Native American Broadband Mapping Initiative

The Challenge: 

To identify the truth about the broadband blind spots that exist in and around Indian Country

What is a broadband blind spot?

In the United States and other countries, many areas lack access to broadband (high-speed) internet service, limiting access to slower “dial-up” technology.  Anecdotal information suggests that, on tribal lands, broadband coverage is less than 10% per capita, and may be as low as 4% – lower than in many developing countries.

Why does broadband technology matter?

Broadband blind spots matter because they contribute to a persistent communication gap that hinders development.  In today’s economy, reliable access to high speed internet and telecommunication is essential for business and economic development, efficiency, and effectiveness.  Broadband Internet has been available for 20 years; over this time broadband has become a key component to federal, state, local, and tribal governments, most sectors of the economy, and an increasing number of households. The absence of broadband Internet and telecommunication inhibits tribal sovereignty, self-governance, and most components of strategic plans (e.g., healthcare, education, transportation, commerce).

Project Objectives

NAC has received a grant from the US Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to work alongside the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) to identify broadband gaps in Indian country and to improve the quality of available broadband information.  Specific objectives include:

1. Assemble data available from key tribal lands and assess for accuracy and needed updates
2. Identify key stakeholders in broadband access throughout Indian country and solicit information sharing with them
3. Create online mapping and self-reporting tools to be completed in conjunction with tribes, tribal consortia, states and other stakeholders
4. Assist in the dissemination of broadband access to tribes, states, and other stakeholders through NTIA.

How To Get There – Action Steps:

• Collecting data to establish a baseline of most recent known information regarding the state of broadband access in Indian Country
• Identifying barriers to past, present, and future collection of broadband access data in Indian country
•  Work with tribal leaders to identify ways to overcome these barriers and collect valid broadband access information for all of Indian country.
  NTIA Introduction Letter

Broadband Key Terms

Broadband

The ability to access the Internet at modern high speeds networks such as 3G or 4G from your computer or mobile device.  Internet service providers often define broadband as any connection that provides more bandwidth than dial-up.

Uplink

When using a smart phone, laptop or tablet and subscribe to a broadband service, your device connects to the Internet through towers that send/receive signals. When your mobile device uploads (or sends), data to a server through one of these towers, this is the Internet uplink part of the networking process.

Downlink

Conversely, this the connection from the Internet server back to your device (smart phone, lap top or tablet).

Speed tests

Pings your connection to indicate whether you truly have broadband speed or something less.  For more, go to www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/broadband-speed

Highly Skilled Technical Team

Native American Capital, LLC (NAC)

• Heading outreach and promotion efforts
• Will build database of contacts for data collection
• Report to the CIT (Center for Innovative Technology)

VA Geographic Information Network (VGIN)

• Pull in existing broadband availability data
• In conjunction with CIT, work with tribal providers to collect data
• Provide online mapping interface & tools

Virginia Tech Center for Geospatial Information Technology (CGIT)

• Modeled estimates for wireless coverage
• Map books for QA/QC

Opinion Leaders

• NCAI (National Congress of American Indians)
• NTTA (National Tribal Telecom Association)
• Reznet News
• Indian Voices
• NCAIED (National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development)

Completed Feasibility Study

Three Stages

1. Assess latest broadband landscape using existing literature and conferences
2. Interview leading broadband experts, tribal officials, providers and other broadband stakeholders in Indian country
3. Identify key findings and develop Actionable Recommendations for NTIA

Anticipated Study Findings

1)   Existence and persistence of wide-scale Digital Divide

• Key Problem – LITTLE MEANINGFUL DATA. Few small carriers, little or no coverage by large carriers, inaccurate and unavailable data held by large carriers

2)   Continued real barriers to access

• Varied, predominantly remotely located landscape
• Developing economies – poverty and physically challenging terrain
• Residential Services most severely impacted – Little incentive for providers to existing customers (e.g., casinos, clinics) to expand services
• Regulatory and licensure issues due to complex relationships with State or local governments

3)   Broadband strategic ingredient to tribal sovereignty, self-governance, business, economic, and development

• See model – importance of interaction
• Avoidable failures in planning and execution hinge on broadband – example – state of the art telemedicine equipment for clinics cannot function without access

4)   Failure of conventional data collection

• Initial attempts generally failed to consult and collaborate with tribes
• Overly technical language alienates key players
• Emerging leaders exist who have successfully overcome the barriers serve as an example of best practices

Recommendations  – new methodology for Indian Country

1. Build “quick and dirty” broadband snapshot with available map data by merging data from the National Broadband Map and overlaying known Native American telecom provider information [insert map Broadband Coverage Maps Working Draft.]
2. Leverage multiple approaches to increase likelihood of success
3. Establish direct, constant contact with primary stakeholders on the ground
4. Build credibility via Native American opinion leaders
5. Establish operating alliances and agency partnerships
6. Lead with multi-pronged data collection plan that prioritizes regions
7. Create Indian Country-facing identify for data collection
8. Pursue opportunistic data collection approach
9. Work within flexible timelines during collection period

For a complete copy of the Feasibilty Study, please contact Dr. Joseph L. Falkson at JFalkson@NativeAmericanCapital.com

MAPPING RESOURCES AND TOOLS

Got broadband gaps on your tribal lands?  Below is a set of tools and resources for those who prefer to work through an interactive Do It Yourself (DIY) approach.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RESOURCES

1) The National Broadband Map was launched on February 17, 2011 and it is a tool to search, analyze and map broadband availability across the United States. This resource is available at the link below.

www.broadbandmap.gov

2) The FCC offers a tool that allows users to test your broadband connection. To test a broadband connection, please click on the link below; enter the location/address where you are accessing the internet and then click “Go.”

FCC Broadband Connection Test Tool

3) The USDA also offers a rural broadband mapping tool:

http://broadbandsearch.sc.egov.usda.gov/

The CIT enables users to check the availability of broadband providers and other features, using a state of Virginia broadband mapping program. To get started now or for additional information regarding this resource, please refer to the link below.

http://gismaps.vita.virginia.gov/broadband/

FREE MAPPING AND PERFORMANCE PROVIDERS

1. Free map maker from Google:

g.co/mapmaker

2. Open Signal Maps offers a crowd sourcing cell signal strength app:

  http://opensignal.com/

3. Speed data testing by MLab:

http://www.measurementlab.net/

4. Trial data network performance dashboard for Android apps (by Mobile Pulse):

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobilepulseve

5. For ready-made geospatial apps, consider Fulcrum app (not necessarily free).

http://fulcrumapp.com/apps/

6. For custom made geospatial apps, consider Spatial Networks development services:

http://spatialnetworks.com/

7. Application called CalSpeed measures mobile broadband and is available on Google Play (Android app store) with a 4G/LTE phone required:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.ca.cpuc.calspeed.android&hl=en

Note – Cali PUC app is available on Google Play (app store), and is briefly described here:

http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Telco/Information+for+providing+service/Broadband+Availability+Maps.htm

Contact us – Have any new ideas and/or resources for us to share?  Need help with your broadband mapping effort?  Please direct inquiries to Marco Rubin at mrubin@nativeamericancapital.com.

Caveat – By posting these links, Native American Capital, LLC is not endorsing any of these vendors, providers or sources.  Rather, these presented as conveniences for user/tribal consideration and are to be used at one’s own risk.

Challenges and Risks

There is an historic opportunity with clear attendant risks to precisely map dynamic broadband coverage along with what is presumed to be predominantly large scale service coverage gaps in Indian Country owing to severely underdeveloped infrastructure.