The Oglala Sioux Tribe is getting a boost in internet connectivity thanks to a $35 million federal grant to develop high-speed access.
The move will benefit 3,300 people, 47 businesses, 55 farms and seven educational facilities in Bennett and Oglala Lakota counties on the Pine Ridge Reservation, according to the USDA.
Funding will be through federal grants reconnection plan and managed by Oglala Lakota Telecommunications.
Nikki Gronli oversees the department’s South Dakota Rural Development team.
“We’re creating more jobs because they’re expanding telecommunications networks and the entrepreneurial spirit that comes with people using high-speed internet,” Gronlie said.
The program is part of a broader $58 million investment targeting tribal communities in Nevada, Oklahoma and South Dakota to spur economic development and improve infrastructure.
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