About the Office
- The Office of Native Affairs and Policy (ONAP) was established by FCC Order in 2010 to further the Commission's efforts to bring the benefits of modern communications to all Native communities. ONAP assists the Commission in developing policies and programs to address the lack of adequate communications services on Tribal lands nationwide. ONAP plans and leads the Commission's outreach to Tribal governments and organizations, with the objective of increasing their awareness of, and participation in, Commission programs and proceedings. These efforts include disseminating information about Commission initiatives, and ensuring Native views and interests are heard in the decision-making process. ONAP is also responsible for overseeing the work of the Native Nations Communications Task Force.
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Webinar for Spectrum Licensees on Rural Tribal Lands
The Office of Native Affairs and Policy and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau will hold a free, two-hour informational webinar for Tribal spectrum licensees seeking to provide broadband and other advanced wireless communications services on their rural Tribal lands. The webinar will include an overview of basic engineering considerations involved in network design, with a focus on networks using 2.5 GHz, 3.5 GHz, and unlicensed spectrum. The webinar will also review responsibilities and duties that come with a spectrum license. This webinar may be of particular interest to Tribal entities that applied for licenses to use 2.5 GHz spectrum through the Commission's Rural Tribal Priority Window.
The webinar will take place from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm Eastern Time, on Thursday, January 7, 2021.
For more information, visit the webinar event page.
Other Rural Tribal Spectrum Opportunities
Learn about spectrum opportunities available in the 3.5 GHz band for Tribes in rural areas.
Proceedings of Tribal Interest
Tribal Leaders Directory
The following link will take you to the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Tribal Leaders Directory website: www.bia.gov/tribal-leaders-directory. There you will find an electronic, map-based, interactive directory of information on each federally recognized Indian Tribe, as well as a separate Excel spreadsheet with the names and contact information of current Tribal leaders, among other information.
File a complaint via the FCC's Consumer Complaint Center
File a comment via the Electronic Comment Filing System
Tips for Commenting on FCC Proceedings
The ONAP team welcomes opportunities to engage in consultation with federally recognized Tribes, including facilitating consultation between Tribes and other Commission Bureaus and Offices. We also welcome opportunities to engage with intertribal organizations and Tribally owned and/or operated entities. Please use the link below to contact the ONAP team.
Send an email to the ONAP Team or call 202-418-2930.