Millions of dollars on tribal lands are going toward expanding internet connectivity in the state.
Specifically in the Choctaw Nation and Osage Nation, the internet infrastructure will primarily be fiber optic cables or fixed wireless. Officials say broadband technology not only provides essential day-to-day services for homes, schools and businesses, but also cultural preservation and strengthening tribal sovereignty.
The Osage Nation got a $17.5 million-grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture ReConnect Program to expand high-speed broadband infrastructure in underserved and unserved areas. The project will install 110 miles of fiber technology and connect 176 locations.
There are a handful of other broadband funds the nation has received. Christa Fulkerson, the nation's director of grants, contracts and compliance, said the nation is in negotiations to secure funding through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
She said broadband connectivity is a big step forward for tribal members and non-tribal members within their reservation boundaries. Osage Nation officials say having reliable broadband infrastructure in rural areas means constituents can access Osage language learning tools.
"By investing in our own broadband infrastructure, the Osage Nation is strengthening its ability to serve its people, control its future and build systems that reflect our community's needs and priorities," Fulkerson said. "And to us, that is tribal sovereignty."
The BEAD Program is overseen by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
The State of Oklahoma's final proposal for the grant program integrated tribal consent review and negotiation into the grant application process. Under the program's rules, awards couldn't be done on tribal land without having tribal consent.
Fulkerson said it's been a rigorous process, requiring a lot of manpower. Last week, the State of Oklahoma announced the federal government approved its BEAD proposal, which state officials also say was a long time coming. The state plans to use the money to connect the remaining toughest-to-reach places.
Drew Tiger, senior project manager for the Osage Nation's department Wahzhazhe Connect, said it will be facilitating five grants through the USDA and the NTIA. The most recent round of funding is focused on connecting people in areas like south of Hominy.
"So it's designed to encapsulate the entire county, the rural portions of that with these grants that we're servicing for the nation over the next 5 to 7 years," Tiger said.
The Choctaw Nation also got a $4.7 million USDA Community Connect grant to install 36 miles of fiber to serve about 52 homes and the Monroe School District.
Lance Browder, the nation's senior tribal broadband officer, said having reliable internet connection is no longer optional infrastructure.
"It's essential to have that connectivity and that high speed connectivity and for it to be reliable because it is impacting nearly every area of our daily lives, right from education and remote learning to telehealth and emergency services," Browder said.
Through the BEAD Program, he said, the Choctaw Nation received about $27 million, which will be used to extend high speed internet services to about 2,000 locations in five counties in its reservation. Telecommunication companies operating on the tribe's land also received awards.
The nation covers hilly and remote places in the southeastern part of the state. He said this combination makes the area inhospitable to internet service providers, and providing connection to these places has been a focus for the Choctaw Nation over the years.
Because of low population density or terrain challenges, Browder said the nation takes a mixed-technology approach using fiber and fixed wireless, maximizing the number of homes connected..
He said closing the digital divide is not solely about technology, it's also about opportunity.
"But the real success is going to come from how well it aligns with our tribal priorities and really builds on the work that tribes like the Choctaw Nation have already done," Browder said. "So it'll be interesting to see just how the landscape kind of changes once that connectivity is built out within the areas of rural America and specifically for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma."
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
