The Department of Homeland Security should “broaden its existing efforts assisting state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments' responses” to ransomware attacks, the Massachusetts congressional delegation wrote Friday. They asked the agency to brief their offices on efforts to limit such attacks and “detail existing agency grants and programs available for SLTT governments to obtain help protecting themselves.” DHS didn’t comment.

National Tribal Telecommunications Association members want adequate notice to seek 2.5 GHz educational broadband service licenses the FCC's making available. In July, commissioners approved an order rewriting rules for the band, including an eventual auction (see 1907100054). Only tribal entities can seek new EBS licenses. The group asked for a 180-day filing window. Adequate time is “vital in ensuring the best use of this spectrum in Tribal areas for the purpose of addressing, in one of many ways, the digital divide,” NTTA said in docket 18-120, posted Friday.

National Tribal Telecommunications Association members want adequate notice to seek 2.5 GHz educational broadband service licenses the FCC's making available. In July, commissioners approved an order rewriting rules for the band, including an eventual auction (see 1907100054). Only tribal entities can seek new EBS licenses. The group asked for a 180-day filing window. Adequate time is “vital in ensuring the best use of this spectrum in Tribal areas for the purpose of addressing, in one of many ways, the digital divide,” NTTA said in docket 18-120, posted Friday.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced a bill Wednesday to establish a regulatory framework for drones. The Drone Integration and Zoning Act would preserve state, local and tribal government authority for “the designation, placement, construction, or modification of an unmanned aircraft take-off and landing zone.” The FAA “cannot feasibly or efficiently oversee millions of drones in every locality," Lee said. “The best way to ensure public safety and allow this innovative industry to thrive is to empower the people closest to the ground to make local decisions in real time.” The FAA doesn't comment on pending legislation, said a spokesperson.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced a bill Wednesday to establish a regulatory framework for drones. The Drone Integration and Zoning Act would preserve state, local and tribal government authority for “the designation, placement, construction, or modification of an unmanned aircraft take-off and landing zone.” The FAA “cannot feasibly or efficiently oversee millions of drones in every locality," Lee said. “The best way to ensure public safety and allow this innovative industry to thrive is to empower the people closest to the ground to make local decisions in real time.” The FAA doesn't comment on pending legislation, said a spokesperson.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced a bill Wednesday to establish a regulatory framework for drones. The Drone Integration and Zoning Act would preserve state, local and tribal government authority for “the designation, placement, construction, or modification of an unmanned aircraft take-off and landing zone.” The FAA “cannot feasibly or efficiently oversee millions of drones in every locality," Lee said. “The best way to ensure public safety and allow this innovative industry to thrive is to empower the people closest to the ground to make local decisions in real time.” The FAA doesn't comment on pending legislation, said a spokesperson.

Verizon resisted allowing the use of Oklahoma USF money for broadband, in comments posted Thursday at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission in docket 201800066-PUD. “Using the OUSF to support broadband would raise potential legal concerns over assessing intrastate services to fund interstate information services over which the Commission has no regulatory authority,” the carrier said. “And before the Legislature even considers expanding the OUSF to fund broadband, it should wait until the FCC fully implements its [Connect America Fund] and revised Lifeline programs, as well as the new Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, all of which are intended to support broadband deployment and adoption in states including Oklahoma.” A better idea would be to use appropriated state general funds for broadband, like New York and Massachusetts did, Verizon said. Increasing state Lifeline contributions from 2 cents per month per subscriber to $10 per month in areas that don’t qualify for federal enhanced support, and $1 per month per subscriber in tribal areas that do qualify, could “substantially increase the size of OUSF,” so the Oklahoma agency should first study the possible fiscal impact, Verizon said.

Verizon resisted allowing the use of Oklahoma USF money for broadband, in comments posted Thursday at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission in docket 201800066-PUD. “Using the OUSF to support broadband would raise potential legal concerns over assessing intrastate services to fund interstate information services over which the Commission has no regulatory authority,” the carrier said. “And before the Legislature even considers expanding the OUSF to fund broadband, it should wait until the FCC fully implements its [Connect America Fund] and revised Lifeline programs, as well as the new Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, all of which are intended to support broadband deployment and adoption in states including Oklahoma.” A better idea would be to use appropriated state general funds for broadband, like New York and Massachusetts did, Verizon said. Increasing state Lifeline contributions from 2 cents per month per subscriber to $10 per month in areas that don’t qualify for federal enhanced support, and $1 per month per subscriber in tribal areas that do qualify, could “substantially increase the size of OUSF,” so the Oklahoma agency should first study the possible fiscal impact, Verizon said.

Require Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction participants serving tribes to demonstrate an established relationship between the provider and that community, MuralNet CEO Mariel Triggs wrote in a letter posted Monday in docket 19-126. That will "develop meaningful, relevant, and culturally appropriate connectivity solutions," she recounted telling FCC Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and other staffers. If not, "bidders may face difficulty upholding their obligations." She wants a conditional eligible telecom carrier designation for tribes not yet ETCs so they can more easily participate in RDOF auctions without going through a waiver process, and to be first to get any tribal bidding credits.

Lifeline service provider Smith Bagley Inc. asked the FCC to exempt elderly customers on tribal lands from having to provide paperwork proving their eligibility if they're 60 or older when recertification checks through the national verifier no longer show them as eligible, in a filing posted Monday in docket 11-42. "If an elderly customer on Tribal lands can no longer be verified as a Medicaid participant," SBI said, "it is statistically likely that they also qualify via household income" or as a Social Security beneficiary. "Requiring documents in these cases would not only be unnecessary to prevent fraud, it would impose undue burdens on seniors." The company suggests elderly customers in tribal areas should be allowed to self-certify. Its counsel met with Wireline Deputy Bureau Chief Trent Harkrader and other staff Wednesday.