GAO Recommends FCC Improve Tribal Outreach on Spectrum Access Issues
GAO called for the FCC to improve outreach to tribal governments to improve those entities' access to spectrum. Wednesday's report, sought by members of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, was released more than a month after the committee criticized what's…
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seen as deficiencies in FCC practices for determining broadband coverage on tribal lands (see 1810030055). The FCC “has taken steps to promote and support tribal access to spectrum,” including via 2011 and 2018 rulemakings that included tribal input, GAO said: But the commission “has not finalized these rules and is in the process of responding to comments to the 2018 rulemaking,” an NPRM looking at the future of the 2.5 GHz educational broadband service band (see 1809100045). “While FCC has made additional spectrum available for broadband use in recent years, tribal stakeholders cited limitations with the spectrum FCC has made available,” the report said. The FCC should “collect data on the extent that tribal entities are obtaining and accessing spectrum and use this information” as the agency “implements ongoing spectrum initiatives,” GAO said. "Analyze data to better understand the extent that unused spectrum licenses exist over tribal lands.” GAO called for the FCC to “make information on spectrum-license holders more accessible and easy to understand for interested parties, including tribal entities, to promote their ability to purchase or lease spectrum licenses.” The FCC said it plans to follow the recommendations, by considering “ways to collect data on the extent that tribal entities are obtaining and accessing spectrum, including updating application forms to provide for voluntary submission of this information.”