OFFICE OF
THE CHAIRMAN
The Honorable Martin Heinrich
United States Senate
702 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Heinrich:
WASHINGTON
March 16, 2015
Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about the potential impact of the
refonns to the universal service program's high-cost ioop support (HCLS) mechanism on those
living on Tribal lands and in rural areas of New Mexico. Your views on this issue are very
important, and I will ensure that your letter is included in the record of the proceeding and
considered as part of the Commission's review.
As you note, I have personally seen the lack of communications services and
infrastructure across Indian Country, which has created a history of isolation that has limited
economic and educational opportunities. My trip last summer to the Pueblo of Acoma confirmed
the persistent digital divide in this country with rural communities, and especially Native
Americans, disproportionately bypassed by the Internet revolution. That is why expanding high-
speed broadband connections to all corners of the country, including Tribal lands, is a top
priority for the Commission.
The universal service program is one of the most important tools at our disposal to ensure
that consumers and businesses in rural America, including Tribal lands, have the same
opportunities as their urban and suburban counterparts to be active participants in the United
States of the 2l century. We are focused on updating the universal service high-cost program to
ensure that we are delivering the best possible voice and broadband experiences to rural areas
within the confines of our Connect America budget, while providing increased certainty and
predictability for all carriers and a climate for increased broadband expansion.
As you note in your letter, in the recent December 2014 Connect America Order, the
Commission revised the HCLS mechanism to distribute high-cost support more equitably among
high-cost carriers to provide better incentives for carriers to curb waste, as it had proposed to do
in April 2014. This is a near-term reform intended to help us get the most out of our USF
dollars. This decision was built on an extensive record, including comments from rural carriers
and their representatives, on the proposal and published Commission staff analysis of the effects
of the revision.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
We believe it is important to move forward with implementation of this mechanism to
ensure that universal service funds are being used as cost effectively and efficiently as possible.
Page 2-The Honorable Martin Heinrich
The National Congress of American Indians has filed a petition for reconsideration of the
December 2014 Connect America Order, and we will give the petition full consideration. In the
meantime, please be assured that we will closely monitor the effects of the interim HCLS
mechanism on rate-of-return carriers, particularly those that serve Indian Country, and will
revisit this issue in the event that it has unanticipated results. Meanwhile, I expect the
Commission will continue to develop the record and act on long-term rate-of-return reform in the
coming year, and I welcome consultation and dialogue with Tribal Nations and entities as we
move forward to ensure that their voices are heard. The Commission's Office of Native Affairs
and Policy (ONAP) is considering potential dates in 2015 when I can meet personally with the
Tribally-owned rate-of-return carriers to discuss their concerns.
The Commission is strongly committed to working with Tribal Nations through
meaningful and vigorous efforts on a regular basis. We are also committed to ensuring that
Tribal concerns are appropriately considered and addressed as part of the Commission's broader
efforts to improve broadband deployment throughout the United States. At the National
Congress of American Indians 2014 Executive Council Winter conference, I emphasized the
importance of establishing a reinvigorated Tribal consultation process that addresses many goals,
including: (1) improving access to world class broadband infrastructure; (2) access to spectrum
and wireless infrastructure; and (3) ensuring a diversity of media ownership voices in Indian
Country. I also stressed the need for Tribal community planners and policy representatives to
build relationships with the ONAP. ONAP has developed and manages a comprehensive plan to
strengthen the Commission's consultation and training efforts in all regions of the country. This
includes Commission-hosted regional Tribal training and consultation workshops and
participation in many Indian Country outreach events. In 2014, for example, ONAP hosted five
regional consultation workshops.
In addition, last October, the Commission took steps to reinvigorate the FCC-Native
Nations Broadband Task Force, with the appointment of 31 members representing 20 Tribal
Nations, including three from New Mexico, and 11 Bureaus and Offices within the Commission.
The Task Force, comprised of elected and appointed leaders from federally-recognized Tribal
governments or governmental entities and senior staff from across the Commission, acts as a
consultative sounding board for Commission proposals and develops additional
recommendations for broadband deployment and adoption. The voices of this Task Force are
important to our efforts to close broadband gaps on Tribal lands and ensure that the concerns of
Tribal governments are considered at the Commission. I look forward to their contributions as
we work together to bring world class connectivity to Tribal Nations.
Finally, the Commission, with ONAP's leadership, plans to build upon its ongoing
consultative relationship with the Tribal Nations who own and operate rate-of-return carriers.
