Wahzhazhe Connect Breaks Ground on NTIA-Funded Projects
OSAGE NATION, OKLA. (February 28, 2024) – The Osage Nation’s department Wahzhazhe Connect will be joined by Biden-Harris Administration officials to break ground on its National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) broadband expansion projects on Monday, March 4, 2024, at 1:30 p.m., at Wakon Iron Hall in Pawhuska. Representatives from NTIA will attend the event, along with staff from the Oklahoma Broadband Office.
This is the beginning of the construction funded by $40.6M in federal grants to the Osage Nation to build out high-speed fiber optic broadband throughout the Osage Nation. The program is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative, which aims to ensure everyone in America can access reliable, affordable high-speed internet. The projects will build a network of more than 200 miles of fiber optic cabling along with 16 towers for fixed wifi.
“This will change our community for the better at many different levels, including education, social connection, health services, and cooperation with our community and communities throughout the world,” said Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear.
There will be an in-person media availability with federal and Tribal officials.
Who:
- Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
- Tom Perez, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
- Geoffrey Standing Bear, Principal Chief of the Osage Nation
What: Osage Nation Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Groundbreaking and Tour
Where: Wakon Iron Hall, 181 Wakon Iron Blvd Pawhuska, OK
When: Monday, March 4, 2024, 11:45 - 2:30 p.m. CST
- 11:45 AM: Roundtable with Osage Nation Residents
- 181 Wakon Iron Blvd Pawhuska, OK
- 12:30 PM: Tour of Warehouse housing broadband equipment
- 203 Lynn Avenue, Pawhuska, OK 74056
- 1:30 PM: Groundbreaking Ceremony with ceremonial groundbreaking
- 181 Wakon Iron Blvd Pawhuska, OK
- 2:30 PM: Press Availability
RSVP: Please email communications@osagenation-nsn.gov
About the Project
The first set of NTIA projects includes the western boundary of the Osage Nation, which runs from the Arkansas River Bridge, located east of Ponca City, to the Highway 18 intersection with Highway 60, located just north of Fairfax. Pawhuska Indian Camp is the second project in this phase, which includes the construction of fiber-to-the-home for residents. The third project includes Osage Nation government facilities in Pawhuska, including the Osage Nation Fitness Center, the Domestic Violence Shelter, and the newly renovated Visitors Center.
This next phase marks the completion of the required environmental and historic preservation analysis, which includes an assessment of risks to the land, air, and water, endangered species, and risks to human health. The Office of Historic Preservation conducted the cultural resources surveys, which also identified potential archaeological sites in the path of construction, as well as burial sites and areas of historical significance to the Osage Nation.
The next set of projects of the broadband buildout includes extending the eastern boundary, running from Pawhuska to Bartlesville, the City of Fairfax, and the new Primary Residential Treatment Centers. Also included are routes from Pawhuska to Hominy, Skiatook to Tulsa, as well as Barnsdall, Avant, and Sperry. Internet service will be provided by Osage Innovative Solutions, also known as “Osage Broadband,” which will be available first in Pawhuska and Fairfax Senior Housing neighborhoods.
The groundbreaking is free and open to the public.
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