Expanding High-Speed Internet in Arizona’s Tribal Lands

More than $100 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the bipartisan infrastructure law, will go to expanding broadband access to Native American Tribes in Arizona, including the Hopi, the Navajo, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. This grant will allow for internet access for populations that have historically been marginalized, with 18 percent of Native Americans in the United States lacking internet access.

Historical context

• More than one-third of people living on Tribal land have no internet service: “A 2018 report by the Federal Communications Commission found that 35% of people living in tribal lands across the U.S. lack internet service. The report noted that the need for home broadband access across Native communities became increasingly apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, when students and workers struggled to find resources for online classes and telework.” – AZ Central, August 30, 2022
• At least 18 percent of people living on Tribal lands, and about 30 percent of people living on rural Tribal lands, lack broadband access: “Nationwide, conservative estimates show more than 18 percent of people living on tribal lands remain unserved by broadband as of 2020, compared to about 4 percent of people in non-tribal areas. For example, in Arizona federal programs have increased broadband access on tribal lands, but that access continues to lag far behind the rest of the state. … In rural areas, where tribal lands are disproportionately located, the gap in broadband access between tribal and non-tribal lands is even greater: approximately 30 percent of people in rural tribal lands lacked broadband access compared to 14 percent in rural non-tribal lands. The gap is likely even greater as our previous work shows that FCC’s data overstate access to broadband, particularly on tribal lands.” – U.S. Government Accountability Office, June 2022

Project summary

• The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allowed a $105 million investment in Tribal infrastructure in Arizona: Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo provided remarks: “Today, the Administration, the Commerce Department, and NTIA are excited to announce more than $105 million in high-speed internet infrastructure grants that are being awarded to five tribes and tribal organizations here in Arizona. … We are proud to award grants to Hopi Telecommunications, Inc., the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, the San Carlos Apache Tribal Council/Triplet Mountain Communications, Inc., and the White Mountain Apache Tribe.” – U.S. Department of Commerce, August 31, 2022
• Additional funding was announced in July: “Arizona will get just under $1 billion in federal funding for high-speed internet access improvement, part of more than $42.45 billion released [June 26] by the Commerce Department. Arizona’s $993.1 million share of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment – or BEAD – program will be managed by the Arizona Commerce Authority, which has been planning since December how it will allocate what Gov. Katie Hobbs called the ‘historic broadband investment.’ … The program, which was funded through the $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021, places specific focus on fostering rural broadband connectivity. Every state got at least $100 million and every territory got at least $25 million, with additional funding based on the state’s or territory’s share of U.S. locations unserved by broadband as well as high-cost unserved locations.” – Cronkite News, June 6, 2023 

Outcomes, improvements, and practical impact

• 33,000 homes will gain internet access: “These grants will connect more than 33,000 homes with high-speed internet through the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.” – U.S. Department of Commerce, August 31, 2022
• Access is being defined as empowering work, education, health monitoring, and economic development:“‘This important Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Award will empower the Pascua Yaqui Tribe to carry out critical capital projects that directly support work, education, and health monitoring on the Reservation utilizing remote options in response to the Coronavirus public health emergency,’ [Pascua Yaqui Tribal Chairman Peter] Yucupicio said in a statement. ‘This funding also will improve the quality of life, spur economic development activity, and create opportunities for remote employment by expanding broadband access to Tribal members in the various Pascua Yaqui communities.’” – Tribal Business News, August 31, 2022 

Economic impact

• Government buildings and businesses will be connected to the internet: “Pascua Yaqui Tribal Chairman Peter Yucupicio, whose reservation is located 16 miles west of Tuscon, Ariz., said in a statement that the infusion of funds will connect the tribe’s 69 government buildings and nine businesses, as well as run fiber cable from its data Center to new housing developments, Tortuga Ranch, Guadalupe and Old Pascua communities.” – Tribal Business News, August 31, 2022
• The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority was granted $50,830,943.87: “The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber, fixed wireless, and 2.5 GHz wireless networks to directly connect 20,827 unserved and underserved Native American households with fiber-to-the-home and/or fixed wireless to the home service up to 1 Gbps/1 Gbps.” – U.S. Department of Commerce, August 30, 2022
• The White Mountain Apache Tribe was granted $24,369,880.00: “The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 3,671 unserved Native American households and 56 unserved Tribal business and community anchor institutions with fiber-to-the-home 1 Gbps/1 Gbps service.” – U.S. Department of Commerce, August 30, 2022
• Triplet Mountain Communications Inc. (San Carlos Apache) was granted $9,927,859: “The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 6,978 unserved Native American households, plus businesses and community anchor institutions, with fiber-to-the-home and/or fixed wireless to the home 25 Mbps/3 Mbps service.” – U.S. Department of Commerce, August 30, 2022
• Hopi Telecommunications Inc. was granted $13,855,000: “The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 1,076 unserved Native American households, plus 18 businesses and 6 community anchor institutions, with qualifying broadband.” – U.S. Department of Commerce, August 30, 2022
• The Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona was granted $6,862,445: “The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber and fixed wireless to directly connect 1,372 unserved Native American households with fixed wireless to the home service of at least 100 Mbps/20 Mbps.” – U.S. Department of Commerce, August 30, 2022

Official supporting statements

• Then-U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ): “Internet access will enable veterans and elders to talk to a specialist with out having to travel five hours each way.” – AZ Central, August 30, 2022
  • “As an advocate in Congress for the twelve tribes of Arizona’s First Congressional District for the past five years, I know just how critical broadband expansion is to improved health care, education, economic development, and quality of life. … These grants will make a huge difference for Indian Country; I was proud to vote in favor of both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and our FY2021 appropriations that created and secured funding for this important program, and look forward to further collaboration with tribal leaders on their broadband needs.” – Internet for All, August 30, 2022
• U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ): “Reliable internet is necessary today for everything from running a business to doing homework. These grants will bring high-speed internet access to tens of thousands of tribal homes, businesses, schools, and libraries. … That’s going to help create jobs and bring new opportunities to Arizona’s tribal communities, and even more help is on the way, thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.” – Internet for All, August 30, 2022

Selected clips

• “Arizona tribes receive $105M from federal tribal broadband connectivity program” – Tribal Business News, August 31, 2022
• “5 Arizona tribes will share $105 million to fund high-speed internet” – AZ Central, August 30, 2022