The First Mile

Supported by the SSHRC-funded First Nations Innovation Project

The Office of Native Affairs and Policy (ONAP) is housed inside the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. According to the FCC's website:

"Our Office of Native Affairs and Policy promotes the deployment and adoption of communications services and technology throughout tribal lands and Native communities. ONAP consults and coordinates with American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, Native Hawaiian organizations and other Native and Tribal entities, and is the official FCC contact point for these activities. It also engages in work with FCC commissioners, bureaus and offices, as well as other government agencies, private organizations and the communications industries, to develop and implement related FCC policies. "

In March 2013, the ONAP released its 2012 Annual Report.

• Read the ONAP Annual Report here
• Read about the creation of ONAP here

Some background on the creation of ONAP from the FCC website:

"The creation of ONAP was one of the recommendations of the National Broadband Plan, which includes increasing access to Broadband in Indian Country as an important goal. There are 4.1 million American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States and more than 565 federally recognized Tribes with their own unique political and tribal structures. There is minimal access to Broadband in Indian Country. The best evidence indicates that the broadband deployment rate on Tribal lands is less than 10 percent, and anecdotal evidence suggests that actual usage rates may be as low as 5 to 8 percent, compared to 65 percent nationwide."