Oneida Nation Reservation sign. PC: Fox 11 Online
ONEIDA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Much of the Oneida Nation will now be able to access higher-speed home internet.
“As we move forward in the world, we notice that electricity, water… Those are main components. Well, guess what? Internet is now becoming just like the utility companies. Without it, where are you? How do you get a hold of your doctor? How do you get a hold of a lot of people? How do you do most of anything?” said project lead Nate Villarreal.
A partnership with Cellcom made it possible to build a third cell tower next to the Oneida One Stop, bridging the digital gap for residents.
Villarreal said, “I know I’ve got probably six different email accounts that I check on daily, so internet’s allowing me to do that, where before… No signal? Let’s drive another 20 feet and hope that we can find some signal from something.”
Cellcom Chief Technology Officer & Vice President of Engineering Rick Brooks said, “Usually, Cellcom comes in, we build this and we deploy it, but this has been different. The Oneida Nations took the lead. They invested, they built the towers, they owned the infrastructure. Cellcom just came along and brought the spark, brought the active technology to bring the signal to the tower and the signal from the tower to the homes.”
This tower will open access to online education, telehealth, remote jobs and new economic opportunities — all using Fixed Wireless Access. This removes the need for physical cables by using radio signals to connect homes and businesses to the internet.
“It isn’t just about technology. It’s about the long-term development of Oneida Nation… I’d like to think that this project is a great example illustrating the Nation’s efforts building for the next seven generations,” said Jameson Wilson, an Oneida Business Committee member.
According to Villarreal, the newly-added cell tower is just the start.
“I actually applied for a grant through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which we were awarded a $6.6 million grant, who now run fiber throughout the nation, so this is just a step to get us to the next step, if you will,” he said.
The end goal is high-speed home internet for the entire Oneida Nation. If you are looking to get service, you can head to the Oneida Nation website or get it directly through Cellcom.
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