Establishing a clearinghouse for Tribal digital sovereignty
A clearinghouse or data repository that promotes knowledge and access to resources informing and educating Tribal nations of the critical nature of digital sovereignty.
Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty
Clearinghouse
Information
- NC-24-007: Calling upon Congress to Support Both Short-term and Permanent Solutions for the Continuation of the Affordable Connectivity Program
- NC-24-008: Supporting Tribal Digital Sovereignty as an Exercise of Self-Determination
Broadband is critical for Indian Country, but it is often unavailable. In 2019, the American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI) found that 18 percent of Tribal reservation residents have no Internet access, while 33 percent rely on smartphones for Internet service. Even where broadband is available, the cost can be a barrier to access. It is crucial that Tribal communities have broadband access for education, work, and healthcare, all of which will be more accessible via the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
The ACP provided benefits for a single Internet connection per home and allowed eligible households to receive a monthly discount on broadband access from their Internet provider. The program is no longer accepting applications.
On May 2, 2024, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel again stressed the urgency of providing additional funding for the ACP before funding is officially exhausted by the end of May, and participating households can no longer receive any ACP benefit. The FCC had already announced that April would be the last month households could receive an applicable $30 discount, and in May some households could continue to receive an up-to-$14 discount if their provider opted into offering a partial discount during the final month of the program. Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s letter again highlighted that the end of the ACP would have broad consequences nationwide, and how its end could impact other broadband deployment efforts that the federal government has heavily invested in, like the Commerce Department’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
Links to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s Letter to Congress as well as a recent FCC Press Release can be found below:
- Press Release: Chairwoman Rosenworcel alerts congress of final month of funding for affordable connectivity program
- Final Letter to Congress: Chairwoman Final Update to Congress on Affordable Connectivity Program | Federal Communications Commission (fcc.gov)
We continue to monitor several short and long term funding vehicles currently in front of Congress. The Commission stands ready to work with Congress to help prevent the over 23 million households enrolled nationwide from experiencing a lapse in their internet service coverage.
Resources related to ACP Wind Down, including fact sheets and frequently asked questions, are available on the official FFC website.
Updated 05-02-2024
- Arizona Commerce Authority Broadband Resources: provides information on grants, resources, and upcoming workshops
- Grant Opportunities: provides information on the Arizona Rural Broadband Deployment Grants, the Broadband Infrastructure Program, and other grant opportunities.
- Arizona Department of Education Digital Divide White Paper: details the inequities in broadband access for rural school children attempting distance learning.
- Broadband Now: provides information on broadband availability across the U.S.
Tribes must exercise their sovereign right to access and utilize this natural resource. Spectrum frequencies are finite and as the internet and technology continues to permeate every life these frequencies will be obtained and held onto by industry because of its intrinsic value. The federal government, as trustee to Tribal Nations, must also understand and address the historical and present-day barriers that prevent tribal participation in spectrum auctions and the inability of tribes to access spectrum through secondary market mechanisms. Providing tribes with access to spectrum licenses provides an opportunity for tribes to construct their own wireless networks or leverage the license to attract service providers to bring telecommunications services to tribal lands for the benefit of their communities and economies.
The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) is a $3 billion program, from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, to support Tribal governments bringing high-speed Internet to Tribal lands, including telehealth, distance learning, affordability, and digital inclusion initiatives. The program seeks to improve quality of life, spur economic development, and create opportunities for remote employment, online entrepreneurship, remote learning, and telehealth by expanding broadband access and by providing digital training and inclusion programs to Native American communities.
Interactive Map of Projects Funded by the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
Learn more at Internet for All.
On June 3, 2021, the NTIA announced the TBCP. The TBCP is meant to provide grants to assist Tribes to build broadband infrastructure, promote digital inclusion and literacy, and also help to establish affordability programs. Please see our earlier work on the TBCP and our Tribal Technology Assessment for more information on the digital divide in Tribal communities.
Learn about Tribal broadband networks, where they are, policies that impact them and what specific Tribal Nations are doing.
FCC releases communications marketplace report
The FCC released its 2024 communications marketplace report on Dec. 31, 2024, which evaluates competition to deliver voice, video, audio and data services among providers of telecommunications, mobile service, satellite communications, internet service providers and other providers. The FCC noted data from its Broadband Data Collection were used for the first time in this report. Regarding the fixed broadband services market, the FCC said as of December 2023, approximately 66% of households had at least two options for services meeting at least a 100/20 Mbps speed threshold, and approximately 7% of households had at least two options for services meeting at least a 940/500 Mbps speed threshold. The FCC also noted pricing is a difficult metric to capture, as it varies with product characteristics and can change over time or with bundled offerings. The FCC said the report provides a snapshot of prices for internet-only packages and the data show generally prices increase as broadband speeds increase regardless of the last-mile technology.
Full Report HERE