The Cherokee Nation in northeast Oklahoma has launched an $80 million project to improve broadband access across its 7,000-square-mile reservation. This involves building 15 new cell towers to improve internet connectivity in the region. The project aims to meet immediate broadband needs and foster opportunities in health care, education, and business for Cherokee citizens and nearby communities. The project, the tribe’s largest to date for connectivity improvement, is set to be completed in two years.
Previously, the Cherokee Nation successfully improved connectivity in Delaware County by partnering with AT&T to install a cell tower in the Kenwood community. This success has led to plans for new cell towers in 16 communities in the coming years. These towers will be located in Adair, Delaware, Cherokee, and Sequoyah counties, and parts of Mayes County.
This initiative is part of the Cherokee Nation’s wider efforts to promote digital inclusion. In partnership with AT&T, they established the first Connected Learning Center in Catoosa last year. The J.W. Sam-Gadusi building offers internet access and educational resources to Cherokees and other Native citizens with connectivity issues.