Kilmer Announces New Federal Broadband Investments for Lower Elwha Klallam, Skokomish Indian Tribes

October 03, 2023

TACOMA, WA - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced a significant investment by the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). NTIA awarded a total of $1 million through the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP), including $500,000 to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and $500,000 to the Skokomish Indian Tribe, both for Broadband Infrastructure Deployment projects.

"For far too long, Native American tribes in our region and across the country have struggled to connect to high-speed, affordable, reliable broadband internet," said Rep. Kilmer. "This announcement of new federal investment in Indian country is huge. It will help the Lower Elwha Klallam and Skokomish Indian Tribes compete for new economic opportunities, empower students to learn, strengthen health outcomes by enabling tele-health opportunities, and bridge the digital divide."

"Internet access allows us to attend medical appointments, sell products and services across the globe, and further our education. But too many members of Tribal communities are cut off from this essential service," said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. "These grants will bring us closer to closing the digital divide and ensure that Tribal communities are connected to the internet and everything it has to offer."

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will utilize its funding to install two communication shelters and initiate site preparations for the future installation of two towers. This strategic groundwork aims to provide broadband access to 268 unserved Tribal households in the foreseeable future.

"The recent events of the pandemic shined a light on the complete lack of affordable, fast, and reliable broadband internet in the Clallam County Region, and more so for the Tribes and communities residing westward of Port Angeles," said Frances Charles, Tribal Chairwoman, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and Ken Giersch, IT Director, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. "It became very apparent for the basic services, like access to telehealth, online education, remote work, and general access. The initial funding from NTIA grant, while greatly appreciated, represents but a small portion of the actual needs of the Tribe to successfully complete our digital equity and broadband projects for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.

"It is imperative that providing the funds to bring in broadband service and education to best utilize it will continue to be made available to Tribes in these rural regions to ensure the broadband projects are successfully completed. The money from this NTIA grant award is going to help start laying out some of the foundation for the overall project that includes extending fiber-to-home services to the lower, middle, and upper reservation lands of the Klallam Tribe. We are hopeful that this grant in combination of additional upcoming NTIA and Washington State funding opportunities, will pull together all the needed resources to complete a full fiber-to-home installation across the Lower Elwha Reservation and provide equal access to broadband for all the Tribal membership."

The Skokomish Indian Tribe's funding will aid in the installation of an antenna for 2.5 GHz Fixed Wireless Coverage. It will also support the purchase and construction of additional wireless infrastructure, ultimately connecting 15 unserved Tribal households, two community anchor institutions, and three Tribal businesses.

"The Skokomish Indian Tribe wants to thank Congressman Kilmer for his support with this project that will help bring this important utility to unserved homes in our community as well as our businesses and institutions which rely on our tribe," said Charles "Guy" Miller, Chairman, Skokomish Tribal Council. "We further want to thank that FCC as it is through the creation of the 2.5 GHz Rural Tribal Window that our Tribe was able to secure the license to operate a portion of the 2.5 GHz band that will allow us to provide full Wi-Fi coverage to our reservation". - Guy Miller, Chairman of the Skokomish Indian Tribe."

The TBCP, a nearly $3 billion grant program, is a cornerstone of the Biden Administration's Internet for All Initiative, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which aims to provide universal internet connectivity across America and focuses on connecting every American - including those living in Indian country - to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service.

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