Commnet’s Sacred Wind Acquisition Would Unite Two Tribal Focused Providers

Commnet Broadband plans to acquire Sacred Wind Enterprises, a move that would unite two broadband providers focused on serving tribal areas. Commnet Broadband, a subsidiary of ATN International, traditionally has focused on the wholesale market in tribal and other rural areas, but more recently has begun expanding its network to serve consumers and businesses directly. Sacred Wind, founded in 2006, provides fixed wireless and fiber broadband to the Navajo Nation and neighboring areas of New Mexico. The company won funding through the Connect America Fund (CAF II) auction and is a partner with Microsoft in Microsoft’s Airband initiative, which is focused on bringing connectivity, relying in large part on TV white spaces spectrum, to unserved rural areas. The Commnet Sacred Wind acquisition requires Federal Communications Commission and other approvals.