Addressing the Broadband Gap in Indian Country

Bobby Gonzalez is Chairman of the Caddo Nation, a federally recognized Native American tribe in Oklahoma, joined the Fiber Broadband Association for a recent Fiber for Breakfast episode to share his experience with bringing broadband to Indian Country. Less than 68% of tribal people across the United States have access to the internet, Gonzalez noted. “We think, how can that happen in today’s day and age?” he said. “But you go out to the Navajo Nation and in some of the pueblos they still don’t have running water. Some don’t have electricity.” When COVID-19 hit, Gonzalez explained that many tribal communities suffered due to a lack of internet connectivity. “We didn’t have telehealth. People didn’t have internet. People didn’t have access to what’s going on related to COVID-19. The education need, laptops, being able to do work at home--you name it, it was a complete disaster,” Gonzalez reflected.