 18759 (Apr. 5, 2011).   
4 See Office of Native Affairs and Policy Announces Deadlines for Comments on Native Nations Notice of Inquiry, 
CG Docket No. 11-41, Public Notice, 26 FCC Rcd 5096 (CGB 2011).
5 Letter from Michael O. Finley, Chairman, Colville Business Council, and Susie Allen, FCC-Native Nations 
Broadband Task Force Member, Colville Business Council, The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, to 
Geoffrey C. Blackwell, Chief, Office of Native Affairs and Policy, Federal Communications Commission (dated 
May 11, 2011) (Request for Extension of Time).
6 Id.
7 Id.
Federal Communications Commission DA 11-873
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meeting will bring together Task Force members from Native Nations and Task Force members from the 
Commission to engage in government-to-government consultation and coordination on many matters, 
including the Native Nations NOI.  The Colville Tribes state that Task Force members from Native 
Nations intend to use this opportunity to address specifically the matters raised in the Native Nations 
NOI.8
3.   It is the policy of the Commission that extensions of time are not routinely granted.9  
However, such extensions may be warranted when, among other things, the additional time will serve the 
public interest.10 In the instant proceeding, we find that providing the requested limited extension would 
be beneficial to the development of a complete record on the issues and that granting the extension of 
time requested by the Colville Tribes serves the public interest. We therefore extend the comment 
deadline to Monday, June 20, 2011, and the reply comment deadline to Thursday, August 4, 2011.
4.   Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to Sections 4(i) and 4(j) of the Communications 
Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. §§ 154(i) and (j), and Sections 0.141, 0.361, and 1.46 of the 
Commission’s Rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.141, 0.361, and 1.46, the Request for Extension of Time filed by the 
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation IS GRANTED, and the deadlines for filing comments and 
reply comments in response to the Native Nations NOI ARE EXTENDED to June 20, 2011 and August 4, 
2011, respectively.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Joel G. Gurin
Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
  
8 Id.
9 47 C.F.R. § 1.46(a).
10 See, e.g., Service Rules for Advanced Wireless Services in the 2155-2175 MHZ Band, Service Rules for Advanced 
Wireless Services in the 1915-1920 MHZ, 1995-2000 MHZ, 2020-2025 MHZ and 2175-2180 MHZ Bands, WT 
Docket Nos. 04-356, 07-195, Order, 23 FCC Rcd 10527, 10528, para. 4 (WTB 2008); Review of the Emergency 
Alert System, EB Docket No. 04-296, Order, 25 FCC Rcd 1849 (PSHSB 2010).