Pai Plans Further Tribal Engagement, Cites FCC Limits on StingRay Use, SS7 Security Info

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he asked staff to expand "engagement with Tribal stakeholders so that their views and insights more fully inform our efforts to identify and develop measures to address, unserved Tribal areas." He noted a recent GAO report urging improved FCC data collection on tribal broadband and input from tribal members (see 1809100041), writing to Reps. Frank Pallone, D-N.J, and Greg Walden, R-Ore., Commerce Committee ranking member and chairman, respectively, and other lawmakers, posted Wednesday in docket 18-5. Meanwhile, Pai responded to Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who voiced concerns about law enforcement use of cell-site stimulators (StingRays) to identify nearby devices and intercept calls. The FCC's role in such law enforcement use is "limited," wrote Pai: "We do not have the authority or expertise to determine which technologies are most appropriate for law enforcement use." Pai told Wyden: "You note a report from Canada and unsupported allegations that cell-site simulators cause significant interference to emergency services. Career Commission staff was unable to find actual test results by law enforcement authorities in Canada or any other credible evidence that authorized cell-site simulators used by federal law enforcement in the United States are failing to comply with the domestic requirement to cause a 'minimum of interference.'" Separately responding to Wyden cybersecurity concerns about Signaling System 7 vulnerabilities, Pai invited the senator or staff to visit the FCC to view a Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council risk assessment report "in camera," and to contact the Secret Service and FBI for data on breaches in customer proprietary network information, including SS7-specific breaches.