A $25 million Infrastructure, Investments, and Jobs Act (IIJA) grant through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce will enable the lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Tribe to become its own broadband internet provider.

The $25 million grant and broadband plans were announced in late October.

Service should be available in Lac du Flambeau homes next fall.

Tribal digital sovereignty is the goal, and partnership with groups like the Vilas County Economic Development Corporation, the Lac du Flambeau Business Development Corporation, the tribal planning and natural resources departments, and UW-Madison Extension helped bring the plan to fruition.

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