New Media, Technology & Internet Use in Indian Country

On November 19, 2009, Native Public Media and the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative will release New Media, Technology and Internet Use in Indian Country: Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses, one of the most extensive studies of on the ground technology use, access, and adoption in Native American lands. Demonstrating the great need to include Native Americans in the discourse around the National Broadband Plan, the report combines both a survey of Native American technology use amongst 120 tribes, normed against other national surveys, and in-depth case studies of six successful projects exhibiting Digital Excellence in Native America.

As the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) noted in 2004: "By virtually any measure, communities on tribal lands have historically had less access to telecommunications services than any other segment of the population." Today, many Native American lands tribes have little or no affordable access to broadband - putting Internet connectivity and its associated benefits out of reach for many of these communities. Until now, the lack of data about the Native American telecommunications landscape has been a considerable barrier to developing informed policies to drive Internet deployment, access and adoption in tribal communities.

Propelling Native voices into the national broadband discussion, New Media, Technology and Internet Use in Indian Country: Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses lays the groundwork for Native deployment, access, and adoption of digital communication that is driven by and serving the needs of Native America.

Please join us on November 19^th for the public release of the report. A copy of the report can be found here.

This event is jointly hosted by Native Public Media and the Open Technology Initiative. Breakfast will be provided. Invitation may be extended to any and all affiliated staff.

Participants

Loris Taylor
Executive Director
Native Public Media

Traci Morris
Policy Analyst
Native Public Media

Sascha Meinrath
Director, Open Technology Initiative
New America Foundation

Blair Levin
Coordinator
FCC National Broadband Plan

Geoffrey Blackwell
Native Public Media Advisory Council and Chair
Telecommunications Subcommittee of the National Congress of American Indians

Daniel Weitzner
Associate Administrator for the Office of Policy Analysis and Development
National Telecommunications and Information Administration