Tribal Broadband- funding, deploying & sovereignty considerations

Date: 09/20/2023
Start Time: 10:45am
End Time: 11:45am
Room: Palm 1-3
Track: Tribal Government Technology
Speakers: Jeff Little, Godfrey Enjady, Lisa Norton, Rob Strait

Join us for a panel packed full of success with Tribal broadband funding and experience in deploying and operating broadband networks on Tribal lands. This panel will discuss a variety of best practices for accessing Tribal broadband funding and how to be successful once you have received funding. This panel will be moderated by Rob Strait, Partner at Moss Adams in the Communication & Media practice and one of the leading financial and strategic advisors on Tribal broadband funding and operations. He will be joined by several valuable panelists that include Godfrey Enjady, General Manager of Mescalero Apache Telecom Inc., (MATI).  MATI has been providing broadband services since 2000 and recently was awarded $43,943,116 in Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program funding to continue to bridge the digital divide for community members. Godfrey is also President of the National Tribal Telecommunications Association. Lisa Norton is the Chief Administrative Officer of The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, which was recently awarded a $500K Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program planning grant to help start the process of assessing the broadband needs of the community and determining the best path forward. Panelist, David Ackerman works with Native communities to design, build and implement sustainable tribal broadband networks. Our panelists will share their varying experiences in navigating the Tribal broadband funding process and best practices that have helped them in assessing and solving broadband connectivity challenges for their communities and establish and maintain Tribal broadband sovereignty.