Chairman Pai's Response to Members of Congress Regarding Tribal Broadband

On Sept 12, 2018, Reps Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) and Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai expressing concern about the Government Accountability Office report that found the FCC overstated broadband access on Tribal lands. On Nov 1, then-House Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Rep Raul Ruiz (D-CA) wrote a similar letter, requesting the FCC to address several questions and outstanding issues with the GAO's findings. 

On Dec 31, 2018, and Jan 2, 2019, FCC Chairman responded to Reps Lujan Grisham and O'Halleran, and Reps Pallone and Ruiz, respectively. Chairman Pai wrote, "The Commission aims to ensure that we collect the best possible data with respect to broadband access on Tribal lands and is working to addresss each of the three recommendations advanced by the GAO." Chairman Pai described the FCC's ongoing rulemaking proceeding in which the agency is exploring revisions to Form 477 collection of broadband deployment data, in order to increase the accuracy and usefulness of the data. Chairman Pai also discussed how the FCC has expanded their ongonig engagement with Tribal stakeholders.