On January 9, 2019, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report on the status of broadband deployment on Tribal Lands and Federal programs that support that effort. The CRS report states that “…Tribal areas and communities continue to lag behind other areas and segments of American society with respect to broadband and telecommunications services.” The report further states that the E-rate program helps to support the schools and libraries on Tribal lands and according to a Funds For Learning analysis, since FY 2015, the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education requested $50.6 million in E-rate support for Tribal institutions.
The full CRS Tribal Lands Broadband Deployment report can be viewed here.