Centranet Demos 50 Gig Broadband to Oklahoma Tribal Community

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2024 - A regional internet service provider said it has become the first company to demonstrate ultra-high-speed fiber internet to a tribal community.

Centranet, a subsidiary of Oklahoma-based Central Rural Electric Cooperative, recently demonstrated a 50 Gbps connection to the Sac and Fox Nation in a pilot test. Construction is expected to be completed in 2026.

Centranet, headquartered in Stillwater, Ok., provides broadband access to more than 10,000 locations in North Central Oklahoma.

The demonstration, which used Nokia’s Lightspan fiber solution, was unveiled at the Future of Rural Broadband Showcase on Tuesday. 

The availability of ultra-high-speed broadband access in tribal communities would mark a key turning point in connectivity solutions for indigenous communities, which have historically been underserved.

“At Centranet, we are deeply committed to investing in the future [of] the communities we serve," Centranet President of Fiber and Technology Mark Prather said. "Centranet has deployed 3,300 miles of fiber in north-central Oklahoma in the past three years.”

The full-scale project will be federally funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in Washington, D.C., under its Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.

Ziply Fiber, an ISP based in Kirkland, Wash., has already brought 50 Gbps service to locations in its Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana service areas. The service costs $900 a month.