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Installing and maintaining broadband internet on rural reservations is not cost effective. That’s why access to broadband on tribal land lags behind cities and even other rural areas. But some innovative companies are trying out new technologies and are spurring the federal government to update policies and offer incentives to expand into areas that have not been feasible before. Internet access is necessary for commerce, education and economic development. We’ll be live at the state of New Mexico’s first-ever Rural Networks Conference to hear how tribally-owned telecommunications companies are overcoming barriers to bring high speed internet to Native America.
Guests:
Jonathan Nez (Navajo) – President of the Navajo Nation
Cristopher Becenti (Navajo) – executive director of the Navajo Nation Telecommunications Regulatory Commission
Theresa Becenti-Aguilar (Navajo Nation ) – New Mexico Public Regulation Commissioner representing district 4
Godfrey Enjady (Mescalero Apache) – general manager for the Mescalero Apache Telecom Inc. and president of the National Tribal Telephone Association
John Badal – president and CEO of Sacred Wind Communications Inc.
Break Music: Smoke Dance One (feat. Frazer Sundown) (song) DJ Shub (artist) PowWowStep (EP)
Cost for rural internet seems to be an issue many Telecommuncation providers are taking advantage of which hinders our sovereignty. Please work on a policy to allow providers to bring down their costs. $100 for a 1MB line is too much money for our Navajo people.
I agree. Our company, Sacred Wind provides 50 Mbps for far less than that. And, we don’t even offer anything as low as 1Mbps. Our lowest speed is 10Mbps at $55.00. Our low income customers who qualify for the federal Tribal Lifeline rate receive a discount that cuts that rate in half.