Upon ONAP's creation in 2010, the very first meeting in which ONAP staff participated in
Indian Country was the National Tribal Telecommunications Association (NTTA) conference on
the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. NTTA's primary members are the eight Tribally-
owned rate-of-return carriers. In each year since 2010, ONAP has actively engaged with NTTA
Page 3-The Honorable Martin Heinrich
both in Indian Country and at the Commission. Most recently, in the summer of 2014, ONAP
met with NTTA in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the offices of Hopi Telecommunications. As we move
forward in 2015, the Commission plans to continue to engage and consult with Tribal Nations,
NTTA, and others in Indian Country on long-term reform of rate-of-return support.
I recognize that the challenges before us are great, but the rewards could be even greater.
By working together, we will seize upon technological opportunities to improve lives across
Indian Country. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any
further assistance.
Sincerely,/ 7
Tom Wheeler
OFFICE OF
THE CHAIRMAN
The Honorable Ben Ray Luján
U.S. House of Representatives
2446 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Congressman Luján:
WASHINGTON
March 16, 2015
Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about the potential impact of the
reforms to the universal service program's high-cost loop support (HCLS) mechanism on those
living on Tribal lands and in rural areas of New Mexico. Your views on this issue are very
important, and I will ensure that your letter is included in the record of the proceeding and
considered as part of the Commission's review.
As you note, I have personally seen the lack of communications services and
infrastructure across Indian Country, which has created a history of isolation that has limited
economic and educational opportunities. My trip last summer to the Pueblo of Acoma confirmed
the persistent digital divide in this country with rural communities, and especially Native
Americans, disproportionately bypassed by the Internet revolution. That is why expanding high-
speed broadband connections to all corners of the country, including Tribal lands, is a top
priority for the Commission.
The universal service program is one of the most important tools at our disposal to ensure
that consumers and businesses in rural America, including Tribal lands, have the same
opportunities as their urban and suburban counterparts to be active participants in the United
States of the 21St century. We are focused on updating the universal service high-cost program to
ensure that we are delivering the best possible voice and broadband experiences to rural areas
within the confines of our Connect America budget, while providing increased certainty and
predictability for all carriers and a climate for increased broadband expansion.
As you note in your letter, in the recent December 2014 Connect America Order, the
Commission revised the HCLS mechanism to distribute high-cost support more equitably among
high-cost carriers to provide better incentives for carriers to curb waste, as it had proposed to do
in April 2014. This is a near-term reform intended to help us get the most out of our USF
dollars. This decision was built on an extensive record, including comments from rural carriers
and their representatives, on the proposal and published Commission staff analysis of the effects
of the revision.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
We believe it is important to move forward with implementation of this mechanism to
ensure that universal service funds are being used as cost effectively and efficiently as possible.
Page 2-The Honorable Ben Ray Luján
The National Congress of American Indians has filed a petition for reconsideration of the
December 2014 Connect America Order, and we will give the petition full consideration. In the
meantime, please be assured that we will closely monitor the effects of the interim HCLS
mechanism on rate-of-return carriers, particularly those that serve Indian Country, and will
revisit this issue in the event that it has unanticipated results. Meanwhile, I expect the
Commission will continue to develop the record and act on long-term rate-of-return reform in the
coming year, and I welcome consultation and dialogue with Tribal Nations and entities as we
move forward to ensure that their voices are heard. The Commission's Office of Native Affairs
and Policy (ONAP) is considering potential dates in 2015 when I can meet personally with the
Tribally-owned rate-of-return carriers to discuss their concerns.
The Commission is strongly committed to working with Tribal Nations through
meaningful and vigorous efforts on a regular basis. We are also committed to ensuring that
Tribal concerns are appropriately considered and addressed as part of the Commission's broader
efforts to improve broadband deployment throughout the United States. At the National
Congress of American Indians 2014 Executive Council Winter conference, I emphasized the
importance of establishing a reinvigorated Tribal consultation process that addresses many goals,
including: (1) improving access to world class broadband infrastructure; (2) access to spectrum
and wireless infrastructure; and (3) ensuring a diversity of media ownership voices in Indian
Country. I also stressed the need for Tribal community planners and policy representatives to
build relationships with the ONAP. ONAP has developed and manages a comprehensive plan to
strengthen the Commission's consultation and training efforts in all regions of the country. This
includes Commission-hosted regional Tribal training and consultation workshops and
participation in many Indian Country outreach events. In 2014, for example, ONAP hosted five
regional consultation workshops.
