On October 8th and 9th, community leaders and broadband experts convened in Oklahoma City for the second annual Connected Oklahoma rural broadband summit, hosted by the Cooperative Broadband Coalition.
The event kicked off with an announcement from Sac and Fox Nation and Centranet, a fiber subsidiary of Central Rural Electric Cooperative that provides high-speed internet in seven counties across north-central Oklahoma. Using a $35.8 million grant awarded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Sac and Fox Nation residents will have access to fiber to the home using Centranet’s fiber network. During the Summit, Nokia partnered with Centranet and Sac and Fox Nation for a demonstration of its 50 Gbps pilot program.
In a press release, Angela Gasper, Acting Principal Chief, Sac and Fox Nation said:
“Tribal lands are some of the least connected territories in the U.S. Not having access to broadband creates economic hardships and keeps us from entering the digital economy. The deployment of this new fiber optic network with Centranet LLC and the availability of high-speed broadband will make Sac and Fox Nation a gig-nation and take us into the next era of information technology.”
Along with partnerships supporting infrastructure deployment, ongoing collaborations between Brian Whitacre at Oklahoma State University and libraries across the state provide hotspot access for rural residents. Program supporters include organizations like AARP, which recognize how important a home Internet connection is for all residents, especially those in rural areas where residents have access to fewer specialized services.
In April, NTIA announced that Oklahoma’s Digital Equity Plan was accepted. Likewise, NTIA accepted Oklahoma’s Internet For All proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program on August 1, 2024. With over $797 million available for broadband across the state, teamwork remains as critical as ever for the Sooner State. During a panel on middle mile networks, Trey Hall, Senior Consultant for Business Development at Ciena left attendees with a key takeaway that resonates now more than ever: “We ALL need each other.”
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