FCC Commissioner Starks Remarks at ASU's Wiring the Rez Tribal Government E-Commerce Conference

I want to focus on one critical aspect of moving through and forward from this difficult time: bringing high-quality, affordable broadband into every home—something that’s at the heart of so many of the economic development priorities you are exploring during 2021’s conference. We can no longer defer the hard work on digital equity and believe that a future group and time will solve this issue. This is the time, and now is the moment. My top priority for the coming weeks is getting emergency broadband access to as many Americans as possible. I encourage all of you to reach out to me and my staff if you have ideas about how we can make sure every eligible Tribal household knows about the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB).  If you care about getting emergency relief to every eligible American, reach out to your broadband provider and the companies that serve your constituents, and let them know that their participation is important. 

Beyond the EBB, there are additional concrete steps the FCC should take.

1. Lifeline needs an update. 
2. We need to make sure that the FCC’s investments in infrastructure lead to service that American families can actually afford. I was first on the FCC to call for consideration of requiring USF recipients to provide an affordable option as a condition of receiving high-cost support.
3. We need to update our E-Rate program with badly needed flexibility.
4. I’m eager to work with congressional leaders to expand the FCC’s ability to respond to the affordability challenge. Congress should build on the bipartisan support for the Emergency Broadband Benefit and accelerate efforts to make broadband affordable. The Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, for example, includes many great ideas and an infusion of funding.