News
Hundreds of locations in the Navajo Nation are gaining access to high-speed internet thanks to fixed-wireless access from Tarana that can send signals over large distances.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
Tarana, a creator of fixed-wireless technology, and the wireless broadband branch of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority have announced a partnership that has utilized new technology to bring “the first of many upgraded networks that will equip residents and businesses of Navajo Nation” with high-speed internet.
The Navajo Nation, which is the largest indigenous tribe in the United States, is located across three states in the American Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
According to a March 27 release from Tarana, the company’s ngFWA broadband network has already been launched in Tohatchi, New Mexico.
Tohatchi, which had a listed population of 785 in the 2020 U.S. Census, is located within rocky terrain, where significant distances between homes has made the prospect of deploying in-ground fiber an extremely costly proposition.
“Tarana’s ngFWA is the first wireless broadband solution to deliver fiber-class broadband at great distances despite radio interference or physical obstructions, enabling internet service providers to deploy affordable, quality internet service in hard-to-reach areas,” the company’s announcement stated.
Using Tarana’s wireless broadband technology, Choice Broadband reported being able to connect an additional 400 locations in the area.
Choice Broadband is described as the wireless broadband branch of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. The service provides 4G LTE fixed/mobile broadband and voice across the Navajo Nation, according to a summary of Choice Broadband’s operations.
Frank Chiapetti, the principal of Tohatchi’s Ch’ooshgai Community School, explained the impact the new services, which excelled download speeds from 9 Mbps to 100 Mbps, have had on the community.
“The main thing is to be able to work from home — it definitely improved my life,” he was quoted as having said in Tarana’s release. “I can stream music, video, while still working on my laptop … there are no slowdowns. The download and upload speeds are phenomenal — nothing that we’ve been able to get in Tohatchi before.”
At a ribbon cutting for the network on March 14, Scott Horne, the CEO of Choice Broadband’s parent company, Commnet Broadband, said the network is the first wireless broadband capable of 100+ Mbps speeds.
“Tarana’s technology is truly opening doors that were previously closed and changing the lives of the Navajo people,” said Horne. “We’re excited to launch this site today, but we also understand there is much more work to be done.”
An additional ten Tarana ngFWA networks will be launched within the Navajo Nation in 2024, according to Tarana’s release.
Among the improvements that enhanced access has yielded in Tohatchi, Tarana listed a family convenience store that got first-time access, increased emergency response times, telehealth opportunities for rural residents, and prospective college students that will now have access to college courses online.
“The Tohatchi deployment embodies our joint commitment to serving tribal communities with reliable broadband and reaching the underserved as soon as possible,” said Basil Alwan, Tarana’s CEO. “We look forward to helping the Choice team accelerate their work throughout Navajo Nation with ngFWA.”
