With more and more services now requiring online connectivity, having a high-speed internet connection is essential for many everyday tasks. Living in a metropolitan area, this is not an issue; however, for Indigenous communities, having access to high-speed internet is not always guaranteed. In fact, approximately 628,000 Indigenous households are without internet while others have opted to set up, run and manage their own internet networks, ranging from basic internet connectivity and fiber optic cable connections.
Typically, internet service providers (ISPs) select an area to offer coverage and build the infrastructure themselves to support their services. Because the equipment to provide high-speed internet can be costly, ISPs prefer to centralize their coverage in areas with high demand, which often leaves rural areas with limited options.
To increase high-speed internet access for rural and Indigenous communities, Denver-based internet provider Magellan secured $24.9 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Service ReConnect grant program.
Magellan plans to use the capital to expand internet access for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, a 49,000-member Indigenous community in Michigan.
“The need for broadband is critical for tribal entities, and we are honored to work with the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe to bring their members broadband service,” John Honker, Magellan president and CEO, said in a statement. “Our team’s extensive experience in grant procurement, design and engineering and construction and project management services will play a crucial role in bringing life-changing fiber broadband services to those communities.”
With the grant, Magellan will install infrastructure to support 1 Gbps broadband service in the community. Construction for the project is set to begin in early 2023.
