Pallone, Doyle Urge Further 150-Day Extension of FCC's 2.5 GHz Tribal Priority Window

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., urged the FCC to extend the priority window for tribes to apply for 2.5 GHz licenses by another 150 days. The commission agreed in July to extend the tribal window until Sept. 2, drawing criticism from Democratic Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks (see 2007310027). Tribal groups sought a six-month extension of the window beyond the earlier Aug. 3 deadline. “We are concerned that the FCC’s failure to provide” an “adequate” extension “means fewer tribes will be connected to lifesaving internet service,” Pallone and Doyle said in a Wednesday letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “Tribes have been hit particularly hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, and high-speed internet service helps governments better succeed when it comes to public health interventions. The Rural Tribal Priority Window is one important remedy to the digital divide for Indian Country, but without more time, it will not succeed.” The FCC didn’t comment.