FRANK PALLONE, JR., NEW JERSEY GREG WALDEN, OREGON CHAIRMAN RANKING MEMBER ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS Congress of the United States 665 House of Representatives COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE 2125 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515-6115 Majority (202) 225-2927 Minority (202) 225-3641 August 19, 2020 The Honorable Ajit V. Pai Chairman Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street SW Washington, DC 20554 Dear Chairman Pai: We write to urge you to take immediate action to help bring high-speed internet service to rural tribal land by giving tribes more time to apply for licenses in the 2.5 GHz Band. We are concerned that the Federal Communication Commission s (FCC) failure to provide adequate time for tribes to take full advantage of the 2.5 GHz Rural Tribal Priority Window means fewer tribes will be connected to lifesaving internet service. The coronavirus has underscored that the digital divide is a deadly chasm, but the FCC can help address this issue. Tribes have been hit particularly hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, and high-speed internet service helps governments better succeed when it comes to public health interventions. The Rural Tribal Priority Window is one important remedy to the digital divide for Indian Country, but without more time, it will not succeed. Many tribal leaders have implored you to extend the tribal window by 180 days,1 but you have only provided a 30-day extension. It is clear, however, that more is desperately needed, given the competing demands that have been placed on tribes because of the virus.2 That is why we urge you now to extend the tribal priority window by an additional 150 days beyond the new deadline you have set. If you truly intend for tribes to take full advantage of the priority window despite the challenges the pandemic presents, you must give them more time to apply. 1 See, e.g., Letter from the National Congress of American Indians to Chairman Ajit Pai (Apr. 22, 2020). 2 Federal Communications Commission, In the Matter of Transforming the 2.5 GHz Band, Memorandum and Order, WT Docket No. 18-120 (July 31, 2019) (DA 20-819). The Honorable Ajit V. Pai August 19, 2020 Page 2 We respectfully request a response by August 28, 2020, and thank you for your attention to this important matter. Should you have additional questions regarding this request, please contact AJ Brown of the Committee staff at (202) 225-2927. Sincerely, Frank Pallone, Jr. Mike Doyle Chairman Chairman Subcommittee on Communications and Technology