Policymakers 'Should Be Doing More' on Tribal Broadband Access, Eshoo Says
House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., wants more action on increasing broadband access, singling out the release of a GAO report she and other lawmakers had requested on high-speed broadband access on tribal lands. “Native Americans are among…
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the most economically distressed groups in America, with many living in poverty,” Eshoo said. “The opportunity a broadband connection brings to individuals -- whether it is access to health care, education or commerce -- holds even more potential for vulnerable and underserved populations. As the GAO report concludes, we can be doing more, and we should be doing more.” GAO interviewed 21 tribes in compiling the 46-page report. “GAO recommends that FCC (1) develop joint training and outreach with USDA [the Department of Agriculture]; (2) develop performance goals and measures for tribal areas for improving broadband availability to households; (3) develop performance goals and measures for improving broadband availability to tribal schools and libraries; and (4) improve the reliability of FCC data related to institutions that receive E-rate funding by defining ‘tribal’ on the program application,” GAO said. “FCC agreed with the recommendations.”