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 STATEMENT  OF  CHAIRMAN  MICHAEL  K.  POWELL 
 Re:  Extending  Wireless  Telecommunications  Services  to  Tribal  Lands;  WT  Docket  No.  99-  266 


 Our  government-  to-  government  relationship  with  tribal  authorities  make  us  partners  in  the  quest  to  bring  access  to  all  modern  communications  to  Indian  Country. 
 We  share  a  common  goal:  to  increase  the  availability  of  telecommunications  services  on  tribal  lands.  While  penetration  rates  have  increased  in  the  last  decade,  the  chasm  between 
 penetration  rates  on  tribal  lands  and  the  national  average  must  be  closed.  Current  penetration  rates  –  which  are  below  50%  of  the  population  in  some  tribal  areas  –  are 
 unacceptable.  Spectrum-  based  services  provide  an  ideal  opportunity  to  close  this  gap. 
 The  order  we  adopt  today  takes  common  sense  steps  to  increase  the  availability  of  wireless  services  on  underserved  tribal  lands.  By  refining  the  bidding  credit  program 
 adopted  previously  –  including  by  extending  the  certification  period  to  allow  ample  time  for  tribal  consultation  –  we  make  the  program  more  “user-  friendly,”  increasing  the 
 probability  that  the  credits  will  be  used  and  service  will  be  delivered.  We  also  seek  comment  on  ways  to  make  the  bidding  credit  program  more  attractive  and  to  create 
 incentives  for  wireless  deployment  in  areas  adjacent  to  tribal  lands,  which  often  suffer  from  the  same  low  penetration  rates  as  tribal  lands  themselves.  We  must  work  together 
 to  utilize  our  resources  in  new  and  creative  ways  to  tackle  these  challenges.  To  that  end,  I  note  the  productive  government-  to-  government  meetings  and  discussions  we  held 
 recently  with  tribal  leaders  and  representatives  from  the  National  Congress  of  American  Indians  and  our  stepped  up  outreach  and  consultation  with  tribes  on  issues  of  significant 
 importance,  such  as  historic  preservation.  I  am  committed  to  continuing  this  positive  direction  and  building  the  solid  relationship  that  will  yield  the  results  we  all  seek. 


 I  applaud  the  leadership  and  imagination  of  Commissioners  Copps  and  Adelstein  in  developing  some  of  the  proposals  in  the  further  notice.  I  look  forward  to  working  with 
 them  and  my  other  colleagues  to  ensure  that  all  Americans  enjoy  technology-  neutral  access  to  modern  telecommunications  services  and  can  participate  fully  in  the  digital 
 economy. 
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