Media Contact: Mark Wigfield, (202) 418-0253 mark.wigfield@fcc.gov For Immediate Release FCC AUTHORIZES SUPPORT FOR BROADBAND IN OVER 44,000 TRIBAL HOMES AND BUSINESSES NATIONWIDE Another Important Step Toward Closing the Digital Divide on Tribal Lands and Nationwide WASHINGTON, August 22, 2019—Taking further steps to close the digital divide, the Federal Communications Commission today authorized support over the next decade for maintaining, improving, and expanding affordable broadband in 44,243 homes and businesses on Tribal lands nationwide. In most of these Tribal homes and businesses – 37,281 of them – carriers must deliver speeds of at least 25/3 Mbps. The authorization on Tribal lands in 13 states was part of a nationwide authorization of over $4.9 billion in support over the next decade for 455,334 homes and businesses served by 171 carriers in 39 states and American Samoa. The support is targeted to smaller rural carriers, traditionally known as “rate-of-return” carriers. These carriers agreed this year to accept subsidies based on the FCC’s Alternative Connect America Cost Model, or A-CAM, which provides predictability, rewards efficiency, and provides more value for each taxpayer dollar. The homes and businesses are in sparsely populated rural areas and Tribal lands where the per-location price of deployment and ongoing costs of providing broadband service are high, requiring support from the FCC’s Universal Service Fund to facilitate network improvements and keep rates reasonably comparable to those in urban areas. Providers will be held accountable to taxpayers and the Commission through an enforceable schedule for delivering improved and expanded service, with the first interim deployment obligation occurring in 2022. “With this commitment to broadband on Tribal lands over the next decade, carriers get the predictable support they need to close a digital divide that, for too long, has disproportionately separated Native Americans from digital opportunity,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “And taxpayers, who fund this support through a fee on their phone bills, are getting more bang for their buck through this efficient, accountable program.” Following is a list of Tribal lands, by state, where companies will receive support, and the number of homes and businesses supported (locations): STATE Tribe / Reservation Total Locations Arizona Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation Reservation 2 Arizona Navajo Nation Off-Reservation Trust Land  7 Arizona Navajo Nation Reservation  1,477 Arizona Salt River Reservation 627 Arizona Tohono O'odham Nation Reservation  3,123 Arizona Totals   5,236 Maine Passamaquoddy Trust Land  47 Maine Totals   47 Michigan L'Anse Off-Reservation Trust Land  5 Michigan L'Anse Reservation  386 Michigan Totals   391 Minnesota Leech Lake Reservation  2,913 Minnesota Minnesota Chippewa Trust Land  1 Minnesota Red Lake Reservation  1,932 Minnesota White Earth Off-Reservation Trust Land  7 Minnesota White Earth Reservation  745 Minnesota Totals   5,598 Mississippi Mississippi Choctaw Off-Reservation Trust Land  1 Mississippi Mississippi Choctaw Reservation 155  Mississippi Totals   156 Montana Blackfeet Indian Reservation  185 Montana Crow Off-Reservation Trust Land  3 Montana Crow Reservation  1,287 Montana Fort Peck Indian Reservation  3,247 Montana Turtle Mountain Off-Reservation Trust Land  8 Montana Totals   4,730 North Dakota Lake Traverse Reservation  90 North Dakota Spirit Lake Reservation 1,427  North Dakota Turtle Mountain Off-Reservation Trust Land 722  North Dakota Turtle Mountain Reservation 1,691  North Dakota Totals   3,930 Nebraska Omaha Reservation 57  Nebraska Totals   57 Oklahoma Caddo-Wichita-Delaware OTSA  2,377 Oklahoma Cherokee OTSA 1,560 Oklahoma Cheyenne-Arapaho OTSA  157 Oklahoma Chickasaw OTSA 1,550 Oklahoma Choctaw OTSA 2,596 Oklahoma Creek OTSA 1,530 Oklahoma Kiowa-Comanche-Apache-Fort Sill Apache OTSA 789 Oklahoma Totals   10,559 South Dakota Cheyenne River Reservation  41 South Dakota Crow Creek Reservation  705 South Dakota Lake Traverse Reservation  2,964 South Dakota Lower Brule Reservation 284  South Dakota Pine Ridge Reservation  4,805 South Dakota Rosebud Indian Reservation  2,812 South Dakota Rosebud Off-Reservation Trust Land  467 South Dakota Standing Rock Reservation  111 South Dakota Yankton Reservation  317 South Dakota Totals   12,506 Utah Goshute Reservation  58 Utah Uintah and Ouray Reservation  27 Utah Totals   85 Wisconsin Ho-Chunk Nation Off-Reservation Trust Land  7 Wisconsin Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation  633 Wisconsin Totals   640 Wyoming Wind River Reservation  308 Wyoming Totals   308 Tribal Totals   44,243 ### Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / TTY: (888) 835-5322 / Twitter: @FCC / www.fcc.gov 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. Cir. 1974).