Expanding Broadband Access Connects the Cherokee Past and Future

In the modern world, high-speed internet access has become an essential utility, just like water, gas and electricity. All those living on the Cherokee Nation Reservation need the ability to participate in the digital economy. Many Americans now take for granted services like telehealth, remote work and access to the vast amount of information and resources for learning and communication online. Unfortunately, broadband access on tribal reservations has badly lagged behind the rest of the country. That’s why we were so pleased that Cherokee Nation was awarded a $34 million federal grant through the US Commerce Department’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. The funding comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and will be used to install fiber optic lines and telecommunication infrastructure for high-speed internet service to reach rural households. More than 6,000 Cherokee households will soon be connected to their tribe, language, services, and family. Tribes like the Cherokee Nation are in the best position to know the needs of our communities. With federal dollars and Cherokee hard work and expertise, we are building the digital infrastructure to have a Cherokee Nation Reservation where both traditional culture and modern economic opportunities can thrive. Broadband access can be the bridge between our past and our future.

[Chuck Hoskin is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.]