Kilmer Announces Findings of a National Report that Underscores Need for Broadband Access on Tribal Lands
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) announced the findings from a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that demonstrates the need for increased broadband access on tribal reservations. The GAO’s review came at the request of Kilmer following a bipartisan letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro.
“Connecting more tribal communities to high-speed internet can unlock new opportunities,” said Kilmer “It will make education more interactive, further small business development and entrepreneurship, and help preserve Native cultures. But too often reservations are stuck in the slow lane of the information superhighway and that has hurt their ability to get ahead. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure the federal government is a partner that turns broadband access into reality.”
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 41 percent of residents on Tribal Lands and 39 percent of those in rural areas lack access to broadband.
The GAO report makes four recommendations:
- Develop joint training and outreach with USDA’s Rural Utilities Service, which runs the broadband loan program meant to support rural and tribal areas;
- Develop performance goals and measures for tribal areas for improving broadband availability to households;
- Develop performance goals and measures for improving broadband availability to tribal schools and libraries; and
- Improve the reliability of FCC data related to institutions that receive E-Rate funding by defining “tribal” on the program application.
Expanding broadband service to Tribal Lands and to rural communities has been a top priority for Kilmer since his election to Congress. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, he fought to ensure that the final funding bill included investments in grants to help tribal communities expand their access to broadband internet connections.
The co-requesters of the report include Reps. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Don Young (R-Alaska), Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). The GAO visited or interviewed officials from 21 tribal entities for this report. A copy of the report can be found here.
###