A recent Ookla study (Many U.S. Tribal Nations Still Lack Access to Adequate Fixed and Mobile Connectivity) reports…
U.S. Tribal Nations experience some of the biggest gaps when it comes to access to fast and reliable fixed and mobile connectivity. While progress has been made in some Tribal Nations, the connectivity gap for many remains quite large.
According to the FCC’s 2024 data, approximately 23% of residents of Tribal Nations lack access to high-speed internet service, defined as 100 Mbps download speed and 20 Mbps upload speed (100/20 Mbps).
Using Ookla® Speedtest® data, we analyzed the fixed and mobile broadband performance of 110 Tribal Nations in the U.S. from Q1 2021 to Q1 2025 and compared them with the connectivity speeds of the states that share geography with them.
There were some MN highlights…
For example, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community experienced median 5G mobile download speeds of 468.42 Mbps in Q1 2025, which is 64.3% faster than the median 5G mobile download speeds of 285.05 Mbps for Q1 2025 for the state of Minnesota, which shares geography with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Tribal Nation.
Shakopee Mdewakanton also was a top performer in median 5G mobile upload speeds of 36.92 Mbps in Q1 2025, which is more than double Minnesota’s 5G median mobile upload speeds of 14.87 Mbps.
These fast 5G speeds are likely a result of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Tribal Nation’s many gaming and resort ventures, including the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel and the Little Six Casino, which are large employers and generate a lot of revenue for the Tribal Nation, which drive investments in 5G infrastructure.
Leech Lake also ranked top 10 with fastest 5G mobile upload speeds of 17.42.
There are opportunities for improvement with Mille Lacs having the fourth slowest fixed upload speed at 6.21 Mbps.
Here’s the info they did have on some tribal areas in Minnesota…
| Place | Technology | Median Download | Median Upload |
| Fond du Lac | All Fixed | 49.41 | 38.88 |
| Leech Lake | All Fixed | 47.5 | 36.17 |
| Mille Lacs | All Fixed | 56.25 | 5.79 |
| Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux | All Fixed | 201.57 | 204.67 |
| White Earth | All Fixed | 125.2 | 31.5 |
Not included are:
- Bois Forte
- Grand Portage
- Lower Sioux
- Prairie Island
- Red Lake
- Upper Sioux
But hoping to track down more details if Ookla can get/share them.