Broadband and Beyond

Wow! Broadband is a “thing.” I know, I know, it has been for a while now, but the fact that it still is a thing a year later is remarkable. It may sound silly, but it used to be that broadband was such an esoteric topic only discussed in the realm of computer science and IT. Now, broadband is in the top three topics that are important to Tribal communities, Tribal leaders, and pretty much everyone else. After the pandemic and the lockdown, everything has changed. And as someone who specializes in broadband research, it’s still surprising. But then, the world has changed. I am thankful that AIPI was in a place where we could be of service and part of the solution in terms of expertise. I’m also thankful that our school and our funders have seen the value that we’re able to provide with our expertise.

Towards that, I’ve been able to provide some service by bringing my expertise to a congressional testimony in April at the House Subcommittee Hearing on Infrastructure in Indigenous Communities as outlined above.  That was a tremendous honor.  As a part of this process, I had the support of AIPI’s new Research Professional, H. Trostle, who is also an expert in Tribal broadband.  They have been developing AIPI’s research agenda for the next 3-4 years. While we’ll continue to focus on broadband access, adoption, and inclusion, we’re also going to be rooting our work in Indigenous Data Sovereignty, and taking on some infrastructure-related topics. One of the first things they’ve developed with regards to our research agenda is our new Tribal Broadband page on the AIPI website. This Tribal broadband database is where we are consolidating resources for Tribes, including links to funding, and links to research. This is a dynamic page and very much a work in progress as things are changing so quickly. So check back if you don't see something or better yet, reach out to us. We’re always happy to connect with you.

As always, #BeTheSolution