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Saturday, July 19, 2008
Navajos Could Face Loss of Internet Services
By Felicia Fonseca
Associated Press
New Mexico's two U.S. senators are asking the Federal Communications Commission to take immediate action to prevent the shutdown of Internet services on the Navajo Nation.
The Navajo Nation said Friday that SES Americom, a company that provides bandwidth for the services, is threatening to shutter it by noon Tuesday if the company is not paid for services rendered.
The shutdown would effect the tribe's public safety network, which allows police and other emergency responders to access the network from remote places across the reservation.
"It is going to discontinue a service that law enforcement has enjoyed over the last two or more years," said Deswood Tome, a spokesman for the Navajo Nation's Washington office.
Utah-based OnSat Network Communications Inc. purchases the bandwidth from SES, but says it is unable to pay SES because the federal government has been withholding about $2.1 million in reimbursement funds.
OnSat officials did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
A majority of the tribe's 110 chapter houses lost Internet service in April after the decision by the Universal Service Administration Company to withhold the funds over concerns about a tribal audit of OnSat. USAC administers the funds through the E-rate program under the FCC.
The public safety network is not part of the E-rate program and is paid for separately. However, should SES terminate the satellite transmission, it would affect communications for the entire network.
"This is a grave and critical situation for people of the Navajo Nation and needs immediate final resolution," Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr. said in a letter Tuesday to Mel Blackwell, vice president of the schools and libraries division for USAC. "Our children and people have been cut off from the libraries and now their lives and safety are at risk."
Sens. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., are calling for an explanation by the end of next week of why the E-rate funding, which had been approved, is being withheld and what steps need to be taken to release the funds.
"The situation has become critical and threatens the safety and security of the (Navajo) Nation and its residents," the senators said in a letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin on Thursday. "We are deeply disturbed by this imminent loss of communications service to vital public agencies."
USAC had asked the Navajo Nation to respond to the audit, which found that OnSat had overbilled for service and that the tribe didn't comply with procurement rules or a competitive bidding process in selecting OnSat. A USAC spokeswoman had said the agency would review the response and could either release full funding, partial funding or deny the funding.
Tome said the tribe has complied with USAC's requests and is awaiting a response.
"We want USAC to quickly make a decision, yes or no, because if they come back and tell us no, then we're going to appeal it to the FCC," said Tome, who also serves on the tribe's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission. "Either way, we would like a decision."
In an e-mail to Tome on Tuesday, Blackwell said the agency would do its best to provide the Navajo Nation with a timely response.
Copyright ©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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