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 NEWS  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).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 For  Immediate  Release:  News  Media  Contact:  May  21,  2004  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 
 e-  mail:  rosemary.  kimball@  fcc.  gov 
 FCC  TO  HOLD  SECOND  INDIAN  TELECOMMUNICATIONS  INITIATIVES  REGIONAL  WORKSHOP  AND  ROUNDTABLE  IN  RAPID  CITY,  SD,  MAY  26  AND  27 
 National  Tribal  Telecommunications  Association  to  Co-  host 
 Washington,  DC  –  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  (FCC)  will  hold  its  second  Indian  Telecommunications  Initiatives  (ITI)  Regional  Workshop  and  Roundtable 
 in  Rapid  City,  SD,  on  May  26  and  27. 
 The  event  will  be  co-  hosted  by  the  National  Tribal  Telecommunications  Association  and  will  take  place  at  the  Rushmore  Plaza  Civic  Center  all  day  the  26th  and 
 the  morning  of  the  27th.  After  a  successful  ITI  Regional  Workshop  and  Roundtable  event  in  Reno,  NV  last  year,  the  FCC  has  chosen  Rapid  City  as  a  site  to  bring 
 Commission  leadership  and  officials  together  with  Tribal  leaders  to  address  telecommunications  issues  facing  Indian  Country  with  the  goal  of  providing  clear, 
 practical  information  that  Tribal  decision-  makers  can  use  to  prioritize  their  economic  goals  and  telecommunications  development  agendas. 


 The  FCC’s  ITI  program  seeks  to  promote  understanding,  cooperation  and  trust  among  American  Indian  tribes,  Alaska  Native  villages,  and  tribal  organizations;  the  FCC 
 and  other  governmental  agencies;  and  the  telecommunications  industry.  It  is  designed  to  build  partnerships  to  target  specific  concerns,  identify  potential  solutions,  and  bring 
 affordable,  quality  telecommunications  services  to  Indian  Country. 
 Specifically,  ITI  seeks  to  increase  the  telephone  penetration  rate  among  tribal  communities;  facilitate  the  deployment  of  telecommunications  infrastructure  in  Indian 
 Country  necessary  to  provide  telecommunications  services;  and  inform  tribes  and  tribal  consumers  about  financial  support  available  through  federal  government  programs, 
 including  Universal  Service  Fund  programs. 
 The  agenda  for  the  ITI  Rapid  City  event  is  attached. 
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 Federal  Communications  Commission 
 11:  30  AM  LUNCH  BREAK  Lunch  On  Your  Own 
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