Measuring How States and Tribes Are Collaborating in the BEAD Program

Indigenous communities throughout North America continue to face the unfortunate reality of being unserved and underserved in terms of internet access. Despite billions of dollars invested in broadband infrastructure over the past few decades, there are still considerable barriers to closing the digital divide in Indigenous communities. The current investments have the potential to make the coming years among the most productive in solving the problem. The Census Bureau reports that today, approximately 29 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native households on Tribal lands lack access to broadband. Funding alone will not lead to universal adoption of broadband. Meaningful engagement and long-term partnerships are also essential. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes the single largest investment in broadband deployment in the history of the United States. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program allocates $42.5 billion to states to build out broadband infrastructure to every unserved and underserved location in their territories. Funding is just one component of this work. Engagement activities are critical to ensure that broadband deployment is carried out effectively. In other words, effective engagement is vital to the success of the BEAD Program.