Support for Community Driven Broadband Access

Res #:	Committee:	Submitted by:	Title:                                    Pass →	Yes	No	Amended/Tabled	To NCAI
18-46	Telecommunication	Danae Wilson	Support for Community Driven Broadband Access	X			no

 2018 Annual Convention 

Worley, Idaho 

RESOLUTION #18 – 46 

“SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY DRIVEN BROADBAND ACCESS” 

PREAMBLE 

We, the members of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants rights secured under Indian Treaties, Executive Orders, and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and constitution of the United States and several states, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise to promote the welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution: 

WHEREAS, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) are representatives of and advocates for national, regional, and specific tribal concerns; and 

WHEREAS, ATNI is a regional organization comprised of American Indians/Alaska Natives and tribes in the states of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Northern California, and Alaska; and 

WHEREAS, the health, safety, welfare, education, economic and employment opportunity, and preservation of cultural and natural resources are primary goals and objectives of the ATNI; and 

WHEREAS, many ATNI member Tribes are still lacking full broadband service that adversely impacts current and future economic development, education opportunities, fully operational public safety communications, increased businesses opportunities, efficient Tribal governmental operations and healthcare accessibility; the “digital divide” continues to grow with the unbalanced dispersion of adequate and affordable broadband services; and

WHEREAS, one of the primary obstacles is the lack of funds to invest in local, rural broadband infrastructure, which impacts the opportunity to create or negotiate with local broadband service providers; and 

WHEREAS, the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) is a program that provides low-cost infrastructure financing and site-specific planning funds to local governments, special purpose districts and federally recognized Indian Tribes, to attract and retain private businesses, create permanent private jobs, and promote community economic development in Washington State; and 

WHEREAS, the new 2018-19 Rural Broadband Construction Program allows local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes to own local broadband infrastructure ,which allows the tribes to lease the infrastructure to service providers for economic development; and 

WHEREAS, the CERB is requesting $22 million to provide low-cost financing to local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes to build high-speed, open-access broadband infrastructure for rural underserved communities; now 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that ATNI does hereby support the request for CERB to incorporate the new Administered Rural Broadband Program into CERB’s authorizing statute as a new section in RCW 43.160; this statutory language will derive from the capital proviso authorized in 2018, via Chapter 298, Laws of 2018, ESSB 6095, Section 1008; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, ATNI supports long term funding for rural infrastructure and to include the authorizing statue to ensure the CERB Rural Broadband Program in the State of Washington for future support of community driven broadband development of tribal communication services. 

CERTIFICATION 

The foregoing resolution was adopted at the 2018 Annual Convention of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, held at the Coeur D’Alene Casino Resort Hotel – Worley, Idaho, on September 17-20, 2018, with a quorum present. 

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