Pai Cites April Tribal Opex Relief Order in Response to Lawmakers Seeking Action
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai cited an order providing relief to a few tribal-oriented carriers, answering House members who asked the agency in March to act expeditiously to ease an operating expense limitation. The April order (see 1804050028) "will provide additional…
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funding to these carriers to provide both voice and broadband services to their customers," he wrote in response to a letter (exchange in docket 18-5) from Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M. "This was not the same Order I originally proposed in February 2017, a few weeks after I became Chairman. I would have extended support to even more carriers that serve Tribal lands. But in the interest of finally getting something done, I chose to find agreement with those commissioners who were willing to work in good faith on ways to help carriers serving Tribal lands," Pai wrote. "More needs to be done. That's why, for example, the Commission recently agreed to solicit public input on the adoption of a Tribal Broadband Factor, which would provide additional financial assistance to carriers serving Tribal lands."