In addition, last October, the Commission took steps to reinvigorate the FCC-Native
Nations Broadband Task Force, with the appointment of 31 members representing 20 Tribal
Nations, including three from New Mexico, and 11 Bureaus and Offices within the Commission.
The Task Force, comprised of elected and appointed leaders from federally-recognized Tribal
governments or governmental entities and senior staff from across the Commission, acts as a
consultative sounding board for Commission proposals and develops additional
recommendations for broadband deployment and adoption. The voices of this Task Force are
important to our efforts to close broadband gaps on Tribal lands and ensure that the concerns of
Tribal governments are considered at the Commission. I look forward to their contributions as
we work together to bring world class connectivity to Tribal Nations.
Finally, the Commission, with ONAP's leadership, plans to build upon its ongoing
consultative relationship with the Tribal Nations who own and operate rate-of-return carriers.
Upon ONAP's creation in 2010, the very first meeting in which ONAP staff participated in
Indian Country was the National Tribal Telecommunications Association (NTTA) conference on
the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. NTTA's primary members are the eight Tribally-
owned rate-of-return carriers. In each year since 2010, ONAP has actively engaged with NTTA
Page 3-The Honorable Ben Ray Luján
both in Indian Country and at the Commission. Most recently, in the summer of 2014, ONAP
met with NTTA in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the offices of Hopi Telecommunications. As we move
forward in 2015, the Commission plans to continue to engage and consult with Tribal Nations,
NTTA, and others in Indian Country on long-term reform of rate-of-return support.
I recognize that the challenges before us are great, but the rewards could be even greater.
By working together, we will seize upon technological opportunities to improve lives across
Indian Country. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any
further assistance.
jerel7
Tom Wheeler
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
OFFICE OF
THE CHAIRMAN
WASH INGTON
March 16, 2015
The Honorable Michelle Lujan Grisham
U.S. House of Representatives
214 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Congresswoman Grisham:
Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about the potential impact of the
reforms to the universal service program's high-cost loop support (HCLS) mechanism on those
living on Tribal lands and in rural areas of New Mexico. Your views on this issue are very
important, and I will ensure that your letter is included in the record of the proceeding and
considered as part of the Commission's review.
As you note, I have personally seen the lack of communications services and
infrastructure across Indian Country, which has created a history of isolation that has limited
economic and educational opportunities. My trip last summer to the Pueblo of Acoma confirmed
the persistent digital divide in this country with rural communities, and especially Native
Americans, disproportionately bypassed by the Internet revolution. That is why expanding high-
speed broadband connections to all corners of the country, including Tribal lands, is a top
priority for the Commission.
The universal service program is one of the most important tools at our disposal to ensure
that consumers and businesses in rural America, including Tribal lands, have the same
opportunities as their urban and suburban counterparts to be active participants in the United
States of the 21st century. We are focused on updating the universal service high-cost program to
ensure that we are delivering the best possible voice and broadband experiences to rural areas
within the confines of our Connect America budget, while providing increased certainty and
predictability for all carriers and a climate for increased broadband expansion.
As you note in your letter, in the recent December 2014 Connect America Order, the
Commission revised the HCLS mechanism to distribute high-cost support more equitably among
high-cost carriers to provide better incentives for carriers to curb waste, as it had proposed to do
in April 2014. This is a near-term reform intended to help us get the most out of our USF
dollars. This decision was built on an extensive record, including comments from rural carriers
and their representatives, on the proposal and published Commission staff analysis of the effects
of the revision.
We believe it is important to move forward with implementation of this mechanism to
ensure that universal service funds are being used as cost effectively and efficiently as possible.
Page 2-The Honorable Michelle Lujan Grisham
The National Congress of American Indians has filed a petition for reconsideration of the
December 2014 Connect America Order, and we will give the petition full consideration. In the
meantime, please be assured that we will closely monitor the effects of the interim HCLS
mechanism on rate-of-return carriers, particularly those that serve Indian Country, and will
revisit this issue in the event that it has unanticipated results. Meanwhile, I expect the
Commission will continue to develop the record and act on long-term rate-of-return reform in the
coming year, and I welcome consultation and dialogue with Tribal Nations and entities as we
move forward to ensure that their voices are heard. The Commission's Office of Native Affairs
and Policy (ONAP) is considering potential dates in 2015 when I can meet personally with the
Tribally-owned rate-of-return carriers to discuss their concerns.
