Nearly $1 billion to bridge digital gap in tribal communities

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - On Wednesday, the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) announced another round of funding to expand internet access for Native American tribes.

In August 2022 the NTIA gave Rosebud and the Oglala Sioux Tribes $70 million for broadband expansion. Wednesday’s $980 million announcement makes more than $2.5 billion available to tribal entities for closing the digital gap. The funding is part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.

“Part of the cost is driven by the incredibly challenging infrastructure that we face on tribal lands. Congress recognized the importance of making this federal investment,” said Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator.

The Tribal Connectivity Program allocates about $12,000 per household to add internet access to tribal communities. The cost of bringing internet access to some homes will cost more, upwards of $50,000 due to the geographical nature of some tribal lands.

Copyright 2023 KOTA. All rights reserved.