Traci Morris

Tribal Digital Sovereignty has emerged as a definitive governance framework for Tribal Nations, evolving from decades of work by scholars and practitioners at the intersection of federal Indian law, telecommunications, digital equity, and tribal self-determination. The COVID-19 pandemic served as a pivotal catalyst for this evolution, recasting broadband from a luxury to an essential lifeline and exposing deep-seated disparities in connectivity.

Congress is actively working to finalize this year’s federal budget bill, referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Act reflects the Trump Administration’s budget and policy priorities for Fiscal Year 2025, including many related to wireless spectrum. In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission took landmark steps to introduce the innovative Citizens Broadband Radio Service band.

Federal data continues to show tribal lands are the least connected areas of the country. This survey found that residents on tribal lands are predominantly using smartphones to access the internet, while many are also accessing it through public Wi-Fi or at a friend/relative’s house. However, the data should not be interpreted or used to defend “mobile only” as the singular solution to providing internet service. In this study 50% of respondents stated that their internet use was limited because they did not have enough data in their cell phone plan.