The FCC awarded broadband licenses to 154 Native American Tribes, including 11 in Arizona, ahead of a public auction of the licenses. Winning tribes are required to extend broadband access to at least 80% of the covered areas within five years.
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission has granted broadband spectrum licenses to 11 Arizona tribes in what FCC Chairman Ajit Pai called "a major step forward in our efforts to close the digital divide on Tribal lands."
The awards, announced last week, were the result of a "first of its kind" Rural Tribal Priority Window that gave tribes the chance to apply for and receive spectrum licenses at no cost. Those licenses – which can be used for high-speed wireless broadband – are usually auctioned off to the highest bidder.
The licenses "will open the door to economic growth and allow tr...
