When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools across the country in 2020, students in the Cherokee Nation faced a challenge that most of their peers did not: nearly a third of Cherokee households had no broadband internet access at all. For students in rural districts deep within the 7,000-square-mile reservation, remote learning was not an inconvenience — it was an impossibility.
"We had kids sitting in school parking lots at night, using the Wi-Fi from the building to do their homework," recalls Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. "That's not acceptable in the 21st century."
The Cherokee Nation's response was decisive. The tribe committed $30 million of its own funds to build a fiber-optic broadband network across the reservation, laying hundreds of miles of cable to connect homes, schools, and health clinics. The project, which broke ground in 2021 and is still expanding, has become a model for tribal broadband across Indian Country.
"Connectivity is not a luxury. It is infrastructure — as essential as roads, water, and electricity."
— Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.
The Cherokee Nation is not alone. Across the United States, Native nations are taking broadband access into their own hands — building networks, securing spectrum rights, and asserting their sovereignty over the digital infrastructure that will define the 21st century.
The Digital Divide in Indian Country
The scale of the problem is staggering. According to the Federal Communications Commission, approximately 18% of Native Americans living on tribal lands lack access to broadband internet — defined as download speeds of at least 25 Mbps. But independent researchers argue the real number is much higher. The American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University found that only 52% of tribal households have "meaningful" broadband access — meaning they can afford it, have devices to use it, and possess the digital literacy skills to navigate it.
The consequences of this digital divide ripple through every aspect of life:
Education.
During the pandemic, Native students were disproportionately affected by school closures. On the Navajo Nation, which spans 27,000 square miles across Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, an estimated 40% of students lacked internet access at home. The situation was even worse on the Hopi Reservation, where some families had to drive 45 minutes to reach a public Wi-Fi hotspot.
Healthcare.
Telemedicine has the potential to transform healthcare access in rural Native communities, where residents often travel hours to reach a hospital or clinic. But without broadband, telemedicine is a promise that cannot be fulfilled. The Indian Health Service, which serves 2.6 million Native Americans, has identified broadband access as a critical priority for improving health outcomes.
Economic development.
In an economy where job applications, business registration, and government services are increasingly online, lack of broadband is a direct barrier to economic opportunity. Tribal businesses cannot compete in e-commerce without reliable internet. Tribal members cannot access remote work opportunities. Tribal governments cannot deliver services efficiently.
Cultural preservation.
Tribes are using digital tools to archive oral histories, teach Indigenous languages, and connect dispersed community members. The Cherokee Nation's online language courses, for example, reach Cherokee citizens across the United States and around the world. But these efforts require bandwidth — and many tribal communities lack it.
The Federal Response: Historic Funding, Still Falling Short
The federal government has recognized the tribal broadband crisis and responded with significant funding. The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP), administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), has allocated over $3 billion to tribal broadband projects since 2021. The USDA's ReConnect program has added another $1 billion. The FCC's E-Rate program has been expanded to support Wi-Fi on school buses and hotspots for students.
But the funding, while historic, has not been enough. The NTIA received applications totaling more than $10 billion for the first round of TBCP funding — far exceeding the $3 billion available. Many tribes applied for funding to build networks that would cost tens of millions of dollars, only to receive partial funding or none at all.
"The demand far exceeds the supply," says a tribal broadband coordinator who worked on multiple grant applications. "We're grateful for the funding, but we need a permanent, predictable source of funding — not a one-time grant program."
Building Sovereign Networks
Faced with the limitations of federal programs, many tribes have chosen to build their own networks. The results are remarkable.
The Cherokee Nation's fiber network now passes more than 12,000 homes and businesses, with plans to reach every Cherokee citizen in the tribe's 14-county reservation area. The network is owned and operated by the tribe, which means profits stay in the community and are reinvested into infrastructure.
The Gila River Indian Community in Arizona built a fiber network that connects tribal government buildings, schools, and health clinics, and is now expanding to residential areas. The network has been critical for telemedicine, allowing community members to consult with specialists without traveling to Phoenix.
The Pueblo of Isleta in New Mexico has partnered with local internet service providers to bring fiber broadband to every home on the pueblo. The tribe negotiated a community benefits agreement that includes free or low-cost internet for low-income households.
