Trust needed just as much as technology to close Tribal broadband gap

Broadband offers an economic lifeline for residents on Tribal lands, but face time with local officials is required just as much as funding and technological flexibility to make it a reality, according to Muralnet CEO Mariel Triggs. Muralnet was founded in 2017 to help bring internet service to Tribal lands by working with indigenous communities to design, build and develop sustainable plans to operate local fixed and wireless networks. It’s no secret that delivering broadband on Tribal lands presents a number of unique challenges. According to the Federal Communications Commission’s Broadband Deployment Report released in 2021, the “remote, isolated nature of these areas, combined with challenging terrain and lower incomes, increase the cost of network deployment and entry, thereby reducing the profitability of providing service.” That’s a problem for tribes in trying to attract outside investment. But Triggs and Muralnet COO Jose Matanane noted there’s one other element that’s often overlooked by the ISPs and vendors: trust. “You have to build that trust relationship” with Tribal governments and councils, Matanane explained. “Their [ISP/vendor] Tribal engagement is a letter by the VP or somebody like that” but what they should be doing is meeting face-to-face with Tribal leaders. This is especially important for communities which have a history of being on the receiving end of broken promises from the government and other large entities. Triggs continued it’s critical for vendors and other partners to really understand what the tribes are trying to achieve before they try to pitch a solution as a “win-win.” “If you don’t understand what the goals are of the tribe then you can’t make that call,” she said.