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 NEWS  News  media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  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  Contact: 
 March  20,  2001  Meribeth  McCarrick  at  (202)  418-  0654 
 e-  mail:  mmccarri@  fcc.  gov 


 FCC  ANNOUNCES  TWO  CONFERENCES  TO 
 ENHANCE  TELECOMMUNICATIONS  SERVICES  IN  INDIAN  COUNTRY 


 Washington,  DC  –  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  (FCC)  and  National  Exchange 
 Carrier  Association  (NECA)  announce  two  conferences  targeted  at  increasing 
 telecommunications  services  in  Indian  Country.  These  two  conferences  are: 


 ITTI  –Industry  Conference  ITTI  2001 
 “Doing  Business  In  Indian  Country”  Indian  Telecom  Training  Initiative 
 June  3  –  5,  2001  September  23-  26,  2001 
 Radisson  Hotel  Bally’s  Hotel 
 St.  Paul,  Minnesota  Las  Vegas,  Nevada 


 The  ITTI-  Industry  Conference,  “Doing  Business  in  Indian  Country”,  is  targeted  to  business  leaders  in 
 the  areas  of  marketing,  finance,  sales  and  business  development  in  the  telecommunications  and  utility 
 industries.  Speakers  at  the  conference  will  include  tribal  government  leaders,  tribal  elders  and  tribal 
 college  professors.  This  interactive  conference  will  address  industry’s  questions  on  initiating  contact 
 and  developing  programs  with  tribal  governments.  It  will  cover  tribal  priorities  and  business 
 opportunities  in  telecommunications,  how  to  work  with  tribal  governments,  tribal  sovereignty  issues, 
 and  community  protocols  and  concerns  as  they  relate  to  building  telecommunications  and  utilities 
 infrastructure  and  markets.  It  will  also  cover  special  government  programs  related  to 
 telecommunications  development  such  as  the  FCC’s  tribal  land  bidding  credit  program.  This 
 conference  is  being  offered  in  conjunction  with  the  American  Indian  Higher  Education  Consortium 
 (AIHEC)  and  with  program  support  from  the  National  Indian  Telecommunications  Institute  (NITI). 


 ITTI  2001  is  the  second  annual  conference  aimed  at  providing  information  to  American  Indian 
 Tribal  Leaders  and  other  interested  parties  to  help  increase  telecommunications  services  to  tribal 
 residents.  Last  year’s  conference  was  the  largest  gathering  of  Native  American  tribal 
 representatives  ever  assembled  to  address  telecommunications  issues.  The  nearly  600  seminar 
 participants  included  representatives  of  135  tribes.  In  addition,  the  Exhibit  Hall  had  32  booths 
 from  27  different  business  and  government  entities  and  over  35  different  organizations  helped  to 
 sponsor  the  event. 
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 At  ITTI  2001,  the  FCC  and  NECA  will  bring  together  their  own  experts,  along  with 
 representatives  from  other  federal  government  agencies,  telecommunication  companies  and 
 emerging  technology  firms,  to  inform  tribal  governments  about  various  facets  of 
 telecommunications  services  and  how  different  technologies,  regulatory  rules,  and  government 
 programs  can  be  used  to  benefit  tribal  communities.  The  seminar  will  also  identify  programs  and 
 resources  available  to  tribal  residents  and  governments  to  assist  their  efforts  and  to  secure  access 
 to  and  improve  the  affordability  of  telecommunications  services  on  tribal  reservations. 


 “Knowledge  about  telecommunications  –  in  terms  of  infrastructure,  equipment  and  service 
 providers,  and  capital  resources  –  is  a  key  to  economic  development  in  Indian  Country,  ’  said 
 Thomas  Sugrue,  Chief  of  the  FCC’s  Wireless  Telecommunications  Bureau.  “The  ITTI 
 conferences  provide  unique  opportunities  for  tribal  governments  and  leaders  from  the 
 telecommunications  industry  to  meet  and  work  together  to  increase  access  to 
 telecommunications  services  to  Native  Americans.” 


 Robert  Anderson,  President  of  the  National  Exchange  Carrier  Association,  stated,  “NECA  is 
 pleased  to  be  working  with  the  FCC  to  produce  these  two  conferences.  All  Americans  should 
 have  access  to  telecommunications  services  and  we  believe  these  conferences  allow  all  parties 
 interested  in  enhancing  telecommunications  services  in  Indian  Country  to  work  together  to 
 achieve  that  goal.” 


 “The  American  Indian  Higher  Education  Consortium  is  privileged  to  join  the  Federal 
 Communications  Commission  in  presenting  the  ITTI  Industry  Conference,”  remarked  Dr. 
 Gerald  Gipp,  Director,  American  Indian  Higher  Education  Consortium  (AIHEC).  “This 
 excellent  educational  program  brings  together  American  Indian  elders  and  educators  with  the 
 nations  foremost  CEO's  and  business  leaders.” 


 The  FCC  and  NECA  welcome  your  interest  for  these  very  valuable  conferences.  For  additional 
 information  or  to  provide  support  for  this  event,  please  call  (888)  CALL  FCC  (888)  225-  5322, 
 and  select  option  2  after  the  recorded  message;  (717)  338-  2888;  or  email  the  FCC  at 
 ITTI2001@  fcc.  gov. 


 For  more  information  on  these  initiatives  and  other  matters  concerning  telecommunications 
 services  for  Indian  Country,  please  visit  our  website:  www.  fcc.  gov/  indians. 


 FCC  ITTI  Seminar  Contact:  Kathy  Garland  at  (717)  338-  2888  or  Nancy  Plon  at  (202)  418- 
 2899;  TTY  at  (202)  418-  8233. 
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