Tribal Priority Window
The Tribal priority window to claim unlicensed 2.5 GHz spectrum is an unprecedented opportunity for Tribal communities to claim this precious resource. The window is now closed.

The FCC released their first list of 2.5 GHz applications that are accepted. Only 154 applications have been granted! 

Applicant Name State Applicant Name State
Akiak Holdings, LLC AK Fort Belknap Indian Community MT
Algaaciq Tribal Government AK Ft. Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes MT
Aniak Traditional Council AK Northern Cheyenne Tribe MT
Asa’carsarmiut Tribe AK Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians NC
Chignik Lagoon Village Council AK Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation ND
Curyung Tribal Council AK Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians ND
Metlakatla Power & Light AK Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate ND, SD
Nanwalek IRA Council AK Standing Rock Telecommunications, Inc. ND, SD
Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Tribal Government AK Nebraska Indian Community College NE
Native Village of Chenega AK Fort Sill Apache NM
Native Village of Marshall AK Jicarilla Apache Nation Power Authority NM
Native Village of Paimiut AK Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico NM
Native Village of Port Heiden AK Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Council NM
Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council AK Pueblo de San Ildefonso NM
Pilot Station Traditional Village AK Pueblo of Acoma NM
Port Graham Village Council AK Pueblo of Laguna NM
Ruby Tribal Council AK Pueblo of Nambe NM
Tatitlek Village IRA Council AK Pueblo of Picuris NM
Yupiit of Andreafski AK Pueblo of Pojoaque NM
Poarch Band of Creek Indians AL Pueblo of Tesuque NM
Gila River Telecommunications, Inc. AZ Pueblo of Zia NM
Havasupai Tribe of the Havasupai Reservation AZ Santa Clara Pueblo NM
Hopi Telecommunications, Inc. AZ Taos Pueblo Utility Service NM
Hualapai Indian Tribe AZ Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation NM, AZ
Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians AZ Ely Shoshone Tribe NV
San Carlos Apache Telecommunications Utility, Inc. AZ Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe NV
Tohono O’odham Utility Authority AZ Lovelock Paiute Tribe NV
White Mountain Apache Tribe AZ Moapa Band of Paiutes NV
Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe AZ Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe NV
Colorado River Indian Tribe AZ, CA Summit Lake Paiute Tribe NV
Berry Creek Rancheria CA Te-Moak Bands of Western Shoshone Indians of the State of Nevada NV
Big Pine Paiute Tribe of The Owens Valley CA Te-Moak Bands of Western Shoshone Indians of the State of Nevada NV
Bishop Indian Tribal Council CA Te-Moak Bands of Western Shoshone Indians of the State of Nevada NV
Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians CA Te-Moak Bands of Western Shoshone Indians of the State of Nevada NV
Fort Independence Community of Paiutes of the Fort Independence Indian CA Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation NV, UT
Jackson Rancheria Band of the Miwuk Indians CA Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe NY
Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria CA Seneca Nation NY
La Posta Band of Mission Indians CA Seneca Nation NY
Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe CA Seneca Nation NY
Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla & Cupeno Indians CA Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes OK
Manchester Point Arena Band of Pomo CA Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma OK
Manzanita Band of Diegueno Mission Indians CA Citizen Potawatomi Nation OK
Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians CA Kaw Nation OK
Resighini Rancheria CA Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma OK
Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians CA Sac and Fox Nation OK
Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians CA Seneca-Cayuga Nation OK
WIYOT TRIBE CA Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma OK
Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation CA Trace Fiber Networks OK
Yurok Tribe CA Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), OK OK
Timbisha Shoshone Tribe CA, NV Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon OR
Southern Ute Indian Tribe CO Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation OR
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe CO, NM, UT Coquille Indian Tribe OR
Seminole Tribe of Florida FL Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians OR
Seminole Tribe of Florida FL Warm Springs Telecommunications Company OR
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands HI Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Telephone Authority dba CRST Telephone Authority SD
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands HI Rosebud Sioux Tribe SD
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands HI Yankton Sioux Tribe SD
Meskwaki Nation – Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa IA Oglala Sioux Tribe SD, NE
Coeur d’ Alene Tribe ID Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas TX
Kootenai Tribe of Idaho ID Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas TX
Nez Perce Tribe ID Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah UT
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation ID, NV Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation UT
Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska KS, NE Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation WA
Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana LA Hoh Indian Tribe WA
Jena Band of Choctaw Indians LA Kalispel Tribe of Indians WA
Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe LA Makah Tribe WA
Bay Mills Community College MI Nisqually Indiana Tribe WA
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community MI Quinault Indian Nation WA
Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians MI Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe WA
Prairie Island Indian Community MN SITE, Inc. WA
Red Lake Nation MN Spokane Tribe of Indians WA
Upper Sioux Community MN Yakama Power WA
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians MS Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Government WI
Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Reservation MT Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians WI
Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation MT Mole Lake Broadband Corporation WI
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation MT Oneida Nation WI WI
Crow Tribe of Indians MT St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin WI

