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Tribal Broadband Bootcamps Help Address 'Historic Gap in Internet Access on Tribal Lands’
What began as a three-day intensive learning experience focused on building and running Tribal Internet networks has become a can’t-miss gathering of broadband-minded Tribal leaders coming together to “shore up historic disparities in connectivity in Indian Country,” as the Associated Press recently reported.
Followers of this site have likely read or heard about ILSR’s deep involvement in the on-going series of Tribal Broadband Bootcamps (TBB) hosted in different Tribal regions several times a year since the initiative began in 2021. Now, word is spreading far beyond Indian Country.
Last week, the Associated Press shined a spotlight on the most recent bootcamp, which last month was once again convened at the southern California ranch of TBB co-founder Matthew Rantanen.
The article, authored by AP reporter Kavish Harjai, provides an inside look at the most recent bootcamp, highlighting an aspect of the digital divide often overlooked in a nation that historically has been either hostile towards Indigenous communities or has treated Native Nations with benign neglect:
“More than 1 in 5 homes on tribal lands lack access to adequate broadband, compared to fewer than one in 10 on non-tribal land in 2024.”
“Tribal nations have struggled to connect to the web for a variety of reasons ranging from living in remote locations to lack of investment by [I]nternet service providers. The lack of service has hampered every aspect of 21st century life, from health care and education access to the ability to start a business and stay in touch with friends and family.”
The AP story captures the vision behind the initiative led by Rantanen and ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks program director and TBB co-founder Christopher Mitchell:
“Ultimately … if broadband expansion is to succeed on tribal lands, it will happen because people understand how to make it work in their communities, and that’s where nuts-and-bolts training sessions like this (Tribal Broadband Bootcamps) come into play.”
Read the full story here.
You can also peruse our own ongoing coverage of the TBB’s here. Or, you can dive into the inspiring and eye-opening journey of the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District (“Building Hoopa Valley’s Digitally Sovereign Future”), which offers a detailed exploration of how the network being built by the northern California Tribe “is fueling local economic growth, enabling long-term cultural preservation, and serving as a national model” here.
Watch a short video on the Tribal Broadband Bootcamps below: