There were a few bright spots, but mostly substandard speeds in broadband connectivity available to 110 Tribal Nations, according to Ookla analysis of the communications speeds experienced on the U.S. reservations from Q1 2021 to Q1 2025. The differences between download speeds seem to be impacted by partnerships and geography.
For example, while 19 Tribal communities had median fixed download speeds greater than 300 Mbps, more than a third had median fixed download speeds below 100 Mbps, which is the minimum download speed for broadband connectivity. Similar to fixed, 47 Tribal Nations had median 5G mobile download speeds of less than 100 Mbps, and 12 communities have median mobile download speeds of 300 Mbps or greater.
“Funding and partnerships are critical to successful broadband deployments in Tribal Nations,” Sue Marek, Ookla, wrote. “The Zuni Nation, which shares geography with New Mexico, has exceptionally high median fixed download speeds of 458.1 Mbps. Its partnership with the Continental Divide Electric Cooperative plays a key role in this community’s high broadband speeds.”
Geography seems to be the reason behind some of the mobile data speed discrepancies. Three Tribal Nations, which have the slowest median mobile download speeds, share geographies in remote locations in the state of Alaska. On the other hand, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, located near Minneapolis, recorded high median 5G mobile download speeds of 468.42 Mbps in Q1 2025, which is more than 60 percent faster than the median 5G mobile download speeds of Minnesota.
Progress Being Made in Broadband Buildouts to Tribal Lands
The Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District and the State of California have entered into the first ever Tribal-State middle-mile broadband joint-build agreement.
On August 12, California State and Tribal leaders gathered on Hoopa Valley Tribe ancestral lands to kick off the construction of nearly 23 miles of high-capacity middle-mile broadband infrastructure, which are part of the larger 8,000+ mile network that will provide the backbone for internet services to homes, schools and other unserved locations.
The funding for the Hoopa segment totals $10.25 million, which will be built by the Tribe. State Chief Information Officer and California Dept. of Technology Director Liana Bailey-Crimmins was optimistic that the Hoopa Valley Tribe agreement would lead to more Tribal partnerships and show that statewide connectivity and “Tribal self-determination go hand in hand.”
Also this month, the Fort Belknap Indian Community has announced the advancement of its tribally-owned broadband infrastructure project, bringing high-speed internet to households and businesses across the reservation, according to Indian Gaming.
The Fort Belknap infrastructure project will be funded through the federal NTIA Tribal Connectivity Program Round 2. It will feature fiber optic lines throughout the reservation, which spans over 675,000 acres in north-central Montana and is home to the Aaniiih and Nakoda Tribes. Fiber-to-the-home will connect all tribal members, and the communications towers and maximize coverage.
The network is currently under construction and service will be rolled out in phases, with the initial broadband and cellular services expected to become operational by 2026 and completion targeted for 2028.
