UPDATE After being granted extra time needed to operate around pandemic conditions, tribal advocates working with Nokia have devised a plan to combine their resources to bring connectivity to a Native population spread out across four states. The 4.9G/LTE and 5G wireless access will benefit the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North and South Dakota, Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes in Oklahoma, and a Native population in California, reports TechRepublic.com.
“It’s a really a cool combination of good government here, bringing money in to help people and NewCore enabling that and making it happen,” Ed Cholerton, senior vice president of customer experience for Nokia North America said. In this instance, Nokia partnered with NewCore Wireless, a company that specializes in working with rural carriers.
Educational Broadband Service spectrum was awarded to the tribes by the FCC and works in conjunction with the 2.5GHz band of spectrum offered by the Tribal EBS program. The mid-band spectrum is compatible with most mobile phones and support equipment and is easily adaptable for 5G. Nokia was able to use a platform originally designed for edge computing and pair it with the components available on tribal lands. CARES network funding was the monetary source for the collaboration.
“It has not only allowed us to provide internet to the tribal emergency programs, but also to the tribal citizens within our service area,” said Governor Reggie Wassana, representing the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.
“This is critical for the well-being of our people, especially during the pandemic where information about mass testing or vaccinations needs to be shared in real time,” stated John Pretty Bear, Councilman for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s Cannonball District.
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