BitPay, business solutions provider for bitcoin digital currency, hires Tim Byun, ex-Visa, as chief compliance officer, and Anjali Kamath, ex-ClearPoint, as general counsel/compliance manager … Samsung Telecommunications America hires Robin Bienfait, ex-BlackBerry, as executive vice president-chief enterprise innovation officer, Global Enterprise Services; John Pleasants, ex-Disney Interactive Media Group, as executive vice president, Samsung Media Solutions Center America; and Mark Louison, ex-Boston Consulting Group, as senior vice president, Wireless Network Systems … Facebook hires David Marcus, ex-eBay’s PayPal, to lead mobile messaging efforts as vice president … Hulu hires Beatrice Springborn, ex-Storyline Entertainment, as head-originals … Local Corp. names to board David Hughes, The Search Agency, and John Payne, SimpleAir … On board of advisers at newly formed Coalition for Local Internet Choice (see separate report above in this issue) are Edyael Casaperalta, Center for Rural Strategies; Vint Cerf, Google; Sharon Gillett, Microsoft; Lev Gonick, OneCommunity; Blair Levin, Gig.U; and Matthew Rantanen, Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe asked FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to consider setting aside TV spectrum in Indian Country for tribes to use. Rules for the incentive TV auction are “great for small carriers,” but the FCC could do even more good by designating some of the 600 MHz spectrum for the use of the tribes, wrote Dave Archambault, chairman of the Fort Yates, North Dakota-based tribe (http://bit.ly/1jBoMNn). “Best evidence” suggests that broadband deployment in tribal areas is under 20 percent, he said, and the 600 MHz spectrum is ideal for “comprehensive wireless service.”

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe asked FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to consider setting aside TV spectrum in Indian Country for tribes to use. Rules for the incentive TV auction are “great for small carriers,” but the FCC could do even more good by designating some of the 600 MHz spectrum for the use of the tribes, wrote Dave Archambault, chairman of the Fort Yates, North Dakota-based tribe (http://bit.ly/1jBoMNn). “Best evidence” suggests that broadband deployment in tribal areas is under 20 percent, he said, and the 600 MHz spectrum is ideal for “comprehensive wireless service.”

Alcatel-Lucent said Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative subsidiary Bolt Fiber Optic Services selected it to create a broadband network for northeastern Oklahoma with a 1 Gbps top speed. Bolt Fiber intends to use the network to also deliver VoIP service and TV services in its service region, which includes rural communities and tribal areas. Alcatel-Lucent said it will use its gigabit passive optical network (GPON) technology to ensure Bolt Fiber’s desired 1 Gbps top speed, which is about 100 times faster than the average U.S. broadband connection speed. Alcatel-Lucent said it currently uses the GPON technology in broadband networks in Bristol and Chattanooga, Tennessee; Hong Kong; and Portugal. “Providing access to ultra-broadband will attract jobs and investment, improve lives through services like telemedicine and e-learning, and allow families to stay in the communities they love,” said Bolt Fiber Manager Sheila Allgood in a Tuesday Alcatel-Lucent news release (http://bit.ly/1wfAwyO).

Alcatel-Lucent said Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative subsidiary Bolt Fiber Optic Services selected it to create a broadband network for northeastern Oklahoma with a 1 Gbps top speed. Bolt Fiber intends to use the network to also deliver VoIP service and TV services in its service region, which includes rural communities and tribal areas. Alactel-Lucent said it will use its gigabit passive optical network (GPON) technology to ensure Bolt Fiber’s desired 1 Gbps top speed, which is about 100 times faster than the average U.S. broadband connection speed. Alcatel-Lucent said it currently uses the GPON technology in broadband networks in Bristol and Chattanooga, Tennessee; Hong Kong; and Portugal. “Providing access to ultra-broadband will attract jobs and investment, improve lives through services like telemedicine and e-learning, and allow families to stay in the communities they love,” said Bolt Fiber Manager Sheila Allgood in a Tuesday Alcatel-Lucent news release (http://bit.ly/1wfAwyO).

North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp wants to ensure high-speed Internet is available in her state, she said last week. Heitkamp, a member of the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party, met with Rural Utilities Service Administrator John Padalino, according to two tweets she sent out, one displaying a photo of herself and Padalino. She “pressed” Padalino “to continue efforts to improve/expand high-speed Internet access in ND,” she said. She noted that “16% of NDans do not have access to high-speed Internet. That jumps to 36% in rural parts of ND & 75% in Indian Country in ND.” A spokesman for Heitkamp confirmed the meeting was Thursday. In a news release, Heitkamp’s office mentioned she is a member of the Agriculture Committee and a strong backer of the Farm Bill Broadband Program. “Heitkamp also stressed that RUS must address the dearth of high-speed Internet access in Indian Country,” the news release said of the meeting (http://1.usa.gov/1esHDOS). “In North Dakota, 75 percent of individuals living on tribal lands do not have access to high-speed Internet -- one of the highest disparities in the country."

North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp wants to ensure high-speed Internet is available in her state, she said last week. Heitkamp, a member of the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party, met with Rural Utilities Service Administrator John Padalino, according to two tweets she sent out, one displaying a photo of herself and Padalino. She “pressed” Padalino “to continue efforts to improve/expand high-speed Internet access in ND,” she said. She noted that “16% of NDans do not have access to high-speed Internet. That jumps to 36% in rural parts of ND & 75% in Indian Country in ND.” A spokesman for Heitkamp confirmed the meeting was Thursday. In a news release, Heitkamp’s office mentioned she is a member of the Agriculture Committee and a strong backer of the Farm Bill Broadband Program. “Heitkamp also stressed that RUS must address the dearth of high-speed Internet access in Indian Country,” the news release said of the meeting (http://1.usa.gov/1esHDOS). “In North Dakota, 75 percent of individuals living on tribal lands do not have access to high-speed Internet -- one of the highest disparities in the country."

Advocates for public, educational and governmental access channels bemoaned what they view as a scarce mention of a commitment to providing access to PEG channels in Comcast’s proposal last week to the FCC to buy Time Warner Cable for about $45 billion. Offering PEG channels in HD and through VOD are some of the options that Comcast should commit to offering subscribers, said PEG officials. Comcast’s FCC filing laid out the benefits to consumers it plans if the transaction is approved (WID April 9 p5). Some have said Comcast does more for PEG than other cable operators, in part because of conditions it agreed to in 2011 to win FCC approval to buy control of NBCUniversal.

Advocates for public, educational and governmental access channels bemoaned what they view as a scarce mention of a commitment to providing access to PEG channels in Comcast’s proposal last week to the FCC to buy Time Warner Cable for about $45 billion. Offering PEG channels in HD and through VOD are some of the options that Comcast should commit to offering subscribers, said PEG officials. Comcast’s FCC filing laid out the benefits to consumers it plans if the transaction is approved (CD April 9 p5). Some have said Comcast does more for PEG than other cable operators, in part because of conditions it agreed to in 2011 to win FCC approval to buy control of NBCUniversal.

President Barack Obama on April 7 sent to the Senate the nomination of Jane Toshiko Nishida to be an assistant administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of International and Tribal Affairs, where she currently serves as acting assistant administrator. Obama also sent to the Senate the nomination of Sunil Sabharwal to be alternate executive director of the International Monetary Fund for a term of two years.