US Senate

Sens Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Expand Tribal Broadband Application Deadline

Sens Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), along with 11 of their Senate colleagues, have introduced a bill to expand the Federal Communication Commission 2.5 GHz Rural Tribal Priority Window to allow Tribal Nations and Native Hawaiian organizations the time they need to apply for spectrum licenses for unassigned spectrum over their own lands—a critical step to expanding broadband access in their communities. The Extending Broadband Tribal Priority Act of 2020 will require the FCC to open a new 2.5 GHz Rural Tribal Priority Window that lasts at least 180 days, to commence no later than