Prior to the new cell tower, the Cherokee community had to drive more than 10 miles to get mobile cell service
Recently, AT&T tapped into federal funding from the American Rescue Plan to install a new cell tower in Kenwood, Oklahoma, improving connectivity access for the Cherokee Nation in the area. This week, Josh Davis, a Cherokee Nation Citizen but also the client solutions executive for the public sector at AT&T, published a blog that further discussed why projects like this are so critical for hard-to-reach citizens.
Davis first explained that prior to the new cell tower going up, the Cherokee community had to drive more than 10 miles to get mobile cell service. Now, the community not only has access to AT&T’s 5G network, but Cherokee Nation first responders also have coverage on the carrier’s public safely network FirstNet.
“Building out FirstNet in all 35 states where federally recognized tribes are located, including Oklahoma, is one way we’ve increased coverage by more than 40% on federally recognized tribal lands,” Davis added in his blog. “This will enhance the lives of Cherokee citizens in ways that many people couldn’t even imagine. I am very passionate about helping to bring connectivity to all members of the Cherokee Nation, no matter where they live on our land. This new cell tower is a major step for our community but it’s also just the beginning. We’re creating a world where our community can uphold our history while keeping a forward-thinking mindset to adapt to new technology.”
The American Rescue Plan was signed into law by President Joe Biden in March 2021 and is a $3.2 trillion relief package that included about $7 billion for various broadband-related programs. The plan specifically allows for states to use the money “to make necessary investments in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure.” The Treasury Department is also administering a separate, $10 billion Capital Projects Fund for states, territories and tribal governments for capital projects and “the ancillary costs needed to put the capital assets in use,” for projects that are “critical in nature, providing connectivity for those who lack it,” the Treasury says, adding that the Capital Projects Fund “allows for investment in high-quality broadband as well as other connectivity infrastructure, devices, and equipment.” The agency will begin accepting applications for review this summer.
“The word connect has a lot of meaning to me. As a Cherokee citizen, nothing is more important than staying connected with one another and preserving our culture and traditions that we hold so close,” wrote Davis. “As an AT&T employee, I am proud that our purpose is to connect people to greater possibility.”
