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 NEWS  News  media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  TTY  202/  418-  2555  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  News  Media  Contacts: 
 June  8,  2000  Meribeth  McCarrick  at  (202)  418-  0654 
 Michael  Balmoris  at  (202)  418-  0253 


 FCC  CHAIRMAN  WILLIAM  E.  KENNARD  PRESS  STATEMENT  ON  TRIBAL  LAND  DECISIONS 


 This  is  a  great  day  for  the  Commission.  Over  two  years  ago  I  asked  our  staff  to  find  ways 
 to  address  the  woefully  inadequate  state  of  telephone  penetration  on  Indian  lands.  Ninety-  four 
 percent  of  American  households  have  telephone  service  today.  Even  in  rural  areas  where  the 
 average  family  income  is  less  than  $5000,  the  average  telephone  penetration  rate  is  74  percent. 
 And  yet  only  47%  of  Indian  households  on  reservations  have  phone  service. 


 But  the  story  behind  these  statistics  is  even  more  compelling:  lack  of  telephone  service 
 has  real,  profound  consequences.  It  results  in  deaths  and  permanent  injury  because  of  the 
 inability  to  get  help.  It  robs  communities  of  hope  and  economic  opportunities.  And  it  deprives 
 individuals  and  families  of  a  means  of  contact  essential  to  every  community.  Because  of  these 
 concerns,  I  asked  the  Commission  staff  to  address  this  problem  with  the  sense  of  urgency  that  it 
 deserves. 


 What  ensued  was  over  two  years  of  consultations  with  tribal  communities  and 
 governments;  federal  agencies;  state  and  local  governments;  Members  of  Congress  and  service 
 providers  to  address  the  challenge  of  improving  basic  telephone  service.  The  Commission  also 
 held  two  field  hearings  in  January  and  March  1999  to  examine  the  barriers  to  providing  basic 
 telephone  service. 


 As  I  said  in  our  field  hearings:  We  can  and  must  do  better  to  serve  the  Native  American 
 communities.  We  recognize  that  solutions  to  these  problems  are  complex  and  require 
 commitment  from  a  broad  range  of  service  providers  and  regulatory  stakeholders,  and  we  must 
 stand  ready  to  take  the  lead. 


 Today,  the  Commission  took  concrete  steps  towards  addressing  these  complex  issues. 
 We  approved  three  items  designed  to  increase  service  reach  in  tribal  communities  and  support 
 the  ability  of  residents  in  high  poverty  communities  to  acquire  basic  telephone  service. 


 The  first  item,  a  Policy  Statement,  embraced  the  Commission’s  trust  responsibility  to 
 tribal  communities  to  improve  telecommunications  services  on  reservations  and  native  lands, 
 recognized  the  sovereignty  of  federally  recognized  tribes,  and  committed  to  consulting  with  them 
 on  matters  uniquely  or  significantly  affecting  them. 
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 The  second  item,  from  the  Common  Carrier  Bureau,  modified  our  universal  service  rules 
 to  provide  additional,  targeted  support  to  telephone  companies  that  serve  tribal  communities. 
 We  also  addressed  fundamental  barriers  to  maintaining  basic  service  by  expanding  the  Lifeline 
 and  Link  Up  programs  for  tribal  communities,  so  that  service  can  be  obtained  for  as  little  as  $1 
 per  month;  broadening  the  eligibility  requirements  so  that  more  Indians  can  participate  in  the 
 programs  and  clarifying  when  and  how  carriers  seeking  to  serve  tribal  communities  can  be 
 designated  eligible  telecommunications  carriers. 


 The  third  item,  from  the  Wireless  Telecommunications  Bureau,  will  promote  deployment 
 of  wireless  telecommunications  services  to  under-  served  tribal  lands  by  awarding  substantial 
 bidding  credits  to  future  auction  winners  who  agree  to  provide  service  to  those  communities. 


 The  barriers  to  providing  basic  telephone  service  on  Indian  lands  are  difficult  and 
 complex.  But  we  can't  let  these  challenges  discourage  us.  We  owe  this  community  affordable 
 and  equitable  access  to  basic  phone  service.  We  should  do  no  less  than  accept  and  honor  that 
 responsibility.  With  today’s  decisions,  we  have  taken  the  first  important  steps  toward  making 
 this  commit  ment  a  realit  y. 


 -  FCC  - 
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