The Commission is strongly committed to working with Tribal Nations through
meaningful and vigorous efforts on a regular basis. We are also committed to ensuring that
Tribal concerns are appropriately considered and addressed as part of the Commission's broader
efforts to improve broadband deployment throughout the United States. At the National
Congress of American Indians 2014 Executive Council Winter conference, I emphasized the
importance of establishing a reinvigorated Tribal consultation process that addresses many goals,
including: (1) improving access to world class broadband infrastructure; (2) access to spectrum
and wireless infrastructure; and (3) ensuring a diversity of media ownership voices in Indian
Country. I also stressed the need for Tribal community planners and policy representatives to
build relationships with the ONAP. ONAP has developed and manages a comprehensive plan to
strengthen the Commission's consultation and training efforts in all regions of the country. This
includes Commission-hosted regional Tribal training and consultation workshops and
participation in many Indian Country outreach events. In 2014, for example, ONAP hosted five
regional consultation workshops.
In addition, last October, the Commission took steps to reinvigorate the FCC-Native
Nations Broadband Task Force, with the appointment of 31 members representing 20 Tribal
Nations, including three from New Mexico, and 11 Bureaus and Offices within the Commission.
The Task Force, comprised of elected and appointed leaders from federally-recognized Tribal
governments or governmental entities and senior staff from across the Commission, acts as a
consultative sounding board for Commission proposals and develops additional
recommendations for broadband deployment and adoption. The voices of this Task Force are
important to our efforts to close broadband gaps on Tribal lands and ensure that the concerns of
Tribal governments are considered at the Commission. I look forward to their contributions as
we work together to bring world class connectivity to Tribal Nations.
Finally, the Commission, with ONAP's leadership, plans to build upon its ongoing
consultative relationship with the Tribal Nations who own and operate rate-of-return carriers.
Upon ONAP's creation in 2010, the very first meeting in which ONAP staff participated in
Indian Country was the National Tribal Telecommunications Association (NTTA) conference on
the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. NTTA's primary members are the eight Tribally-
owned rate-of-return carriers. In each year since 2010, ONAP has actively engaged with NTTA
Page 3-The Honorable Michelle Lujan Grisham
both in Indian Country and at the Commission. Most recently, in the summer of 2014, ONAP
met with NTTA in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the offices of Hopi Telecommunications. As we move
forward in 2015, the Commission plans to continue to engage and consult with Tribal Nations,
NTTA, and others in Indian Country on long-term reform of rate-of-return support.
I recognize that the challenges before us are great, but the rewards could be even greater.
By working together, we will seize upon technological opportunities to improve lives across
Indian Country. I appreciate your interest in this mafter. Please let me know if I can be of any
further assistance.
Sincerely,
Tom Wheeler
OFFICE OF
THE CHAIRMAN
The Honorable Steve Pearce
U.S. House of Representatives
2432 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Congressman Pearce:
WASH INGTON
March 16, 2015
Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about the potential impact of the
reforms to the universal service program's high-cost loop support (HCLS) mechanism on those
living on Tribal lands and in rural areas of New Mexico. Your views on this issue are very
important, and I will ensure that your letter is included in the record of the proceeding and
considered as part of the Commission's review.
As you note, I have personally seen the lack of communications services and
infrastructure across Indian Country, which has created a history of isolation that has limited
economic and educational opportunities. My trip last summer to the Pueblo of Acoma confirmed
the persistent digital divide in this country with rural communities, and especially Native
Americans, disproportionately bypassed by the Internet revolution. That is why expanding high-
speed broadband connections to all corners of the country, including Tribal lands, is a top
priority for the Commission.
The universal service program is one of the most important tools at our disposal to ensure
that consumers and businesses in rural America, including Tribal lands, have the same
opportunities as their urban and suburban counterparts to be active participants in the United
States of the 21st century. We are focused on updating the universal service high-cost program to
ensure that we are delivering the best possible voice and broadband experiences to rural areas
within the confines of our Connect America budget, while providing increased certainty and
predictability for all carriers and a climate for increased broadband expansion.
As you note in your letter, in the recent December 2014 Connect America Order, the
Commission revised the HCLS mechanism to distribute high-cost support more equitably among
high-cost carriers to provide better incentives for carriers to curb waste, as it had proposed to do
in April 2014. This is a near-term reform intended to help us get the most out of our USF
dollars. This decision was built on an extensive record, including comments from rural carriers
and their representatives, on the proposal and published Commission staff analysis of the effects
of the revision.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
We believe it is important to move forward with implementation of this mechanism to
ensure that universal service funds are being used as cost effectively and efficiently as possible.
