Tribes Approved For Broadband Spectrum
Broadband infrastructure for seven Montana tribes should improve in the near future after the Federal Communications Commission announced approval this week.
“Between distanced learning, telehealth and working from home, the coronavirus pandemic has made access to reliable, high-speed broadband more critical than ever before, especially in Indian Country,” U.S. Sen. Tester, D-Mont., said in a press release.
Tester has been working for several years in order to improve broadband technology for tribal communities.
“For years, I’ve been pushing the FCC to work with Montana Tribes and grant them the logical next step in their push for digital sovereignty — ownership over their own spectrum,” the senator said. “That’s why I’m proud to announce that the FCC approved applications from every Montana Tribe that applied for spectrum ownership, which will increase connectivity across our state’s tribal communities and increase access to critical health and education services.”
The Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes were one of the recipients of the spectrum licenses through the FCC’s Rural Tribal Priority Window. Other communities included the Blackfeet Nation, Crow Tribe, Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Fort Belknap Indian Community and Northern Cheyenne Tribe.
These licenses provide for exclusive use of up to 117.5 megahertz of 2.5 GHz band spectrum that can be used by tribes to connect their communities.
Tester has worked closely with Montana Tribes to close the digital divide in Indian Country, particularly during the coronavirus crisis. Earlier this year, he urged Senate Leadership to extend the Tribal CRF deadline from December 2020 to December 2022 so Tribes could have more time to fully utilize funding for critical projects like building out broadband infrastructure.
