Kawerak’s Tribal Affairs Program has recently taken to task the goal of assisting Tribes in the region to increasing the reliability,  affordability and performance of internet to their communities. There has been an influx of available grants for projects that address the disparate access in our rural communities, and the Tribal Affairs program is working hard to ensure the communities receive these opportunities. One source of funds is through the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP).  The TBCP is a $3 billion program directed to tribal governments to be used for broadband deployment on tribal lands, as well as for telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion.

Most communities in our region received what was noted as the Equitable Distribution of funds in Round one released by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce (NTIA). Since NTIA only allowed 1 project under one Tribal entity, Kawerak assisted Tribes to apply with Alaska Tribal Spectrum (ATS).

ATS Partner
Native Village of Elim
Chinik Eskimo Community
Native Village of Koyuk
Stebbins Community Association
Native Village of White Mountain
Native Village of Council
Native Village of Diomede
Native Village of Mary’s Igloo
Native Village of Shishmaref
Native Village of Teller
Native Village of Wales

Some Tribes pursued the funding with other entities or individuals (Shaktoolik, Unalakleet, Brevig Mission, King Island, Solomon).

With the restriction on the application to one project per tribal entity, and the limited opportunity to get funding for fiber to St Lawrence Island, with the blessing of the Native Village of Gambell and the Native Village of Savoonga, Kawerak is pursuing what the government is calling the “gold standard” of internet, fiber connectivity.

Kawerak, Inc., with subrecipient Quintillion, submitted the NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) Round 1  grant application for a total project cost of $40,587,497 in September of 2021. Although the application was not awarded the full amount, NTIA did award the project an Equitable Distribution of  $1 million for the project, $500,000 to each Gambell and Savoonga. The awarded funding will allow Kawerak and Quintillion to get started on the project, including engineering, feasibility and sustainability studies, permitting, as well as equipment purchases for the future of the project. The project however, will hopefully not stop there.

On March 22, 2024 a Round 2 application was submitted with hopes of securing further funding for this project. If fully funded, the plan is to bring new broadband capacity to Savoonga and Gambell and the approximately 1,400 tribal members residing there. With the installation of fiber, the community will be able to utilize affordable, reliable broadband services. The Bering Strait Broadband Project would extend Quintillion’s existing subsea fiber network southwest from Nome to St. Lawrence Island. There, terrestrial fiber to the premises (FTTP) will deliver high-speed broadband to all households, businesses, and institutions in these communities.

Proposed Route from Nome to Shishmaref and Gambell

Image: Proposed Route in Quintillion RFP response Source, https://www.quintillionglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024.05.17_Quintillion_Bering-Straits-Broadband-Project_St-Lawrence-Island_RFP_Permitting_v1.1.pdf

The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is a nearly $3 billion grant program and part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All Initiative. The funds are made available from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ($2 billion) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 ($980 million). The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a historic $65 billion in funding to connect everyone in America. Program funding is available to all eligible federally recognized Tribal governments who had a qualifying application. The grants allow for Tribal communities to move forward in planning for future high-speed Internet infrastructure projects or promoting Internet use and adoption.

We are looking forward to working with Gambell and Savoonga on this project, and plan for site visits for community feedback on the project as things move forward.