The bulk challenge process for the FCC's broadband data collection begins Sept. 12, said a Wireline Bureau, Office of Economics and Analytics, and Broadband Data Taskforce public notice Friday in docket 19-195. States, local governments, tribal governments and providers will be able to file challenges to data in the broadband serviceable location fabric. FCC staff will host a webinar on the challenge process Sept. 7 at 2 p.m. EDT. The FCC is "ready to get to work and start developing new and improved broadband maps," after Thursday's deadline for providers to submit data on broadband service availability, blogged Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. "We are targeting November 2022 for release of the first draft of the map," Rosenworcel wrote, and another challenge process will open for the public once the maps are released.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) may sign at least three more tech and telecom bills as the state legislature wraps up its legislative session this week. SB-717, the Broadband Access Point Investment Acceleration Study Act, passed unanimously. It would direct the Office of Planning and Research to report by 2024 about the challenges of broadband development on public and private land, particularly for low-income and tribal communities. AB-1262, which would limit personal data collection for makers of connected TVs and smart speaker devices, passed unanimously. AB-32, which would make COVID-19-related telehealth accessibility permanent, also passed unanimously.

NTIA awarded more than $105 million in additional tribal broadband connectivity program support Tuesday to five tribal entities in Arizona. The new funding will support infrastructure deployment projects to connect more than 33,300 unserved and underserved tribal households, said a news release. “Direct investment into tribal communities is a crucial step in closing the digital divide in Indian country while protecting local customs and traditions and creating new opportunities for global engagement and growth," said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The funding "will improve the quality of life, spur economic development activity, and create opportunities for remote employment,” said Pascua Yaqui Tribal Chairman Peter Yucupicio. The tribe received nearly $7 million to connect 1,372 unserved tribal households with fiber and fixed wireless.

FCC nominee Gigi Sohn's supporters are countering a recent Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT) letter to Senate Commerce Committee leaders opposing her confirmation, questioning the truth behind the group’s claims about her past interactions with the leaders of some member tribes and calling them character assassination. Telecom policy stakeholders see COLT’s letter as targeted at maintaining pressure on Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Mark Kelly of Arizona, Democrats who have remained publicly undecided on the nominee for months (see 2205050050).

NTIA awarded more than $161 million in additional tribal broadband connectivity program support, for more than $620 million to date, the agency announced Friday. More than $143 million will support broadband deployment projects in California and Washington to connect more than 2,800 unserved tribal households. "Closing the digital divide in Indian country is a crucial step for protecting local customs and traditions while invigorating the opportunities for global engagement and growth," said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The Hoopa Valley Tribal Council received the largest amount, more than $65 million, to "install fiber and wireless to directly connect 1,045 unserved Native American households, 64 tribal businesses, and 19 community anchor institutions." NTIA separately awarded the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada $18.9 million for a middle- and last-mile fiber deployment project. "This funding will significantly improve the quality of life for our tribal members and is long overdue," said ITCN Executive Director Deserea Quintana.

NTIA awarded more than $118.8 million in additional tribal broadband connectivity program support, totaling more than $457 million to date, the agency announced Tuesday. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe received the largest amount, more than $48 million, to "install fiber and LTE network" to connect more than 1,500 unserved tribal homes in South Dakota.

NTIA awarded nearly $50 million in additional tribal broadband connectivity program support to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, said a news release Thursday. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians received more than $8.4 million to deploy fiber to 2,190 unserved homes, 86 businesses and 60 community anchor institutions. The Osage Nation received more than $40.6 million to deploy fiber and wireless towers to 3,158 unserved homes. “Closing the digital divide in Indian country is a crucial step for protecting local customs and traditions while invigorating the opportunities for global engagement and growth," said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

ASPEN, Colo. -- NTIA won't repeat the mistakes made in past federal efforts to narrow the digital divide, said Evan Feinman, director of its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, Tuesday at Technology Policy Institute's Aspen Forum. This time, he said, "we are going to solve this problem" and avoid the top-down approaches that missed unserved or underserved locations and didn't use ideal technology. But critics see danger signs.

ASPEN, Colo. -- It's "too early to tell" whether NTIA efforts aimed at better spectrum coordination among federal agencies are paying off, NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson said Sunday at the Technology Policy Institute's annual Aspen Forum. He said improved coordination has White House backing and agencies "want to do better."

NTIA awarded more than $146 million in additional tribal broadband connectivity program support Thursday, totaling more than $290 million so far, to five tribal entities in New Mexico, said a news release. The Santa Fe Indian School received the largest amount, more than $57 million, to deploy fiber with symmetrical speeds of 1 Gbps. The Jicarilla Apache Nation Power Authority, Mescalero Apache Telecom, Pueblo of Isleta and Santo Domingo (Kewa) Pueblo also received funding for deployment.