Page 2-The Honorable Steve Pearce
The National Congress of American Indians has filed a petition for reconsideration of the
December 2014 Connect America Order, and we will give the petition full consideration. In the
meantime, please be assured that we will closely monitor the effects of the interim HCLS
mechanism on rate-of-return carriers, particularly those that serve Indian Country, and will
revisit this issue in the event that it has unanticipated results. Meanwhile, I expect the
Commission will continue to develop the record and act on long-term rate-of-return reform in the
coming year, and I welcome consultation and dialogue with Tribal Nations and entities as we
move forward to ensure that their voices are heard. The Commission's Office of Native Affairs
and Policy (ONAP) is considering potential dates in 2015 when I can meet personally with the
Tribally-owned rate-of-return carriers to discuss their concerns.
The Commission is strongly conmiitted to working with Tribal Nations through
meaningful and vigorous efforts on a regular basis. We are also committed to ensuring that
Tribal concerns are appropriately considered and addressed as part of the Commission's broader
efforts to improve broadband deployment throughout the United States. At the National
Congress of American Indians 2014 Executive Council Winter conference, I emphasized the
importance of establishing a reinvigorated Tribal consultation process that addresses many goals,
including: (1) improving access to world class broadband infrastructure; (2) access to spectrum
and wireless infrastructure; and (3) ensuring a diversity of media ownership voices in Indian
Country. I also stressed the need for Tribal community planners and policy representatives to
build relationships with the ONAP. ONAP has developed and manages a comprehensive plan to
strengthen the Commission's consultation and training efforts in all regions of the country. This
includes Commission-hosted regional Tribal training and consultation workshops and
participation in many Indian Country outreach events. In 2014, for example, ONAP hosted five
regional consultation workshops.
In addition, last October, the Commission took steps to reinvigorate the FCC-Native
Nations Broadband Task Force, with the appointment of 31 members representing 20 Tribal
Nations, including three from New Mexico, and 11 Bureaus and Offices within the Commission.
The Task Force, comprised of elected and appointed leaders from federally-recognized Tribal
governments or governmental entities and senior staff from across the Commission, acts as a
consultative sounding board for Commission proposals and develops additional
recommendations for broadband deployment and adoption. The voices of this Task Force are
important to our efforts to close broadband gaps on Tribal lands and ensure that the concerns of
Tribal governments are considered at the Commission. I look forward to their contributions as
we work together to bring world class connectivity to Tribal Nations.
Finally, the Commission, with ONAP's leadership, plans to build upon its ongoing
consultative relationship with the Tribal Nations who own and operate rate-of-return carriers.
Upon ONAP's creation in 2010, the very first meeting in which ONAP staff participated in
Indian Country was the National Tribal Telecommunications Association (NTTA) conference on
the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. NTTA's primary members are the eight Tribally-
owned rate-of-return carriers. In each year since 2010, ONAP has actively engaged with NTTA
Page 3-The Honorable Steve Pearce
both in Indian Country and at the Commission. Most recently, in the summer of 2014, ONAP
met with NTTA in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the offices of Hopi Telecommunications. As we move
forward in 2015, the Commission plans to continue to engage and consult with Tribal Nations,
NTTA, and others in Indian Country on long-term reform of rate-of-return support.
I recognize that the challenges before us are great, but the rewards could be even greater.
By working together, we will seize upon technological opportunities to improve lives across
Indian Country. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any
further assistance.
Sincerely,
Wheeler
OFFICE OF
THE CHAIRMAN
The Honorable Tom Udall
United States Senate
110 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Udall:
WASHINGTON
March 16, 2015
Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about the potential impact of the
reforms to the universal service program's high-cost ioop support (HCLS) mechanism on those
living on Tribal lands and in rural areas of New Mexico. Your views on this issue are very
important, and I will ensure that your letter is included in the record of the proceeding and
considered as part of the Commission's review.
As you note, I have personally seen the lack of communications services and
infrastructure across Indian Country, which has created a history of isolation that has limited
economic and educational opportunities. My trip last summer to the Pueblo of Acoma confirmed
the persistent digital divide in this country with rural communities, and especially Native
Americans, disproportionately bypassed by the Internet revolution. That is why expanding high-
speed broadband connections to all corners of the country, including Tribal lands, is a top
priority for the Commission.
