Five Tribal groups in Arizona were awarded more than $105.8 million from the Internet for All project.
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration made the award at a meeting of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona in Arizona, according to an Aug. 30 news release.
“This month the Biden-Harris administration demonstrated that Tribal communities will not be left behind in connecting their communities to affordable and reliable high-speed internet,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in the release.
More than 33,000 families will get the high-speed internet connectivity they need for telemedicine, work and learning through the grants, which will support the deployment of high-speed internet infrastructure, the release reported. Organizations receiving grants include Hopi Telecommunications Inc., Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, San Carlos Apache Tribal Council/Triplet Mountain Communications Inc. and White Mountain Apache Tribe through the Internet for All Initiative's Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said it’s necessary to have reliable internet for everything from running a business to doing homework, the release reported. The grants will bring high-speed internet access to tens of thousands of Tribal homes, businesses, schools and libraries.
“That’s going to help create jobs and bring new opportunities to Arizona’s tribal communities, and even more help is on the way, thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” he said, according to the release.
