Tribes Must Be Ready to Challenge State Broadband Maps: Tribal Ready
Tribes needs to be prepared to approach states on what coverage data is not included in state maps.
WASHINGTON, May 31, 2023 – Tribal governments should gather broadband coverage data for the state mapping process, said Joe Valandra, CEO of newly formed Native American-owned data company Tribal Ready at a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event Wednesday.
Historically, tribal data has been excluded or misinterpreted in broadband maps, he said. The $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program will be allocated to subgrantees by state governments according to state broadband maps.
Tribal governments need to be prepared to approach the state with a data-driven argument about what coverage data is not included in the state map and what changes need to be made, said Valandra.
In turn, state broadband offices need to listen to tribes, added Megan Beresford, director of broadband programs at grant writing company Learn Design Apply.
The $3-billion Tribal Connectivity Program of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration received over $5 billion in grant requests from its application process last year. BEAD allocations, expected to be announced by the end of June, can play a part in addressing the undersubscription of funds to tribal programs, said E.J. John, senior research analyst at the American Indian Policy Institute.
Other federal programs can also support tribal connectivity, said Beresford. The Affordable Connectivity Program allows eligible low-income households to get a discount on broadband of up to $75 per month on tribal lands.
The NTIA announced in May nine new Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program grants of $500,000 each, bringing the program’s total amount disbursed to $1.77 billion.
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Wednesday, May 31, 2023 – Tribal Broadband Deployment
As the NTIA continues to issue awards from the first round of the $3 billion Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, how are the funded projects progressing? How will they interact with the other ongoing broadband initiatives, such as the Middle Mile and Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Programs?
Panelists
- Lori Adams, Vice President of Broadband Policy & Funding Strategy, Nokia
- Joe Valandra, CEO and President, Tribal Ready
- Megan Beresford, Director of Broadband Programs, Learn Design Apply
- E.J. John, Senior Research Analyst, American Indian Policy Institute
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Panelist resources
As senior director of broadband policy and funding strategy, Lori Adams is a key member of the Nokia Government Affairs Americas Team. She is responsible for developing strategies and tools to enable increased company participation in state, federal, and international programs supporting infrastructure deployment by several of Nokia’s business organizations. Additionally, she focuses on external government relations and communications with stakeholders at all levels of government through direct engagement, filings, and participation in public forums.
Before leading Tribal Ready, Joe Valandra served as the executive director of the Native American Contractors Association (NACA). He also served as the managing director of VAdvisors, LLC, a specialty advisory firm in Washington, DC, and as the chief of staff for the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), a federal regulatory agency with Indian gaming oversight responsibilities. Joe has served in senior executive roles in private and public sectors, including as a board member of numerous companies in multiple industries.
Megan Beresford is the director of broadband programs at Learn Design Apply Inc (LDA). She joined the company mid-pandemic as the digital divide became glaringly evident. Since then, she and her team have helped states, public entities, tribes, and private internet service providers secure over $300 million in broadband infrastructure and digital equity funding.
E.J. John is the senior research analyst at the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University. He is a member of the Navajo Nation who uses his experience working in Tribal government and policy research to promote digital equity for Tribal communities.
Drew Clark (moderator) is CEO of Breakfast Media LLC. He has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing campaign for broadband data. As Editor and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media company advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.
Painting by Paul Cézanne used with permission
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