The Havasupai Tribe is located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with 600 tribal members
Lacked broadband access at a time when connectivity has proven essential for distance learning, telehealth appointments, meetings over video platforms, connecting to remote work, and much more.
Only 20 percent of students at the federally operated Havasupai Elementary School graduate from high school.
Havasupai Elementary School is the only school on the Havasupai Reservation and only goes up to the eighth grade
To address these challenges, a local community college partnered with the Tribe to establish online GED classes.
With students unable to access the internet at home, the first year of the program had no graduates.
Funding
MuralNet partnered with the Tribe to help them utilize public airwaves to access the internet.
The total cost was closer to $127,000
2018: FCC granted a temporary permit for the Tribe to use spectrum in the 2.5GHz band.
The Tribe used this permit to get high-speed internet via a private LTE network in the reservation’s remote location, allowing students to access online GED and community college classes.
According to Chairwoman Ophelia Watahomigie-Corliss, the Havasupai Tribe established high-speed internet in the village within five days of the license approval.
2019: FCC granted the Havasupai Tribe a permanent license to the 2.5GHz band.
The LTE network provides new education, health, and emergency service opportunities critical to the Havasupai Tribe.
Strategies for success for this project
Public awareness and advocacy from within the tribe and neighboring tribes assisted in finding partnerships
Current issues arise when the internet pauses or freezes the frustration level can often increase as many were not fully introduced to lives with broadband
MuralNet CEO Mariel Triggs, trains the Havasupai how to install a network box outside a home and does the best she can at introducing them to new processes and at home usage
Building a relationship/ partnership with the FCC and seeing the success of their progress resulted in the FCC opening a priority filing window for tribal communities to apply for licenses in the 2.5GHz band prior to a commercial auction.
Issues do arise as the window to apply is short and the FCC would require the tribes to build their infrastructure (towers and antennas) in half the time required of major telecom companies.
Ensure that all policy formalities have been addressed. One of the largest issues was that once the money was gathered FCC policy held the project up
The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation located in northeastern Arizona. The reservation occupies part of Coconino and Navajo counties. It encompasses more than 1.5 million acres, and is made up of 12 villages totaling an estimated population of 19,327.
The tribe currently has broadband internet in only some pockets of the reservation, but for where it does exist it works very slowly.
This issue is primarily due to the economically disadvantaged villages who can not afford such services
Funding/ Support
The Hopi service relies on federal loans to expand its network.
2018: Received Agriculture Department loan to bring internet access to another 650 homes on the reservation through a fiber-optic connection and let those on old-technology copper lines get faster internet access.
Rep. Greg Stanton of Phoenix feels that indigenous access to high-speed internet is absolutely critical now more than ever, as closing the digital divide provides access to current-day needs.
2019: Stanton amended the House bill restoring net neutrality to require that the Federal Communications Commission work more closely with tribal nations to assess their internet needs and to improve access and reliability.
Strategies for success for this project
Need to find organizations that understand the high cost and low density areas as it is often overlooked by major corporations, but small investors are willing to work and grow
As many carriers wouldn’t even come in and offer service to the majority of these reservations, tribes built their own telecommunications networks.
There are nine tribally owned and operated telecommunication companies in the U.S. one of which is Hopi Telecommunications Inc.
Access and reliability
This is a constant balance in finding connection and service that can stretch to even the most remote parts of the reservation.
It can be a delicate balancing act for providers in rural areas.
More needs to be done to help reservations improve infrastructure for broadband and to provide more opportunities to the households that need it.
Key Themes: Roadblocks - Reliance - Marketing
Issues: Low Income
Strategies: Government involvement
Forms of Access: Tribe owned telecommunications - everyone - household
This tribe is in Prescott, Arizona, is a self-sustaining sovereign nation that has numerous IT needs to service a variety of businesses such as retail stores, real estate offices, and a popular casino.
MIS/Network Manager Chad Dixson sought out a new system that would allow for growth.
Funding/ Support
Working with CommSpeed, a Prescott Valley-based wireless Internet Service Provider (ISP) and Conceptual Systems and Software, a Chino Valley-based networking firm.
The Tribe has significantly enhanced communication capabilities between its numerous enterprises through a new high-speed wireless network, which links all tribal offices and gaming sites.
1 Gig Ethernet with 100 Mbps Direct Internet Access (DIA) was prescribed
2003: Launch of its new wireless wide area network (WAN) and a comprehensive website.
Strategies for success for this project
Focus on an increased efficacy for now and future generations and opportunities
Ernie Jones, president of the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe: “This technology will allow us to greatly increase our efficiency, and our new email will improve the way the Tribe communicates within the organization and beyond.”
The Tribe has also debuted its first comprehensive website, www.ypit.com.
The site offers a brief history of the Tribe, information on tribal environmental programs, businesses operating on the reservation, community news and links to the Bucky’s and Yavapai Casino site.
Working with Commspeed improved YPIT’s network performance as well as offered plenty of flexibility for future growth and growth of opportunities for the tribe
Offers career and educational opportunities for current and future generations