May 15,2015
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Chairman Tom Wheeler
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
Dear Chairman Wheeler,
Access to broadband is a critical and necessary resource for all Americans to do business,
communicate with family and friends, learn, and find out what is happening in the world on
issues that impact them directly. Unfortunately, when it comes to broadband access, tribal
communities have been disproportionately left behind. According to the Federal Communication
Commission's (FCC) most recent broadband progress report, nearly two-thirds of residents on
tribal lands lack access to high-speed broadband. In your April 17 blog post and before the
Senate Commerce Committee, you expressed that it is the FCC's intention to reform the
universal service mechanism that supports rate-of-return carriers' deployment and maintenance
of broadband service. This offers the Commission a unique opportunity to correct the gap in
service to Tribal lands and is why we urge you to strengthen your consultation with tribes and
communications providers serving these areas by truly engaging them so they can inform your
decision on how reform can promote greater access to broadband.
In this regard, it is our understanding that on April 17, the FCC met with a number of
stakeholders representing rate-of-return carriers and urged them to develop a consensus reform
plan for the Universal Service Fund (USF) by May 17th. While the FCC did not include tribal
stakeholders in that initial outreach, we understand they have since been engaged. While the
delay in outreach concerns us, we know you are committed to tribal engagement and securing
access to broadband for tribal lands. We urge you seek broader and deeper input from the tribal
community in a timely manner.
We invite you to inform us and tribal stakeholders further on what the FCC is doing to ensure
that those living on tribal lands have a seat at the table through consultation and how the FCC's
efforts related to rate-of-return carriers will expand access to broadband on tribal lands.
Sincerely,
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Member of Congress Member of Congress
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Commissioner Ajit Pai
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Tom Cole
Member of Congress