The Biden Administration and other Federal and State agencies have sought to correct an injustice to Native Americans: the glaring lack of broadband access to the internet for Indigenous Peoples living on one of the 574 federally recognized Tribes on 334 reservations, in 35 states, on 100 million acres of land.

Native Nations in the US suffer from a high percentage of unserved or under-served in terms of digital access and equity. According to a 2019 study by Dr. Traci Morris of the American Indian Institute at ASU, 18% of reservation residents have no internet access at home, either wireless or wireline. 31% have spotty internet or no connection at home via smartphone.

The Biden Administration’s answer to the problem is the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP), a $3 billion program from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Consolidated Appropriations Act. The program is designed to bring “high-speed Internet to Tribal lands, including telehealth, distance learning, affordability, and digital inclusion initiatives.”

Lost in all the noise and attention of the funding is a key ingredient that should be critical for all Tribal Nations:

Digital Sovereignty.

Digital sovereignty describes a right and ability for the tribe to control its own digital network infrastructure. There is a growing consensus that sovereign network infrastructure is distinct from sovereign data infrastructure. According to Dr. Traci Morris, Executive Director of the American Indian Policy Institute, Indigenous Digital Sovereignty is the umbrella term that overarches Network Sovereignty and Data Sovereignty.

Dr. Traci Morris says network sovereignty refers to building and deploying networks, which is the process of implementing Tribal self-determination policies. Indigenous Digital Sovereignty is the information and the physical means by which that information transfers, governed by a community's policies and codes that control the data, infrastructure, and networks.

Definitions aside, what does it mean to a tribal community weighing the technology options available to them for broadband access today? It means they have a choice.

One choice is to contract with an ISP (Internet Service Provider) or Communications Service Provider (which offers voice services as well as data services), who will provide access to the internet and other services for a fee. This is an external company providing services to the tribe on a fee-for-service basis. If, in the future, the tribal leadership wants different services or better functionality, hopefully, their ISP will be willing and able to provide it for an agreed-upon fee.

Another choice is for the Tribal leadership to design and deploy a private network, specifically (because of the rural environment of most tribal nations) a private wireless network.

A private wireless network (also called a private cellular network) is run specifically for the benefit of the tribal community. Private wireless is deployed by organizations as diverse as schools, enterprises, mines, and municipal governments. In a private cellular network, only authorized users of that organization have access to the network. The organization decides where there will be coverage, how the network will perform, who has access and priority.

Some options for private cellular offer internet access as well as mobile communications. This is a key distinction that every tribal leader should understand. Not all Fixed Wireless Access networks offer mobile communications.

A wireless network built with CBRS technology enables mobility, which provides tribes with much more in terms of service, functionality, and innovation than fixed wireless access (FWA) to homes or buildings. Private cellular networks are well-suited for various devices, use cases, and applications, from gigabit services to Internet of Things (IoT) devices with low power needs.

This kind of network can be used to supplement a current network, or to build out a cost-effective, standalone network where no existing infrastructure exists.

For tribal communities with multiple needs and requirements from one network, private cellular provides flexibility, adding new services and more that a fixed access network, fiber or wireless, cannot do.

How is Private Cellular Different from Public Cellular?

We are all familiar with 4G and 5G cellular networks. The difference between public and private cellular networks resides in who has a license or priority access to the wireless spectrum and who owns and operates the network's base stations and infrastructure. With public cellular networks, the mobile network operator (MNO) owns and operates the spectrum and the network infrastructure.

In a private cellular network, the tribe is the network operator, which may be an important consideration for a tribe’s position on self-determination.

Private cellular is like a scaled-down version of a public cellular network, except the tribal authority controls access, security, and quality of service with little to no recurring payments to carriers. Private cellular networks utilize the same Radio Access Network (RAN) technology similarly, evolved packet core servers, licensed mobile spectrum (on a unique sharing basis) and devices configured for this network.

Systems Integrators Are Key to the Private Network

As was said earlier, Tribal Nations may want to apply for funding directly and create their own broadband networks that they construct, manage, and maintain. Some Federal programs require that grant applicants demonstrate their ability to create networks successfully, which can be difficult for first-time entrants.

That’s why an experienced Systems Integrator is important in the network design’s strategic planning and possibly the network’s ongoing operation. An experienced Systems Integrator like BearCom is not a technology vendor. The Systems Integrator doesn’t specify one piece of radio or customer-premise equipment because that’s what they sell; they specify what works best for each tribe and each tribal community.

BearCom advises their tribal customers to use their network to improve the community. It’s a mistake to think of the network as a one-off piece of technology to provide internet access. Tribal leaders should consider this technology investment and the network a living solution that improves the community today – and over time.

Build the Next Generation Tribal Network Right the First Time

There has never been a better moment for Tribal Nations to bring broadband to their members. The federal and state funds earmarked for broadband expansion are at truly historic levels as the United States government seeks to make broadband access a reality for even the most remote rural communities.

But more is needed to use these transformational funding opportunities to build for today. For tribal nations specifically, it’s important to develop a future-proofed network against new uses, new needs, and new coverage requirements that tribes will need tomorrow and into the future. Control over that destiny is best positioned in the hands of the tribal nation itself.