FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON October 15, 2019 OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Kyrsten Sinema United States Senate 317 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Sinema: Thank you for your letter supporting the Federal Communications Commission s recent rulemaking regarding the 2.5 GHz band. Closing the digital divide is the FCC s top priority. Among many other steps, the Commission recently addressed this priority by adopting a report and order aiming to maximize the potential of the 2.5 GHz band to bring advanced wireless services to those who for too long have been on the wrong side of that divide. Nowhere is that divide more starklypronounced than in Indian Country. That s why, as part of the recent order, the FCC unanimously agreed to establisha priority filing window in this band for Tribal Nations in order to enable them to serve rural Tribal areas. We want the example of the Havasupai Tribe, which as you observe is using this spectrum to positive effect at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, to be a new norm in Tribal areas. Thank you for sharing your views on this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, AjitV Pai