The Yurok Tribe Received $61 Million Grant to Bring High Speed Internet to Nearly 1,000 homes and 110 Businesses
The Yurok team standing with special representative for broadband Andy Berke. Photo: JPR
Overview
The Yurok Tribe known as Oohl has a mission to exercise the aboriginal and sovereign rights of their people and continue traditions of self-governance, cultural and spiritual preservation, and stewardship of Yurok lands while honoring the Creator, their ancestors, and their descendants. The Tribe is currently the largest in California, with more than 5,000 enrolled members, and their reservation is located in the northwest corner of California, according to their webpage.
The Yurok Tribe is furthering their mission by bringing highly-needed high-speed internet to their people. The Yurok Tribe’s Telecommunications Corporation received a $61 million Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in August 2022. The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is a $3 billion program directed to tribal governments to be used for broadband deployment on tribal lands, as well as for telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion.
Jon Walton, CEO of Yurok Telecom will discuss this project in detail at the CoP informotional session, Unlocking Opportunity: How Developing Tribal Broadband Advances Communities and Business Services Like E-Commerce and Artificial Intelligence.
“I am equally excited about the capacity building and economic development elements of this project. This historic undertaking will further diversify our economic development portfolio and create lasting, living wage jobs for our citizens.
It will also help us address the longstanding disparity in access to affordable, high speed internet services.”
-Yurok Vice Chairman, Frankie Myers
The Project
This project is a continuation of all of the Yurok Tribe’s efforts over the past decade to provide more access to broadband to their people, as written on Yurok Tribe News. One of the foundational efforts in broadband access on the reservation was installing and elevating telecom towers in 2020. The tribe has also partnered with the Klamath River Rural Broadband Initiative (KRRBI) led by the Karuk Tribe.
This project has been one of the largest ever technological advancements in the region, the project will bring high-speed broadband to nearly 1,000 homes, 110 businesses, and 18 anchor institutions.
The Tribe will install 62 miles of middle mile fiber optic cable from Orick to Crescent City as well as last mile spurs extending from the main line to Requa and Klamath Glenn. The installation of the critical infrastructure is projected to produce nearly 200 local jobs in the next few years according to Yurok Tribe News.
This project will change the lives of Yurok Tribal members and community members throughout Yurok ancestral lands in Northern California as highlighted by Joseph L. James, Chairman of the Yurok Tribe. The tribe will also develop commercial-grade telecommunications to serve the Yurok Reservation.
In addition to the fiber optic line, the Tribe will construct seven towers equipped with commercial-grade telecommunications equipment to serve the Yurok Reservation.
Project Impact on Professional Development
This project will uplift and empower tribal and local economies and communities permanently. In partnership with the Yurok Tribal Employment Rights Office, the Tribe will conduct training that will offer tribal citizens the skills, certifications, and experience they need to take advantage of higher-paying jobs within the Tribe and in the private sector. Once the fiber optic cable is installed, the Tribe will offer broadband and interconnection services to residents, businesses, non-profits, and government organizations. The Tribe will also have the ability to lease space and create additional revenue for infrastructure maintenance.
“The Yurok citizens who complete the training will be able pursue career-level jobs to support their families. To me, this is one of the most important parts of this project.
This project will also level the playing field for tribal entrepreneurs, who will be able to market their amazing products online for the first time.”
-Ryan Ray, Yurok Tribal Council Member Ryan Ray, Requa District Representative
View other grants the Tribe received and projects they’re working on with the article U.S. Government Invests Millions in Yurok Tribe’s Infrastructure, Environmental Health, and Economic Development.
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Sources used in this story and news about project:
Yurok Tribe Receives $61 Million Grant For Transformational Broadband Project - Yurok Tribe
Yurok tribe receives $61 million to improve internet access - JPR
Yurok Tribe receives $61 million grant for broadband connectivity program - KRCR
Yurok tribe receives $61 million to improve internet access - Native Philanthropy