Competing House and Senate Wireless Spectrum Provisions in the Budget Act Could Affect Tribal Broadband Access

Congress is actively working to finalize this year’s federal budget bill, referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Act reflects the Trump Administration’s budget and policy priorities for Fiscal Year 2025, including many related to wireless spectrum. In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission took landmark steps to introduce the innovative Citizens Broadband Radio Service band. The CBRS specifically has introduced a framework that allows commercial 5G users to dynamically share spectrum with critical government and military systems. This framework serves and benefits various users, including the U.S. Military, licensed operators, and general users, such as many federally recognized Tribal Nations and tribally owned entities. Like other entities utilizing the CBRS and other unlicensed spectrum to provide Wi-Fi connectivity, Tribal Nations have expressed concerns regarding the Senate’s proposal to auction off valuable spectrum within the CBRS and other unlicensed bands. Entities without the economic resources to compete in spectrum auctions, including some Tribal Nations, face a financial disadvantage compared to other well-resourced service providers.