The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) a license for the use of the 2.5GHz Rural Tribal Priority Window broadband. The FCC announced today that it issued 154 tribal licenses nationwide. Among these initial licensees were five Tribes in Oregon.
This license will enable the CTUIR to eventually provide broadband connectivity, including 5G access and mobile coverage, to the community for education, health, government, and business purposes. According to the FCC, “These licenses provide for exclusive use of up to 117.5 megahertz of 2.5 GHz band spectrum that can be used by Tribes to connect their communities.” The FCC has so far received over 400 applications for use of this mid-spectrum broadband range and is continuing to review applications.
Chair Kat Brigham acknowledged the progress represented by this FCC license, stating “CTUIR has wanted reliable internet for several years. The Tribe is now one step closer to moving forward in developing a broadband infrastructure to help our families, students and employees who now really need it as an essential tool through the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is made up of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Tribes, formed under the Treaty of 1855 at the Walla Walla Valley, 12 statute 945. In 1949, the Tribes adopted a constitutional form of government to protect, preserve and enhance the treaty rights guaranteed under federal statute.