More application approvals will be announced through the FCC’s Daily Digest and we will update it here periodically. They will follow the same timeline as this first round of accepted applications – petitions to deny within 30 days

  • oppositions to a petition to deny within 10 days after filing date for petition to deny
  • replies to opposition 5 business days after the filing date for oppositions.

Here is the public notice: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-1081A1.pdf

Mutually exclusive applications – the Commission will provide the time period and procedures for resolving mutual exclusivity.  Those not accepted for filing are essentially slight changes to applications are possible, application areas or number of channels can be reduced.

To figure out eligibility, answer two questions: Who? and Where?

Who?

  1. Federally-recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages

AND

  1. Entities owned and controlled by a federally-recognized Tribe OR a consortium of such Tribes
  • The entity must be more than 50% owned by one or more federally-recognized Tribes or Tribal consortia.
  • The entity must be actually controlled by one or more federally-recognized Tribes or Tribal consortia.
  • This means that entities such as Tribal colleges, universities, and utilities (and others) could be eligible.
  1. WITH “local presence” in the land where they want a license.
  • Local entities are those “institutions and organizations that are physically located in the community, or metropolitan area, where service is proposed.”
  • The applicant must demonstrate that it is physically located within the license area it is applying for.

Where?

The land where the license is available must be rural and Tribal.

  1. Rural.
  • Land must not be part of an urbanized area or urban cluster area with a population of 50,000 or more.
  1. Tribal lands.
  • a federally-recognized Tribe’s reservation, pueblo or colony;
  • a former reservation in Oklahoma;
  • an Alaska Native region established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act or Indian Allotments;
  • a Hawaiian Home Land under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act;
  • Off-reservation lands are eligible if the land was designated as “Tribal land” by the FCC as of July 10, 2019.

PRO TIP: If you have questions about whether a tribe or entity qualifies OR whether certain land qualifies, email RuralTribalWindow@fcc.goeligibility

Apply early and monitor applications that might conflict with yours. There is a short settlement period before the close of the tribal priority window. Applications can be adjusted throughout the window.

Below is a state-by-state dashboard to monitor applications.

Step 6: Plan networks, find partners meet the buildout requirements and connect people!

WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO KEEP THE LICENSE?

  • Mobile or Point-to-Multipoint Service:
    • 50% of the population in your license area must be covered by Year 2.
    • 80% of the population in your license area must be covered by Year 5.
  • Fixed point-to-point Service:
    • 20 links per million (one link per 50,000) by Year 2.
    • 40 links per million persons (one link per 25,000) by Year 5.
  • Broadcast Service:
    • 50% of the population in your license area must be covered by Year 2.
    • 80% of the population in your license area must be covered by Year 5.

WHAT IF WE DON’T MEET THE BUILD-OUT REQUIREMENTS?

The good news is you do not have to pay money for missing the deadline BUT…

  • If you do not meet the requirement by Year 2, your final deadline speeds up. You will have to meet the final requirement by Year 4 instead of Year 5. 
  • If you do not meet the final requirement by Year 5, your license will automatically terminate.
  • If you won a license and see that you will not be able to meet a build-out deadline, contact the FCC to see if it is possible to get an extension on the deadline. But do not count on extensions, because it is up to the FCC. 

Outreach materials and efforts are generously funded by People-Centered Internet.