The Osage Nation hosted national and state leaders in the broadband industry last week for a groundbreaking on its NTIA broadband expansion projects. The event held at Wakon Iron Hall in Pawhuska kicked off construction funded by $40.6 million in federal grants to the Osage Nation to build out high-speed fiber optic broadband throughout the Osage Nation. Special guests included Tom Perez, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
“High-speed internet is like water,” said Perez. “It’s a critical public necessity that needs to be affordable and accessible to everyone. That’s why the Biden-Harris Administration has invested $90 billion to ensure communities across the country, especially rural areas and Tribal nations like Osage Nation that have frequently been left behind, are connected to the pipeline to the opportunity that reliable internet provides.”
NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson hosted a roundtable discussion featuring Osage Nation staff members and Osage residents. The panel was organized for Davidson to hear firsthand how broadband would impact the Osage Nation, stressing that their goal at NTIA is to create a “future–proof network.”
The panel discussion was followed by a tour of broadband equipment supplier Wahzhazhe Connect’s facilities. Dave Madden, Wahzhazhe Connect’s Warehouse Manager, shared how they maintain their extensive broadband equipment inventory.
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