Tribal leaders are building a better internet from the ground up

Despite creating the predecessor of the modern internet, US broadband access has remained mired in mediocrity for decades, with Americans paying some of the highest prices in the developed world for spotty, slow connections and abysmal customer support. Somewhere between 14 and 42 million Americans lack access to reliable broadband. Another 83 million Americans currently live under a broadband monopoly, with access to just one internet service provider (ISP). This lack of competition results in high prices, spotty coverage, poor customer service and even privacy violations. It’s a problem forged by federal failure and rampant monopolization, evident everywhere from the densest urban streets to the most remote Tribal territories. For the better part of a generation, US internet access has been at the mercy of gatekeepers for whom community welfare, affordability and ubiquitous access were distant afterthoughts. That’s particularly evident across sovereign Tribal territories where a growing roster of communities, tired of waiting for federal policymakers to act, are taking matters into their own hands in a bid to build the decentralized, more equitable networks of tomorrow.