The universal service program is one of the most important tools at our disposal to ensure
that consumers and businesses in rural America, including Tribal lands, have the same
opportunities as their urban and suburban counterparts to be active participants in the United
States of the 21st century. We are focused on updating the universal service high-cost program to
ensure that we are delivering the best possible voice and broadband experiences to rural areas
within the confines of our Connect America budget, while providing increased certainty and
predictability for all carriers and a climate for increased broadband expansion.
As you note in your letter, in the recent December 2014 Connect America Order, the
Commission revised the HCLS mechanism to distribute high-cost support more equitably among
high-cost carriers to provide better incentives for carriers to curb waste, as it had proposed to do
in April 2014. This is a near-term reform intended to help us get the most out of our USF
dollars. This decision was built on an extensive record, including comments from rural carriers
and their representatives, on the proposal and published Commission staff analysis of the effects
of the revision.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
We believe it is important to move forward with implementation of this mechanism to
ensure that universal service funds are being used as cost effectively and efficiently as possible.
Page 2-The Honorable Tom Udall
The National Congress of American Indians has filed a petition for reconsideration of the
December 2014 Connect America Order, and we will give the petition full consideration. In the
meantime, please be assured that we will closely monitor the effects of the interim HCLS
mechanism on rate-of-return carriers, particularly those that serve Indian Country, and will
revisit this issue in the event that it has unanticipated results. Meanwhile, I expect the
Commission will continue to develop the record and act on long-term rate-of-return reform in the
coming year, and I welcome consultation and dialogue with Tribal Nations and entities as we
move forward to ensure that their voices are heard. The Commission's Office of Native Affairs
and Policy (ONAP) is considering potential dates in 2015 when I can meet personally with the
Tribally-owned rate-of-return carriers to discuss their concerns.
The Commission is strongly committed to working with Tribal Nations through
meaningful and vigorous efforts on a regular basis. We are also committed to ensuring that
Tribal concerns are appropriately considered and addressed as part of the Commission's broader
efforts to improve broadband deployment throughout the United States. At the National
Congress of American Indians 2014 Executive Council Winter conference, I emphasized the
importance of establishing a reinvigorated Tribal consultation process that addresses many goals,
including: (1) improving access to world class broadband infrastructure; (2) access to spectrum
and wireless infrastructure; and (3) ensuring a diversity of media ownership voices in Indian
Country. I also stressed the need for Tribal community planners and policy representatives to
build relationships with the ONAP. ONAP has developed and manages a comprehensive plan to
strengthen the Commission's consultation and training efforts in all regions of the country. This
includes Commission-hosted regional Tribal training and consultation workshops and
participation in many Indian Country outreach events. In 2014, for example, ONAP hosted five
regional consultation workshops.
In addition, last October, the Commission took steps to reinvigorate the FCC-Native
Nations Broadband Task Force, with the appointment of 31 members representing 20 Tribal
Nations, including three from New Mexico, and 11 Bureaus and Offices within the Commission.
The Task Force, comprised of elected and appointed leaders from federally-recognized Tribal
governments or governmental entities and senior staff from across the Commission, acts as a
consultative sounding board for Commission proposals and develops additional
recommendations for broadband deployment and adoption. The voices of this Task Force are
important to our efforts to close broadband gaps on Tribal lands and ensure that the concerns of
Tribal governments are considered at the Commission. I look forward to their contributions as
we work together to bring world class connectivity to Tribal Nations.
Finally, the Commission, with ONAP's leadership, plans to build upon its ongoing
consultative relationship with the Tribal Nations who own and operate rate-of-return carriers.
Upon ONAP's creation in 2010, the very first meeting in which ONAP staff participated in
Indian Country was the National Tribal Telecommunications Association (NTTA) conference on
the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. NTTA's primary members are the eight Tribally-
owned rate-of-return carriers. In each year since 2010, ONAP has actively engaged with NTTA
Page 3-The Honorable Tom Udall
both in Indian Country and at the Commission. Most recently, in the summer of 2014, ONAP
met with NTTA in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the offices of Hopi Telecommunications. As we move
forward in 2015, the Commission plans to continue to engage and consult with Tribal Nations,
NTTA, and others in Indian Country on long-term reform of rate-of-return support.
I recognize that the challenges before us are great, but the rewards could be even greater.
By working together, we will seize upon technological opportunities to improve lives across
Indian Country. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any
further assistance.
Sincerely, / 4
Tom Wheeler