- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Communications Commission on Monday opened a window that allows federally recognized tribes to apply for licenses that could help boost Internet service throughout Indian Country.
The FCC action gives tribes in rural areas a “priority window” to apply for free access to the radio frequency spectrum available at 2.5 GigaHertz (GHz). The so-called mid-band spectrum licenses, which were historically reserved for educational institutions and are mostly unassigned across the western U.S., can be used by tribes to develop their own broadband network.
A tribe can also obtain the license and lease its spectrum to third parties, such as Internet service providers, according to a news release by law firm Fredericks Peebles & Patterson LLP.
“Radio spectrum is the lifeblood of all wireless networks, such as cellular networks and Wi-Fi networks, because it enables communication signals to travel across open distances without wired infrastructure,” Jeremy Patterson, attorney and partner at the law firm said in a statement. “This is an important opportunity for rural tribes west of the Mississippi River, as most of the 2.5 GHz band remains unassigned and unlicensed in these areas.”
The FCC defines rural tribal lands as outside urbanized areas and with a population of less than 50,000 people.
About a third of people on tribal lands don’t have access to high-speed Internet, according to the FCC.
The window for tribal priority closes on Aug. 3.
For more information about the license application process, read the FCC public notice.
More Stories Like This
American Basketball Association Announces Native ABA InitiativeFour Winds South Bend Upgrades to Class III Gaming Casino
Native News Online Wins Two Awards from Native American Journalists Association
Wahlberg Brothers Are a Big Hit at Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention in Las Vegas
Native Gro Offers Tribes a ‘One-Stop Shop’ for Entering the Cannabis Industry
Native Perspective. Native Voices. Native News.
We launched Native News Online because the mainstream media often overlooks news that is important is Native people. We believe that everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities. That's why the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers. We hope you'll consider making a donation to support our efforts so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount — big or small — gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous-centered journalism. Thank you.