{"id":1148,"date":"2020-09-24T07:53:22","date_gmt":"2020-09-24T12:53:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=1148"},"modified":"2020-10-30T10:43:22","modified_gmt":"2020-10-30T15:43:22","slug":"native-sun-news-today-tribes-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/09\/24\/native-sun-news-today-tribes-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"Native Sun News Today: Tribes work to address lack of internet"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Petra Wilson, Oglala Lakota, of Tribal25.\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n
Broadband internet services in Indian Country<\/div>\r\n
Tribes step up and take command<\/div>\r\n
Thursday, September 24, 2020<\/div>\r\n
By Talli Nauman<\/div>\r\n
Native Sun News Today Health & Environment Editor<\/div>\r\n
nativesunnews.today<\/a><\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nRAPID CITY \u2013 Petra Wilson drew a breath of satisfaction on September 15 when the federal government reported approving 157 applications for tribal entities to take command of rural broadband internet services.

<\/P>\r\nThe Oglala Lakota consultant on Indian education had worked day and night all year to help her tribe and others qualify to become Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensees of their own shares of the wireless spectrum.

<\/P>\r\nAs a liaison between private contractors and tribal representatives, Wilson alerted and assisted officials across Indian country to take advantage of the commission\u2019s unprecedented free offer for tribes to control much of the Educational Broadband Service in the 2.5 gigahertz (GHz) band.

<\/P>\r\nFor Wilson, the issue was \u201chomework inequities\u201d affecting reservation students. \u201cHaving access to reliable connectivity is a necessity, not a luxury anymore,\u201d she told the Native Sun News Today. And, she said, \u201cIt\u2019s going to give tribes control over it.\u201d

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