Navajo Nation Council Approves $244.6 million Broadband Investment

July 9, 2026 – The Navajo Nation Council approved a $244.6 million broadband investment Thursday. 

The legislation, approved on July 22 with 21 in favor and none opposed, pairs matching funds for projects to be administered under the federal Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment program, with a plan to deploy Starlink satellite service as an interim solution while fiber infrastructure and 5G networks are expanded.

The investment advances the Navajo Nation Broadband Development Plan, which is designed to establish the infrastructure foundation for BEAD projects and expand fifth-generation wireless service across 58 of its chapters in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.

The plan calls for the construction of approximately 1,265 miles of middle-mile fiber connecting existing and new telecommunications towers, along with more than 78 new tower sites needed to provide macro 5G coverage. Only 15-20% of existing towers are currently located near or connected to fiber backhaul.

An additional 270 miles of middle-mile fiber is planned to extend connectivity to underserved chapter houses - the local government centers that serve as administrative hubs for Navajo communities. Currently, 52 chapters are connected to fiber infrastructure, while 58 remain without fiber connectivity.

The remaining 58 chapters will receive low Earth orbit satellite internet service through Starlink while fiber networks are extended to those communities. Starlink service is expected to be deployed within 90 days to provide immediate connectivity while long-term fiber construction continues.

The investment also includes matching funds for the federal BEAD program, which is projected to connect approximately 31,000 homes to high-speed internet, with an estimated 6,000 homes expected to be connected by the end of the year.

The Navajo Nation has been provisionally awarded approximately $287 million in BEAD funding, including $148.6 million in Arizona, $111.8 million in New Mexico and $26.6 million in Utah.

The investment combines $75.5 million from the Navajo Nation's fund balance, with $169.1 million in debt financing through the Capital Development Financing Fund, a tribal financing program that provides funding for major infrastructure projects, like broadband, water systems, or roads.

“This measure underscores the need to address the broadband divide that exists on the Navajo Nation,” said Delegate Carl Slater, vice chair of the Navajo Nation Budget and Finance Committee, who sponsored the legislation. 

“Addressing this disparity will impact critical services that include public safety, education, emergency response, and healthcare. But most importantly, it will unlock the economic potential of our entrepreneurial people as we march into the digital age,” Slater said. “I thank my colleagues on the 25th Navajo Nation Council for their support of this historic measure.”

Once certified and delivered to the Office of the President and Vice President, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren will have up to 10 calendar days to act on the resolution.

The funding builds on a $77.8 million middle-mile infrastructure allocation approved by the Navajo Nation Council in 2024.