Reliable high-speed internet is still out of reach for many tribal communities across the country, according to a new report from the Urban Institute.
The report finds that while federal investments have expanded broadband infrastructure in some tribal lands, many Indigenous communities in rural and remote regions still lack reliable high-speed internet access.
Tomi Rajninger, a researcher at the Urban Institute and co-author of the report, said access remains uneven in many parts of Indian Country.
“In certain parts of the country, especially in Indian Country and a lot of rural communities, folks have a lot less access to high speed broadband than other parts of the U.S.,” said Rajninger .
Researchers say geography is one of the biggest barriers.
Urban Institute researcher Gabe Samuels says the location of many tribal communities reflects a long history of relocation policies that continue to shape infrastructure challenges today.
“Because of the historic way where a lot of tribes are relocated, they're often located in maybe more remote rural areas that are physically harder to access, it just kind of compounds the challenge to accessing,” Samuels said.
The report also highlights problems with federal broadband maps, which researchers say can overestimate internet access in tribal areas.
“We heard from interviews and from other research that a lot of times those maps are really overstating the actual state of broadband access,” said Rajninger. “In some cases, a tribe might be listed as having access on these maps and thus be blocked from accessing federal funds to build out infrastructure.”
Rajninger and Samuels both say allowing tribes to manage their own broadband infrastructure will be key to improving access.
