FCC ONAP Announces Next Tribal Nation Training & Consultation Workshop

FCC Tribal Broadband, Telecom, and Broadcast Training and Consultation Workshop to be held on July 22-24, 2014 at the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Casino Resort and Hotel in Worley, Idaho

Hosted by the Office of Native Affairs and Policy, CGB, FCC, and held in coordination with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians

Register Now — Complimentary Registration For Tribal Nations Is Now Open
The Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Native Affairs and Policy (ONAP) announces the date of the next in a series of regional workshops and consultation sessions aimed at training and assisting Tribal Nations in developing more robust broadband, telecommunications, and broadcast infrastructure to serve those living on Tribal lands. It will be conducted at the Coeur d’Alene Casino and Hotel on July 22-24, 2014. A preliminary agenda and additional room block registration instructions will be made available soon on the web at www.fcc.gov/native. Additional summer and fall workshops are being planned in the Oklahoma, Minnesota, Northern California, and the Eastern regions of the United States.

In addition to a two-day program of important information on opportunities and policy information involving Tribal communications and infrastructure issues, on July 23-24, we also announce the launch of a one afternoon issue and subject matter orientation session from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. on July 22, 2014. This informal workshop is ideally suited for Tribal officials, governmental managers, and enterprise specialists who are new to the subject of telecommunications, broadband, and broadcast media. The orientation session will answer questions such as:

• What are key words and concepts I should know to help my Tribal Nation improve its telephone, broadband, and broadcast infrastructures?
• What is broadband? What can it do for my Tribal Nation and communities?
• How can my Tribal Nation start up a radio station to broadcast to our own communities?
• How can Tribal Nations develop infrastructure to create better broadband or broadcast service on Tribal lands? How can Tribal Nations work with the FCC and the communications industries to deploy these services? What steps should I take? What key information should I know?
• What are the key federal government programs and subsidy mechanisms that support the deployment, sustainability, and affordability of communications services on Tribal lands?
• What is wireless spectrum, and why is it important to my Tribal Nation? What is a megahertz?
• How are telephone and broadband signals sent in underground cables and over the air on mobile phones? What does a wireless network look like? A wireline or fiber network?
• What is the FCC’s role in helping Tribal Nations create better infrastructure? How can I participate in the regulatory process and consult on a nation-to-nation basis with the FCC?
• How can I meet and work with other Tribal Nations or communications providers to get started?

Registration is now open and free of charge – simply email your name, title, and contact information as a Tribal government representative or official to native@fcc.gov or call 202-418-2930. Potential attendees requiring additional information on the workshop or other details should also email native@fcc.gov or call Lyle Ishida, Policy Advisor, FCC Office of Native Affairs and Policy, at (202) 418-8240.