photo courtesy of Mississippi Band of Choctaw IndiansTribal leaders and elected officials gathered Aug. 18 to announce an $8.43 million grant that will be used to expand broadband access throughout Tribal lands. Pictured are Timothy Thomas, Sr., Tribal Council; Ayodele Okeowa, Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs, NTIA; Wilma Simpson-McMillan, Tribal Council, Tyler McCaughn, State Senator; Randy Rushing, State Representative; Choctaw Indian Princess Cadence Nickey; Andrew Berke, Special Representative for High-Speed Internet; Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben; Michael Ted Evans, State Representative; Andy Gibson, Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce; Gregory Shoemake, Tribal Council

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians announced Friday it had received an $8.43 million grant to expand broadband access across Tribal lands.

In a news release, Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben said internet connectivity is vital for everything from school lessons to utility payments. The grant funds, he said, will be used to bring broadband to areas where internet connectivity has not been possible.

“With many school, business and service operations now being conducted online, the need for broadband internet access is more important than ever,” he said. “The funds from this Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Grant Award will provide direct access to broadband inside homes and pave the way for the expansion of Wi-Fi, emergency services, tribal benefits access and more. We will be making high speed broadband service available where, in many cases, none currently exists.”

The grant was awarded through the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration as one of several new grant programs to bridge the digital divide and expand high speed internet access throughout the country.

Some of the funds from the grant will go to expand internet through the Tribe’s partnership with MaxxSouth Broadband. Through the partnership, MaxxSouth will expand its current broadband system to offer service to more than 2,000 homes across six of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians’ eight tribal communities.

“As we move forward with technology improvements, the grant funds will support the Tribe with much needed resources to finally bridge the digital divide and reach our communities quickly and directly,” Chief Cyrus said. “On behalf of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, I share our gratitude to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for their consideration and recognition of these needs. Chi Yakokilih (Thank you!)”