CHOCTAW, Miss. — The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians recently was awarded a grant from First Nations Development Institute in the amount of $15,000. The grant is part of the Building Digital Technology Capacity in Native American Communities Project.

“This grant allows us to take a major step forward in our efforts to provide complete broadband services on all Tribal lands,” says John Hendrix, MBCI Director of Economic Development. “The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of quality Internet connectivity, especially regarding education and emergency preparedness. We are completely focused on this issue over the next year.”

The grant funds will be used to meet the following specific objectives:

• Apply for all available 2.5 GHz spectrum through the Rural Tribal Window.

• Finalize review of the Network Diagram for the existing fiber-optic network.

• Complete review of OTDR testing for existing fiber-optic infrastructure.

• Gather and submit GIS map data to FCC for trust lands in Lauderdale County Tennessee, which is Tribal land covered by the MBCI.

As one of the United States’ original first nations, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is the only federally recognized American Indian tribe living within the State of Mississippi. With over 11,000 members, Choctaw lands cover over 35,000 acres in 10 counties. Providing permanent, full-time jobs for over 5,000 Tribal-member and non-Indian employees, the Tribe is a major contributor to the state’s economy.