A Connected Future: Choctaw Nation’s Broadband Revolution

Connection is valued in the Choctaw Nation. Just as the preservation of the Choctaw language helps keep the Nation connected to its heritage, sovereignty, and proud past, the Choctaw Nation’s razor-sharp focus on broadband connectivity across the Reservation is successfully ensuring communities throughout the Choctaw Nation are digitally transformed and connected to a flourishing future in the ever-expanding digital economy.

“The Broadband Initiative is not just about infrastructure—it’s about empowerment, growth, and ensuring that every member of the community has the tools they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world,” says Senior Tribal Broadband Officer, Lance Browder, who leads this initiative for the Choctaw Nation. “This initiative aligns with Chief Batton’s strategic plan for fiscal years 2020-2025, emphasizing broadband expansion across the CNO reservation.”

Case in point: the Hodgen School District in LeFlore County. The Federal Communications Commission identifies Le Flore County as a high-priority area on their critical needs list for broadband expansion, and the Choctaw Nation secured a grant from the USDA in 2019 to bring fiber-based, broadband internet to the school, which has been benefitting from that 1 Gbps circuit for the past 2.5 years. The Choctaw Nation’s Broadband Steering Committee then successfully secured more than $68 million in grants over the past two years to ensure even more broadband connectivity for the Hodgen area and beyond, with service rollouts to individual subscribers planned for later this summer. And with the additional grant funding secured, the initiative continues to grow.

“As we work toward achieving digital data and communication transformation, we are focused on extending broadband across more communities,” Lance explains. “We are now looking to expand coverage in the area around the Hodgen School District, aiming to serve an additional 805 homes and businesses in LeFlore County, and then shift focus to serving another 330 locations on the western side of the CNO reservation through portions of Atoka, Bryan, Coal, and Johnston County.”

Hoping to ensure more broadband wins like Hodgen in the future, the Choctaw Nation’s executive leadership continues to make broadband success a priority as evidenced by the fact that one of the FY25 organization-wide goals for the Choctaw Nation is “Increase Broadband coverage within the Reservation utilizing Grant Funding.”

And Lance, who was appointed to his broadband leadership position by CIO David Ledford last year, says the positive impact of the initiative reaches far beyond just internet access as it also fosters economic growth, education, and community development.

“If we can bring people living in Southeastern Oklahoma within the Choctaw Nation reservation a high-speed internet experience that improves their lives, that would be wonderful,” Lance says, “Not only will they have access to the natural resources our area has to offer, but also the connectivity to the rest of the world to pursue their education, entrepreneurship, and remote work opportunities. And with that connectivity, perhaps we can encourage our younger generations to stay, build careers, and start businesses within their home communities. That would be a real win.”