NATIVE NEWS: Red Cliff Breaks Ground on Fiber-to-Home Project

Red Cliff Tribe

Press Release

The Red Cliff Tribe has begun installing 80 miles of fiber optic cable in Gaa-Miskwaabikaang (Red Cliff Reservation) as part of an $8 million grant from the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA). The Tribe was awarded the grant in August of 2022. The Red Cliff Tribal Council celebrated the project with a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the first installation.

The Fiber To Home Project will bring qualifying broadband service and high-speed internet to all tribal homes, government programs, and businesses within Red Cliff tribal jurisdiction. This also includes tribal member households off the reservation in the neighboring Town of Russell and tribal member households within the Belanger Settlement.

“Providing high-speed internet access to every home, business, and program in Gaa-Miskwaabikaang will open important opportunities for our community to pursue more education, increased telehealth services, job opportunities, and economic growth,” said Red Cliff Chairwoman Nicole Boyd. “Having high-speed internet is not a want or wish, it is a need to function and have a higher quality of life, and this project helps meet that need.”

Households, Businesses, and Community Anchor Institutions

The project will install 80 miles of fiber optic cable, serving nearly 700 connection points. This includes unserved businesses, tribal government programs, households, and lease sites. Off reservation, the project includes 12 tribal member households in the Town of Russell and 15 tribal member households within the Belanger Settlement. There are over 50 Tribal Government entities, Tribal-owned enterprises, private businesses owned by tribal members, and other community institutions on the reservation.

Attention Community Members – Digging and Hookup Operations Are Underway

To complete this project in bringing high-speed internet and broadband to you, crews will be digging and connecting these fiber-optic cables to your homes. The estimated full completion date is Spring 2025. Progress updates and notices will be posted online at www.redcliff-nsn.gov/fibertohome, in the weekly Miisaninawiind newsletter, and through the Tribe’s official Facebook page.

What Happens After Installation

The Tribe is working and consulting with various third parties to discuss service offerings for community members. The Tribe is evaluating all internet service provider options that will best suit homes, businesses, and government buildings. Service is expected to begin and be available in August of 2025. Details will be shared as they become available.