February 2, 2022 10:50 a.m. 

Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have announced that the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians have earned $500,000 in federal funds for work on planning activities for broadband infrastructure connection, construction and service deployment.

Wyden said, “Tribes in Oregon and nationwide need modern and reliable broadband connections so that schoolchildren can learn, small businesses can buy and sell goods, and everybody can have access to tele-health”.

Merkley said, “Far too often, tribal reservations are burdened by limited broadband infrastructure, which impacts the success of small businesses and student’s ability to succeed in schools”.

A release said the money for the tribes is from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. The grant will be used for a planning study to improve broadband for underserved Native American households, businesses and community anchor institutions in the greater Siletz area.