Native American Reservation “Wired” For the Digital Age

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Some South Dakota Native American reservations are more “tethered” to the wireless world than you might think. Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Telephone Authority (CRST) in Eagle Butte stands out, not only locally but nationally, for the millions of dollars invested in recent years to deploy fiber optic connectivity to every home and business in its territory, according to an SDN Communications blog. In fact, CRST has had 100 percent fiber connectivity since 2016.

Even more notable, is that General Manager Mona Thompson and her employees got it done on time and under budget. The project began with a $37.8 million U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utility Service loan in 2009; Thompson completed the project for $29 million.

2019 marks the 61st year for CRST, the nation’s first tribally-owned telephone company.  Its technology and financial story is sometimes lost, even on its customers, according to the account. 

“They think everyone has fiber. They don’t fully understand how big of a deal this is and that some city populations don’t have that kind of connection,” Thompson says.

However,  Zach Ducheneaux, a Cheyenne River tribal member who runs a third-generation cattle and Quarter Horse ranch, is one customer who doesn’t take it for granted. The family businesses use the internet speed to access software in the cloud and stream videos, which enables some family members with additional jobs that require reliable connectivity, to work remotely, reported SDN Communications. The ranch is also a “vacation experience” destination, so staying connected to the rest of the world is important.

“I can’t imagine another rural place with fiber to four places 45 miles from the central office,” Ducheneaux says. “It’s quite the feat.”

Additionally, Thompson passionately believes the high-speed fiber connections will be a tool for taking her fellow tribal members out of poverty. “Our fiber optics give them the capacity to get into telemedicine for improved health, homeschooling, and even higher education. It keeps them connected to the rest of the world,” she says.  Comments? Email Us.

February 18, 2019

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.