Pai Tells National Congress of American Indians FCC Committed to Solving Digital Divide
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai told the National Congress of American Indians Wednesday he's fully committed to working with the tribal governments on siting and other issues. Pai said he has had a number of meetings with tribal officials since becoming…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
chairman in January. Tribal approvals are seen as a potential stumbling block, especially for wireless infrastructure approvals (see 1706020053). “I honor and embrace that trust relationship and my responsibilities as the Chairman of the FCC,” Pai said in written remarks. “Those responsibilities include a commitment for the Bureaus and Offices across our agency to work collaboratively with our Office of Native Affairs and Policy (ONAP). This will allow ONAP to seek input through all available means -- including consultation with Tribal leaders on a government-to-government basis.” Pai noted he just completed a weeklong trip with meetings from Milwaukee to Casper, Wyoming. The focus was on the digital divide and helping communities catch up, he said: “Rural Americans, including many in Indian Country, disproportionately find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide.” Pai said one of the most "meaningful" meetings was with tribal representatives in South Dakota. Much is at stake, he said. "We don’t bemoan the digital divide in Indian Country because some people can’t play online games like Candy Crush," Pai said. "We focus on these issues because Internet connectivity has become vital to full participation in modern life."