Earlier this year, the Office of Broadband Development released data and maps on broadband coverage of tribal areas. The numbers are high level or maybe more reflective than exact but it’s a great start on getting a handle on what’s happening in tribal areas. I thought I’d do a profile of each area, much like I have done for Minnesota Counties. Here is Fond du Lac Reservation

Info on Access/Households:

• Number of households (2010 estimate): 1530
• Percent Wireline Broadband 2022 speed goal (25/3): 29.99
• Percent Wireline Broadband 2026 speed goal (100/20): 19.50

Fond du Lac has been working on better broadband (fiber plans) for years. They have partnered with the Blandin Foundation and the latest news (Fall 2018) is that they formed a broadband and have an ambitious plan…

The band’s ambitious plan is to provide fiber-to-home high-speed broadband internet service to more than 1,800 homes, and anyone who lives in the network’s roughly 120-square mile service area, by 2020 — both band members and non-members alike.

Service is expected to begin at around $50 a month. People who live below the poverty line — which includes about a third of people living on the reservation — will qualify for subsidized rates.

They received $2 million from the USDA and $600,000 from HUD for the network.

Leading up to this FTTH network and with help from the Blandin Foundation, Fond du Lac built a wireless network around the reservation. They also worked with Blandin as a Blandin Broadband Community member. They had a range of projects from ebusiness training and an app development camp for kids.

Learn more about Fond du Lac demographics from Center for Indian Country Development. (Data extends beyond MN.)