Chairman Pai's Response to Senators on EBS

On Nov 19, 2019, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Ranking Member Tom Udall (D-NM) and Sens Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to give voice to the concerns raised by Tribal communities surrounding the implementation of the Tribal priority window to open up access to Educational Broadband Service (EBS) spectrum on Tribal lands. 

On Jan 14, 2020, Chairman Pai responded by saying following discussions he personally had with representatives of Tribal and Native Hawaiian organizations, "I share your view that Tribes will need sufficient time to prepare and participate in the Tribal priority window." Therefore, Chairman Pai has sent letters to Tribal and Native Hawaiian leaders, and the FCC also issued a Public Notice, stating that the Tribal priority window will open on Feb 3, 2020 and close on Aug 34, 2020. "This extended 182-day window is the result of the hard work of agency staff and takes into account the National Congress of America Indians' recent resolution on this issue."