American Indian and Alaska Natives in Tribal Areas Have Among Lowest Rates of High-Speed Internet Access

American Indian and Alaska Natives living in tribal areas have among the nation’s lowest rates of high-speed internet access in the United States. The Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2021 report highlights key estimates of computer ownership and broadband access across the country, including, for the first time, in tribal areas. Compared to the national average of 90% in 2021, 84% of American Indian and Alaska Native households and 71% of American Indian and Alaska Native households on tribal land had broadband access, according to the American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates. The “digital divide” is commonly defined as the gap between households with high-speed (broadband) internet access and those without. Research indicates those most affected by this divide or least likely to have internet access are people with disabilities, those 65 years and over, and those living in rural areas, among others. Some of those factors may play a role in tribal areas’ internet access. For example, 45% of tribal households were in rural areas compared to 19% of nontribal households, and rural tribal households had a lower share (80%) of broadband subscriptions than urban tribal households (88%). In comparison, the urban-rural connectivity gap was smaller between rural (87%) and urban (91%) households in nontribal areas.