The Southern Ute Indian Tribe in Colorado has built one of the most advanced tribal broadband networks in the country, using a combination of fiber and fixed wireless technology to reach homes across the tribe's mountainous 1,100-square-mile reservation.
"We are not waiting for the federal government to solve this problem. We are solving it ourselves."
— Tribal broadband director, Southern Ute Indian Tribe
The Sovereignty Dimension
Tribal broadband is not just an infrastructure issue — it is a sovereignty issue. When tribes own their own networks, they control the terms of access, the pricing, and the data. They are not subject to the whims of corporate internet service providers who have little incentive to serve remote, low-density areas.
The sovereignty dimension extends to spectrum rights. The FCC has designated certain spectrum bands for "priority access" by tribal nations, and some tribes have begun licensing their own spectrum to build wireless networks. The concept of "spectrum sovereignty" — the idea that tribes have inherent authority over the airwaves above their lands — is gaining traction in legal and policy circles.
"I think we're going to look back at this moment and realize that broadband was one of the most important sovereignty battles of the 21st century," says a tribal telecommunications attorney. "The tribes that control their own digital infrastructure are going to be the tribes that thrive."
Challenges That Remain
Despite the progress, significant barriers remain.
Rights-of-way on trust lands.
Building fiber infrastructure on tribal trust lands requires approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), a process that can take months or years. The BIA has faced criticism for slow permitting, and tribal leaders have called for reforms to streamline the process.
Geographic and logistical barriers.
Many reservations are in remote, mountainous, or desert areas where construction is difficult and expensive. Running fiber to a single home in a remote canyon can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Funding sustainability.
Grant programs provide capital for construction, but they do not cover ongoing operational costs. Tribes must find ways to sustain their networks — through subscription fees, tribal government subsidies, or commercial partnerships — long after the grant money is spent.
Digital literacy.
Access to broadband is only part of the equation. Many tribal members, particularly elders, lack the digital literacy skills to use the internet effectively. Tribes are investing in training programs, but the need far exceeds current capacity.
The Role of New Technologies
New technologies are changing the tribal broadband landscape. Fixed wireless internet — which uses radio signals to deliver broadband without fiber — can reach homes in remote areas more cheaply than running fiber. Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service, has been adopted by some tribal households, offering speeds that rival terrestrial broadband in areas where no other option exists.
But these technologies are not panaceas. Fixed wireless requires line-of-sight to a tower, which can be blocked by mountains or trees. Starlink requires a clear view of the sky and costs $120 per month — more than many tribal households can afford. And satellite internet is not a substitute for the reliability and capacity of a fiber network.
"Starlink is a stopgap, not a solution. It's better than nothing, but it's not going to close the digital divide."
— Tribal broadband consultant
What's Needed Next
Tribal broadband advocates have a clear set of policy priorities:
- 1Permanent funding. The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program should be made permanent, with predictable annual appropriations rather than one-time grants.
- 2Rights-of-way reform. The BIA permitting process should be streamlined, with clear timelines and a single point of contact for tribal broadband projects.
- 3Tribal spectrum priority. The FCC should prioritize tribal access to spectrum, recognizing tribal sovereignty over the airwaves above tribal lands.
- 4Digital inclusion funding. Federal programs should fund not just infrastructure, but also devices, digital literacy training, and affordable internet access for low-income households.
- 5Tribal broadband offices. Every tribe should have the resources to establish a broadband office with dedicated staff, technical expertise, and the capacity to manage complex infrastructure projects.
The Bottom Line
The digital divide in Indian Country is not a technology problem — it is a policy problem, a funding problem, and a sovereignty problem. And tribes are not waiting for the federal government to solve it.
From the Cherokee Nation's fiber network in Oklahoma to the Southern Ute's wireless system in Colorado, Native nations are building the digital infrastructure of the 21st century. They are doing it with their own resources, their own expertise, and their own vision of what connectivity means for their communities.
The last mile of the tribal broadband journey is the hardest. But for the tribes that have chosen to build their own futures, it is a mile they are determined to travel.
This article is part of The Indigenous Beacon's ongoing series on technology, sovereignty, and infrastructure in Indian Country. Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly reporting on Native issues.
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